“Vaper’s Tongue”: What Is It? & How to Get Rid Of It?

Ever found yourself vaping on your favorite Vanilla Custard Premium e-Juice and suddenly something just doesn’t feel right? That creamy and delicious flavor you’ve been enjoying for weeks is all but a distant memory and all you can taste is a lungful of creamy and delicious… AIR??!

You start asking yourself: “What the hell is going on? Has my juice gone bad? Did I get a weak, flavorless batch? Am I vaping straight up VG??!”

Worry not, my temporarily sensory impaired friend! You are just suffering from a fairly common and easily fixable problem: “vaper’s tongue”.

What is Vaper’s Tongue?

Although being commonly called vaper’s “tongue”, this issue is, more often than not, directly linked with our olfactory receptors as opposed to our taste buds.

Our sense of smell is actually the main reason we’re able to accurately identify flavors in food, drinks and, you guessed it, e-Juice.

Ever wonder why children pinch their noses when they have to gobble down something “icky” like medicine or veggies? Or why food seem to taste bland when you have a cold? Well, the reason is simple. When the olfactory receptors in our noses are blocked, our perception of what a specific flavor should be is severely impaired, preventing us from actually tasting things properly.

8 Causes of Vaper’s Tongue?

As stated above, the main reason often is an olfactory obstruction but there are other factors which may be contributing to this condition:

1. Vaping the same flavor for too long

Our senses of taste and smell can actually get tired. By over saturating your senses with a specific flavor, they’ll eventually get “numb” and grow so accustomed to it in a way that causes them to basically ignore it’s presence. Like they say, “too much of a good thing…”.

2. Dehydration

If you vape, drink copious amounts of water! Being dehydrated can cause you to feel tired and unfocused, it can give you headaches, stress and an overall sense of ill-being. It is also a common culprit in vaper’s tongue.

3. Dry mouth

The lack of saliva in the mouth is a common occurrence and happens more and more as we get older. It is a known side-effect of certain types of medication, such as depression, anxiety, pain or allergy medicine, as well as sedatives. Some medical conditions like anemia, diabetes and hypertension can cause dry mouth.

4. Medication

Some types of medication, like lithium, thyroid drugs and cancer drugs are known to impair our senses of smell and taste. If you happen to be medicated, check the possible side-effects of the drugs you’re taking, as they may well be the cause of your vaper’s tongue.

5. Smoking

Are you a smoker? Have you recently quit smoking? If so, you just might need some time to get your sense of taste back. It is known that smoking can damage your sense of smell.

6. Blocked nose

As we’ve seen before, nasal obstruction blocks the olfactory receptors which in turn impairs our sense of taste. Allergies and colds may be causing this.

7. Other illnesses or injuries

Some injuries to the head, mouth or nose may cause a decrease in senses of smell and taste. Also watch out for gingivitis and Vitamin deficiencies.

8. Old e-Juice

As e-liquid ages, it’s flavor profiles decrease (after quite some time…). So, maybe you just need to stop vaping that Blue Label, 12yrs old Strawberry Cheesecake and get your self a brand new bottle!

How to cure Vaper’s Tongue?

Don’t despair, help is on it’s way! Below are some possible solutions:

1. Hail Hydrate!

Seriously, hydrate yourself. Even if you’re not suffering from vaper’s tongue, drink plenty of water. The components in e juice (mainly PG) can and will dry out your airways and overall dehydrate you. So fight this by drinking copious amounts of water. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated!

2. Switch flavors

Sometimes your senses just need a little shock to wake up and start functioning properly again. Switch to different flavor (like menthol) for a few days before returning to your original one. Another way is to get a rotation going on. Don’t just stick to one flavor but instead vape on two or three different juices on a daily basis.

3. Strong scents and flavors

Some vapers swear they got rid of vaper’s tongue by smelling coffee beans or sucking on lemon juice. This method acts as kind of a reset button to your senses and is common practice among professional wine tasters (these guys have some serious tasting skills!).

4. Thorough dental hygiene

Aside from brushing, try flossing and using mouthwash as a way to increase your sense of taste.

5. Tongue scrapers

Some vapers swear by the use of tongue scrapers as a means to end the dreaded vaper’s tongue.

6. Time

Maybe that’s all you need… Allow your senses to recover simply by giving them some time.

Most of the time, it is fairly easy to cure and even prevent vaper’s tongue. Remember to keep yourself hydrated and follow some of the simple steps above.
If this condition persists, my advice is to seek a medical opinion.
I hope this post helps you understand and ultimately get rid of this nuisance of the vaping world! Happy vaping, guys and gals!