Vaper's Tongue: How To Avoid & Tips To Solve It
Published 12 August 2022, Updated 8 April 2024
Vaper's Tongue: How To Avoid And Tips To Solve It
Vaper's tongue is a common experience within the vaping community, although it can be very confusing for those who are unaware of such a thing. If you've experienced vaper's tongue, then you'll know how annoying it is. You have between 2000 to 8000 taste buds on your tongue; for them to work, they require saliva; vaping can cause you to produce less saliva, which can compromise your ability to taste; luckily, this can be quickly resolved to improve your vaping experience.
Vaper's Tongue: Why Can't I Taste My Vape
The main reason for not being able to taste your vape is something called vapers fatigue; this is more commonly known as vaper's tongue.
Vaper's tongue, also known as a vaper's fatigue, is a condition when there is a sudden loss in your taste. This is common amongst many vapers and can be caused when constantly vaping the same e-liquid. Vaper's tongue can happen to every vaper with any liquid, and we have all been exposed to it. This may come to surprise many new vapers as it happens as you lose your ability to taste your favourite vape e-liquids. However, there's no need to worry as every vaper has experienced this on occasion.
Can Vapes Cause A Loss Of Taste
Vaper's tongue is a common occurrence; it can affect your tasting ability causing things to taste odd to causing you to lose your taste entirely for a short period.
Vaper's tongue can cause you to lose your taste. The vape juice you come to love suddenly tastes unpleasant and loses its flavour. The average human adult is said to have an average of 4000 taste buds, although this can vary between 2000-8000. Therefore vape tongue can happen at different times for each individual vaper.
What Does Vaper's Tongue Feel Like
Vapers' tongues can cause you to feel symptoms such as a numb tongue, strange tastes or loss of taste.
If you can't taste your vape juice or disposable vape, then you have vaper's tongue. This can include a numbing sensation in your tongue. This can be due to a few reasons, resulting in a failure to taste your e-liquid and experiencing an uncomfortable taste from your e-liquid to what you are typically used to.
How Long Does It Take To Get Vaper's Tongue
This can vary between vapers depending on a few factors. However, vaper's tongue can occur within a week of vaping or can even happen within 24 hours. Vape usually lasts 1-3 days typically; however, if your taste buds are damaged, this can last upto two weeks.
Your taste buds can become coated or damaged. If they become coated, you'll be able to get your vape taste back quicker than if damaged, which can usually take up to two weeks to return.
What Can Cause Vaper's Tongue?
There are several causes of vaper's tongue, the main factors being:
1. Dehydration/Dry Mouth - This can cause vaper's tongue. E-liquids contain PG (Propylene Glycol) and VG (Vegetable Glycerin), which is the base of your e-juices. These two ingredients are hygroscopic, which absorb and attract water molecules very well. When you inhale your vape, PG and VG will absorb the saliva in your mouth, resulting in a reduced sense of taste.
2. Vaping too much - your taste buds can fatigue and become damaged if you vape too much.
3. Vaping the same flavour - Vaping the same vape juice can cause you to become desensitised to the e-liquid you're vaping.
4. Damaged taste buds - This can lead to vaper's tongue. Your taste buds are pretty sensitive and can be damaged by various things. Eating spicy foods, extremely sour foods, smoking, alcohol, and caffeine can negatively affect the taste, resulting in tasteless e-juice.
5. Common Colds and Flu - In our lifetimes, many people have all experienced a loss of their senses from having a cold or being ill. Our senses are connected from our mouths, ears and noses. A blocked nose will reduce the sense of smell and sense of taste. If you're suffering from an illness and taking medication, then make sure the medication you're taking is not causing your loss of taste rather than vaping itself.
How Do You Get Rid Of Vaper's Tongue?
When it comes to curing vaper's tongue, there are a few different options, such as changing the flavour.
If you are asking yourself how do I get my vape taste back and experiencing the dreaded vaper's tongue, we have listed 8 things that you can do:
1. Drink water - Staying hydrated is essential to everyday life. The average amount of water you should be drinking daily is 2 litres. However, you'll need to drink more water if you're vaping. More water leads to more saliva. This is the best cure to help with mouth dryness and clear your palette. Still or carbonated water is fine. Another alternative is to use a dry mouth oral rinse, which can temporarily cure dry mouth.
2. Don't vape as much - Chain vaping is a bad habit. If you find yourself chain vaping, increase your nicotine strength if you feel you're not getting that hit, take longer breaks between hits or leave your vape out of sight.
3. Change e-liquid flavours - You can keep your taste buds fresh by using different flavours frequently. Flavours such as Mint or Menthol can help stop vaper's tongue.
4. Smell fresh coffee beans - You may have experienced this when shopping for a new perfume, and professional wine tasters carry it out. Smelling fresh coffee beans can clean your palette and can have a similar effect to changing e-liquid flavours. Coffee beans will realign your taste buds by resetting your olfactory senses, as your sense of smell and taste is linked.
5. Stop smoking - If you're smoking while vaping, one of the best things you can do is stop; whilst there are many benefits to quitting smoking, one of them is that cigarettes damage your senses, especially your sense of taste and smell. Vaping higher nicotine strengths will help you quit smoking.
6. Brush your tongue - It's important to keep your tongue clean and have all-around good oral hygiene. Brushing will remove the lining that forms on your tongue. Using mouth wash can also help due to the intense, bold flavours. Using a Tongue scraper can also help.
7. Suck A lemon - Lemons can help clean your palette, similar to coffee beans. Be careful not to overdo it, as extremely sour tastes can cause and not cure vaper's tongue.
8. Check expiry dates - Expired e-liquid can taste slightly different from your typical refined taste. Expired vape juice can have a different colour and taste different. Ensure your e-liquid is in date and stored correctly, keeping it out of direct sunlight and high temperatures.
Experiencing vaper tongue using your favourite vape flavours can be a nuisance. However, if you stick to the above measures, you can be sure to eliminate the risks of developing vape tongue and thoroughly enjoy your vaping experience.