A really bad cold can sometimes block the taste buds for a long time. What you have described is not particularly surprising or even unusual. It happens fairly commonly and there is really very little that can be done by way of curative measures to remedy the situation speedily. The way it works is really quite simple. Any type of relevant trauma can make the taste buds swell up. This could include something as basic as a common cold that has gone on for a long enough time, or it could come about due to something else. Pregnancy is also a common enough cause for taste buds becoming non functional. A lot of times, the way taste buds respond to the commonest type of foods can also change a lot. If you bite your tongue, this can also impact the way your taste buds behave. The basic factor here is inflammation. And since taste buds are so small that they are microscopic in nature, there is no way you can do anything in order to cure them of the swelling that has occurred. Your best bet is to wait it out and you will see that your tastes and taste buds return to normalcy quickly.
Sometimes, extremes such as hot food, spicy food or even extremely pungent food can penetrate and make you feel the taste or temperature. When this happens, people normally tend to think that their taste buds are activating again. However, please do keep in mind that this is not true. And if you continue to inflict this kind of abuse on your already malfunctioning taste buds, then there is a possibility that they will take even longer to get better. The best that you could do for your taste buds right now is to leave them alone and give them a chance to recover on their own. If anything, you should keep trying to cleanse your palate with lots of water. This would possibly be the best way to take care of swollen taste buds. Try not to consume any hot or spicy food for the time being. You may find that this too is helpful in taking care of the situation. One of the things that may help you to get your taste buds back in action could possibly be honey. Honey is well known for its restorative properties. However, please do remember to use it in small quantities for this purpose.
answered by M W