There are lots of things that can impact a person's sense of taste; just google "impaired taste" to get an idea.
I can only speak to my own experience which is entirely anecdotal; but diet has a lot to do with mine. Strong aggressive flavors seem to overwhelm/overload my taste buds and they sort of shut down. Oily foods that I so love (fresh garlic and onion, coffee, and EVOO), all coat my tongue, and feel like they prevent other flavors from passing through to the tissue. Same for fatty foods. Fried foods? Yep. Dairy (milk, cheese, ice cream, butter)? Yep. A tasty, juicy(aka. fatty), piece of cow? Yep.
Extra attention to brushing my teeth and tongue seems to help with the oily/fatty "coating" part of things (as soon after consuming as possible). As for the "overload" challenge coming from spicy, or highly seasoned flavors; only moderation or abstinence has offered any relief.
Alcohol is another contributor to my own loss of taste. Any form of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, spirit), or even alcohol-based mouthwash ("NO!," you smart alecks; I'm not drinking mouthwash
), all temporarily reduce my capacity to taste. Beer (particularly craft beers) seems to be even worse. If I drink a highly hopped craft beer; I can forget about tasting much of anything for the rest of the evening... even with brushing. For me; it boils down to making choices. Do I want pizza/spicy pad thai/rib-eye steak for supper? Or, do I want to taste my vape tonight? Generally, I choose the food... I am a gourmand at heart... and understand that my vape (flavor) sensitivity will pay the price.
I share similar experience with @score69; in that I have been vaping mostly unflavored e-liquid for 2+ years now. When I do vape flavored e-liquids now and then, the flavors are much more noticeable, and I need to use much less of them (I DIY my own juice).
I have no idea if this has any commonality with anyone else. I only share it as one person's (my own) observations.
