Taste in the mouth - causes, diagnosis and treatment

sour taste in mouth

heartburn

gastritis

If a person, without consuming any food or drink, feels a dubious taste in his mouth other than a neutral one, then this, with a 90% probability, indicates the development of abnormalities in the digestive system. Depending on the nature of the pathological changes, the taste can be sour, sweet or bitter. If this symptom occurs, immediate consultation with a gastroenterologist is recommended, and in some cases, consultation with an endocrinologist or hepatologist may be required.

general characteristics

From time to time, an unpleasant taste occurs in healthy people.
It can be caused by the accumulation of food particles due to insufficient oral hygiene, or the consumption of foods with a bright, rich taste. In most cases, the symptom is caused by pathological causes. A bitter taste is felt in the mouth mainly in the morning, immediately after waking up. Unpleasant sensations bother a person for several hours and do not disappear after rinsing the mouth with water. Bitterness or a feeling of sourness are accompanied by heartburn and a sore throat. In this case, the oral mucosa dries out, the saliva is viscous, and is released in smaller quantities. Sometimes patients complain of a strong chemical or metallic taste that lasts throughout the day. If symptoms appear with a certain frequency or constantly, you need to visit a specialist.

Tip #4: Get tested

The taste of acetone in the mouth almost always has not the most harmless causes, so this situation cannot be ignored. Try to contact your local physician as soon as possible, who will give you directions for blood tests (in particular, to check your condition and glucose levels), and urine tests (to detect ketone bodies). Ultrasound, instrumental research methods, and biochemistry may also be additionally recommended.

To identify the problem, it is necessary to undergo tests

For those who are in a hurry and want to test themselves before the doctors, you can resort to using special test strips for acetone. Buy them at any pharmacy and compare the results with the data presented in the product description.

“I developed an acetone taste in my mouth during pregnancy, and ketones were found in my urine. This happened in the first weeks, until about the twelfth. My doctor attributed it to the terrible toxicosis that I developed. Of course, she kept me under control, but I have to give her credit, although she didn’t scare me with all sorts of horrors, as they usually like to do. During this period, no food entered my mouth at all, everything asked to be returned, which means (as the doctor explained), that’s why these substances were produced, as if from starvation. Then I gradually began to eat and drink, and everything went away.”
Marina, review from the babyblog.ru forum

Causes of taste in mouth

Causes of blood taste in mouth

This symptom occurs when you accidentally bite your cheek or tongue until it bleeds. The characteristic taste in the mouth, repeated several times a week, is due to pathological reasons. The main diseases that cause a taste of blood in the mouth are:

Dental diseases
: gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis.
ENT pathology
: sinusitis, chronic atrophic rhinitis.
Damage to the gastrointestinal tract
: erosive esophagitis and gastritis, peptic ulcer, dilation of the esophageal veins.
Cardiovascular disorders
: hypertension, angina, vasculitis.
Rare causes
: tuberculosis, lung cancer, bronchial asthma.

Causes of bitter taste in mouth

Bitterness is most often felt in the morning, but sometimes the symptom bothers the patient during the day. The bitter taste is accompanied by nausea, loss of appetite, sometimes vomiting with bile, and a specific unpleasant smell of rotten breath. A bitter taste in the mouth can be caused by the following reasons:

Age-related mucosal atrophy in the elderly
.
Pregnancy
.
Bad habits
: smoking, alcohol abuse.
Liver pathologies
: autoimmune, viral or toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty degeneration.
Damage to the biliary tract
: cholecystitis and cholangitis, bile duct dyskinesia, cholelithiasis.
Gastrointestinal diseases
: functional dyspepsia, chronic gastritis, duodenitis.
Neurological disorders
: consequences of traumatic brain injury, residual manifestations of stroke, Alzheimer's disease.
Iatrogenic conditions
: placement of fillings, dental prosthetics.
Complications of pharmacotherapy
: treatment with chemotherapy drugs, antihistamines, antibiotics.

Causes of metallic taste in mouth

An unpleasant sensation is more often observed after consuming untreated tap water that passes through poor quality pipes covered with rust. The taste of iron also appears when cooking or storing food in aluminum cookware. Possible pathological causes of a metallic taste in the mouth:

Anemia
: iron deficiency, B12 deficiency.
Foreign bodies
: piercings on the tongue or lips, low-quality metal dentures.
Hormonal changes
: pregnancy, menopause.
Chemical poisoning
: mercury, lead, copper, arsenic.
Exposure to radiation
.
Diseases of the urinary system
: chronic glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis, renal failure.
Gastrointestinal diseases
: esophageal erosion, bleeding gastric ulcer, esophageal varicose veins.
Complications of pharmacotherapy
: taking antiprotozoal, antacid antihypertensive drugs.

Causes of sweet taste in mouth

A constant taste of sweetness is observed in people who abuse confectionery and chocolate. If the symptom is not associated with food intake, unsweetened foods predominate in the diet, this indicates serious problems. The main reasons for which a sweet taste appears in the mouth:

Diabetes
.
Pregnancy, gestational diabetes
.
Dental diseases
: caries, periodontitis, stomatitis.
Diseases of the digestive system
: chronic pancreatitis, GERD, hyperacid gastritis.
Exposure to pathogenic microorganisms
: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and streptococci.
Neurological disorders
: damage to the facial nerve, chronic stress.
Pesticide poisoning
.

Causes of acetone taste in the mouth

A sharp chemical taste is often the result of changes in metabolic processes and the accumulation of ketone bodies. This symptom does not occur normally and always indicates serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. The unpleasant smell and taste of acetone in the mouth is caused by the following reasons:

Following a low-carbohydrate diet
.
Endocrine diseases
: diabetes mellitus and its complication - ketoacidotic coma, thyroid dysfunction.
Kidney damage
: glomerulonephritis, acute and chronic renal failure, necronephrosis.
Liver pathology
: fibrosis and cirrhosis, Wilson-Konovalov disease, neoplasms.

In what diseases is it observed?

It has been established that the smell of acetone can occur in the following diseases:

poisoning;
coma;
kidney inflammation;
kidney failure;
hepatitis;
cholecystitis;
dehydration due to intestinal infections;
diabetes;
liver injuries.

When an unpleasant odor begins to bother you, you should make an appointment with a therapist. After examination, questioning and studying the test results, the doctor will be able to refer you to a specialized doctor - gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, neurologist, nephrologist.

If such a symptom appears, the doctor will definitely prescribe a blood and urine test for diagnostic purposes. Additionally, nasopharyngeal culture and CT may be required. The research results will help identify the cause and select the optimal treatment regimen.

Diagnostics

If an atypical taste is occasionally or constantly felt in the mouth, consultation with a gastroenterologist is required. The symptom is caused by various reasons, therefore, before laboratory and instrumental examination, you should carefully collect anamnesis and accompanying complaints. The greatest diagnostic value is:

Blood tests
. A standard blood chemistry test reveals the accumulation of ammonia and ketone bodies, which often cause an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Clinical analysis can detect a decrease in hemoglobin, changes in the size and shape of red blood cells, which is characteristic of anemia. If necessary, toxicological analysis is carried out.
Hormonal profile
. If patients complain of a sweetish sensation in the mouth, fasting sugar levels are measured. The results of an oral glucose tolerance test are indicative. To clarify the form of diabetes, the concentration of insulin and C-peptide is taken into account. If glucose levels are normal, it is recommended to determine the level of thyroid hormones.
ENT examination
. During the study, the condition of the mouth, throat, and nasal passages is examined. Frequent findings are signs of chronic inflammation, purulent or whitish deposits on the mucous membrane. Bloody crusts are sometimes found in the nose. If carious teeth or bleeding gums are detected, a person is referred to a dentist.
Endoscopy
. The causes of unusual taste sensations, which are combined with abdominal pain and painful heartburn, are diagnosed using FGDS. During endoscopy, inflammatory and destructive processes in the gastric mucosa, insufficiency of the cardiac sphincter with the flow of acidic contents into the esophagus are visualized.
X-ray imaging
. To exclude ENT causes of a persistent unpleasant taste in the mouth, an x-ray of the paranasal sinuses is performed. Excretory urography is indicated for patients with swelling, lower back pain and other signs of kidney damage. To study the condition of the intestines, a barium passage x-ray is prescribed.
Additional methods
. In women, levels of sex hormones must be examined; in young patients, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin is additionally assessed to confirm or exclude pregnancy. If lung cancer is suspected, especially in men with a long history of smoking, bronchoscopy with collection of material for cytomorphological analysis is required.

If you have an unpleasant taste in your mouth, it is important to maintain oral hygiene

Diagnostic measures

Diagnostic features depend on the preliminary diagnosis. The patient may be asked:

Pass the UAC and BAK. Based on their results, it will be possible to understand whether there is an inflammatory process and whether the kidneys and liver are functioning normally.
Donate blood for hormones. First of all, insulin levels are always determined to confirm or deny the presence of diabetes. Women may have their blood taken to determine hCG, progesterone, and estrogen.
Undergo an ultrasound examination. During an ultrasound, the condition of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas is checked.
Get a computed tomography scan of the abdomen and an MRI of the brain.

In each specific case, the diagnostic package is unique. A personal approach allows the doctor to immediately make the correct diagnosis and select effective treatment for the patient. The fight against acetone odor is always aimed at eliminating the root cause. Therefore, there cannot be a single scheme for overcoming an uncomfortable symptom.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Many patients feel relief after rinsing their mouth with water and a small amount of lemon juice or a weak solution of soda. It is important to maintain oral hygiene: brush your teeth thoroughly 2 times a day, rinse your mouth with water after each meal, and use dental floss if necessary. In order not to suffer from bitterness in the morning, you should refrain from fatty foods and smoked foods at dinner.

Pregnant women are advised to eat often, in small portions, so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract. After eating, you should not take a horizontal position or engage in physical labor. If an unpleasant taste in the mouth is accompanied by dyspeptic disorders, pain or a progressive deterioration of the general condition, it is important to consult a doctor in time to determine why the taste occurs in the mouth.

Conservative therapy

A specific taste occurs in many diseases, so only the main directions of therapy can be identified, and the selection of an individual set of therapeutic measures is carried out by a specialist. When caries is detected, treatment by a dentist is indicated: usually, after the elimination of chronic foci of infection, the unpleasant taste disappears. Most often used in therapeutic regimens:

Antiseptics
. Regular rinsing of the oral cavity with a solution of chlorhexidine and its analogues ensures moisturizing and cleansing of the mucous membrane, and prevents the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. For stomatitis with pain, solutions of local anesthetics are used.
Antacids
. If the symptom is due to hyperacid conditions, modern non-absorbable drugs that quickly reduce acidity are recommended. A course of treatment with antisecretory agents is often required to achieve a lasting effect and healing of mucosal defects.
Choleretic drugs
. In case of biliary pathology, the composition of bile is improved and its release into the duodenum is stimulated, due to which the bitterness disappears. The drugs can be combined with hepatoprotectors to protect the liver from the effects of bile acids.
Antidotes
. Heavy metal poisoning is an indication for the prescription of specific complexones that bind and remove toxic substances from the blood. To speed up detoxification, large volumes of crystalloid solutions are administered intravenously.

Content:

The main causes of the smell of acetone from the mouth 1.1. Hunger 1.2. Alcohol poisoning 1.3. Physical fatigue 1.4. Acetonemic syndrome 1.5. Gestation period 1.6. Diabetes mellitus 1.7. Ketoacidosis 1.8. Thyrotoxicosis 1.9. Liver diseases 1.10. Kidney diseases 1.11. Schizophrenia
Other causes of the problem
Diagnostic measures

If your breath smells like acetone (dimethyl ketone), you should think about your health. This is a dangerous symptom that occurs in a variety of diseases. Normally, the acetone smell should not come from a person. Therefore, it is important to identify why it appeared and what can be done to get rid of it.

Why does it occur in women?

If the specific taste in the mouth and lips in women does not cause a cough due to problems with the ENT organs or other listed problems, then the unpleasant symptoms are associated with the menstrual cycle or hormonal imbalance. Pregnant women especially often complain about this condition. Temporary restructuring of the body during childbearing followed by breastfeeding contributes to changes in taste buds.

Salinity also occurs due to dehydration caused by toxicosis. A woman may complain of constant nausea, vomiting, weakness, dry mouth, and dizziness. In this case, it is advisable to eat natural food with a minimum amount of dyes, drink drinks that alleviate the condition, and eat sour fruits that smooth out the symptoms of nausea and strange taste in the mouth.

Dysgeusia often develops in pregnant women. This is a taste disorder under the influence of hormones. This phenomenon is temporary and disappears without a trace after delivery.

Salt in the mouth of women can appear as a result of sudden mood swings, crying, or tears. In older representatives of the fairer sex, a salty taste appears during menopause, when hormonal changes occur intensively. It is often accompanied by dry mouth, inability to swallow food, burning, and itching.

Why does it occur in men?

Increased loads cause a salty taste in the mouth of men constantly engaged in physical labor or training. During intense movements, blood pressure rises and blood circulation in all organs and systems increases. The blood is filled with iron and sodium ions, so the taste of salt on the lips and in the mouth may well be felt.

In addition, sweat gets on your lips, and if you accidentally lick it off, you can feel a salty bitterness on your tongue.

In some cases, a specific taste in the mouth in men is associated with the development of prostatitis, but it is not regarded as an important symptom due to its mild severity.

If a man feels a salty taste on his tongue in the morning, this may indicate a stormy evening yesterday with the consumption of a large amount of alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol dehydrates the body. Its breakdown products in the blood cause intoxication and dehydration. To normalize the water-salt balance, you need to drink at least 2 liters of liquid (mineral water, juices, compotes, rosehip decoction, clean water).

Reason #1: poor oral hygiene

If you don't clean your teeth and gums well enough or completely ignore your daily care routine, plaque will begin to accumulate on your teeth. Initially, it is soft in consistency, but under the influence of salts from saliva it mineralizes and hardens. Such plaque is an excellent “base” for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria; it cannot be cleaned without the help of a dentist and professional hygiene procedures. Bacterial waste products and mineralized, hardened plaque contribute to the sensation of a salty taste on the lips and in the mouth.

The development of bacteria on teeth can cause saltiness

Reason #6: ENT diseases

The salty taste sometimes has rather trivial causes: for example, bacterial sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis or a cold. During inflammation, mucus appears in the sinuses, which consists of mucin protein, salt, nucleic acids and water. In the acute course of the disease, snot flows down the walls of the nasopharynx into the throat, and accordingly, a feeling of salt occurs. With sluggish inflammation of the ENT organs, mucus is also constantly disturbing by its appearance in the mouth.

ENT diseases also contribute to the appearance of a salty taste

Methods of treating and getting rid of odor

Modern dental treatment methods enable patients to maintain oral health. New materials, drugs, technologies are based on the use of computer technology and digital radiology. Today, lasers are often used and ozone is used to treat the affected areas of the masticatory organs. Sanding is often done with air.

Therapy for bad breath involves identifying and eliminating the cause of the disease. A specialist can determine the provoking factor. Since more than 65 percent of problems relate to diseases of the oral cavity and poor hygiene, you should visit the dentist on time. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the crowns, spaces between units, and tongue. For this purpose, dental floss, rinses, and tongue brushes are used. You need to choose the right toothpaste and use fluoridated products on the advice of your dentist.

Reason #4: Dehydration

If you have a salty taste in your mouth, then it’s time to calculate how much clean water you drink per day. Because it is the imbalance of fluid in the body that often becomes the answer to the question of why the salty taste bothers us. Our saliva contains sodium chloride, in other words, it is ordinary salt. When fluid is lost in the body, blood and saliva thicken, causing dry mouth. Saliva undergoes a process of dehydration, causing it to contain more salt and less liquid and other useful minerals. The more severe the dehydration, the more clearly the unpleasant symptom appears.

The cause of dehydration could be a low-carbohydrate diet, taking diuretics, poisoning and indigestion, drinking alcoholic beverages, drinking too much strong coffee or soda, or smoking a large number of cigarettes. Dehydration can develop during intense physical activity, after spending a long time in the scorching sun or in hot, stuffy rooms.

An imbalance of fluid in the body often causes a bothersome salty taste.

When dehydrated, the taste of salt may be accompanied by other alarming symptoms: weakness, dizziness, thirst, rare urination, diarrhea. The first thing to do in such a condition is to drink as much liquid as possible, in particular clean water. It’s better to generally make it a rule to drink at least one and a half or two liters of water a day every day. This is approximately 8 glasses. However, in cases where the body suffers from dehydration, this figure can be safely increased. For example, lovers of strong coffee drinks who drink up to 5 mugs of coffee a day should regulate the balance of healthy fluids in the body by taking 2-3 glasses of clean water more than those who are not fond of coffee.

Comments

It is alarming when the taste of acetone in your mouth bothers you. You need to go get tested right away, because this clearly indicates that something is wrong in the body. Could they put you in the hospital because of this?

Sveta (01/30/2019 at 09:31) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (01/31/2019 at 15:20) Reply to comment

I am a big fan of eating boiled food: eggs and chicken. Tell me, what standards should be observed for an adult? Then the taste of acetone in your mouth won’t bother you?

Vadim (01/30/2019 at 04:21 pm) Reply to comment

I noticed that my taste sensations had changed. And the taste of acetone in my mouth is very disturbing. What could be the matter other than what was described above in the article? I work as a manager at a grocery store, I cook lunch at home and take it with me.

Zarina (01/30/2019 at 04:43 pm) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (01/31/2019 at 15:14) Reply to comment

Tell me, can the taste of acetone in the mouth and a pungent odor occur due to stress? I've been constantly worried lately, I work as an accountant, there are constant reports at work, the workload is very heavy. I don’t want to suspect a serious illness, and I don’t have time to get treatment right now.

Baklarova A.K. (01.02.2019 at 13:33) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (02/03/2019 at 08:44) Reply to comment

I worry about the taste of acetone in my mouth when I start running in the spring. I usually run every other day, up to 8 kilometers, for 40-60 minutes. At the same time, I eat the same. Is it possible that the liver produces acetone due to running?

Inna (02/03/2019 at 23:15) Reply to comment

I'm worried about the taste of acetone in my mouth right when I'm leaving work. Could this simply depend on bad ecology or bad air from exhaust gases? Because at home I don’t notice this anymore.

Sveta (02/04/2019 at 18:17) Reply to comment

I work as a manager in a store. For a strange reason, the taste of acetone in my mouth bothers me... this has never happened before. Tell me, does poor nutrition affect this, or let’s say you have a cold, did you catch a cold last month?

Lisa (02/04/2019 at 21:53) Reply to comment

Recently I started working out at the gym and developed a taste of acetone in my mouth and a headache. Please tell me, can this condition be caused by sports and what to do in this case?

Olga (02/05/2019 at 00:02) Reply to comment

Is it possible to somehow prevent such conditions so that the taste of acetone does not appear in the mouth? What to do and will it help?

Ххх92 (02/11/2019 at 18:02) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (02/13/2019 at 08:38) Reply to comment

I always like to eat delicious food; in the morning I get a taste of acetone in my mouth. Can food cause such an unpleasant sensation? And tell me, is there any way to avoid this? This feeling has been troubling me for six months now.

Irina (02/12/2019 at 12:27 pm) Reply to comment

Could the taste of acetone in the mouth be simply due to the poor environment in the city? I come to my parents on weekends, nothing like this happens to me, but as in the city, this taste haunts me even at night.

Lera (02/12/2019 at 01:32 pm) Reply to comment

I'm worried about the taste of acetone in my mouth after I take a complex of vitamins that the doctor prescribed to me. Do you think they could be the reason? After half an hour everything goes away.

Irina (02/12/2019 at 01:43 pm) Reply to comment

Surprisingly: today I was thinking about whether there are toothbrushes made from natural materials, and I came across the article “advantages of bamboo toothbrushes.” It's good news that such things exist. But I remember in Soviet times there were toothbrushes made of natural bristles, do such things exist now? If so, then maybe they are better for teeth than synthetic ones?

Elena B. (02.26.2019 at 14:38) Reply to comment

Interesting advantages of a bamboo toothbrush, I was especially interested in its environmental friendliness and aesthetic appearance. Can I use tooth powder when brushing my teeth with a bamboo brush?

Ekaterina (02/26/2019 at 06:37 pm) Reply to comment

Our whole family uses these carbon-coated brushes, my husband and I have medium hardness, and the baby has soft bristles, it cleans very gently) we want to try with tourmuline, can a child use a brush with tourmaline coating?

Maria (02/26/2019 at 10:02 pm) Reply to comment

I’ve been looking at this for a long time, I didn’t know that there were big advantages to a bamboo brush. Is it worth ordering similar ones made in China? with Aliexpress, for example? Or should you not spend money on these and immediately buy a proven one?

Elena (02/27/2019 at 04:27 pm) Reply to comment

I didn’t think that the reasons for the taste of iodine in the mouth could be so varied. It is probably difficult to get an overabundance of fashion while being far from the sea. Although if you consume isolated foods, this microelement can accumulate in the body.

Tatyana (02/28/2019 at 14:31) Reply to comment

In my case, this is a manifestation of the first reason for the appearance of the taste of iodine in the mouth. I love seafood, I didn’t think there was so much iodine in them, and I also take the microelement separately in the form of a dietary supplement. You'll have to give up something. How long will it take to normalize the concentration of iodine in the body if, apart from the smell in the mouth, there are no other manifestations of excess?

Margo (03/02/2019 at 14:16) Reply to comment

The reasons for the appearance of iodine taste in the mouth are different; if it appears, it can be a serious health problem. Are there statistics on what percentage is the cause of excess iodine in the body? After all, there are many people who regularly eat a lot of seafood, but they do not complain about the taste of iodine in their mouths.

Anton (03/02/2019 at 15:30) Reply to comment