Where does the bitter taste come from?
An unpleasant taste may be present constantly or appear periodically. This symptom is associated with the release of bile into the esophagus. Patients often notice a bitter taste in the mouth in the morning, especially when eating fatty foods the day before and after sleeping on the left side.
Bile is a liver secretion that is involved in digestion. The fluid flows through the ducts into the gallbladder and from there into the duodenum. Normally, bile does not flow into the esophagus, and the person feels well.
After eating certain types of food, the liver may react by producing more secretions. The volume of bile in the intestines increases, and a small part enters the esophagus, causing a bitter taste in the mouth. The same reaction occurs when using certain medications or when exposed to other factors. In any case, an unpleasant taste is a reason to consult a doctor. Only by identifying the cause of bitterness in the mouth can a person’s well-being be improved.
Inflammation of the small intestine
With this disease, bitterness may appear in the throat. Inflammation of the small intestine (enteritis) is characterized by a decrease in its functionality and structural changes in the mucous membrane. Pathology arises from an unbalanced diet, consumption of fatty and spicy foods, lack of vitamins and valuable microelements.
When the disease occurs, belching, nausea, severe bitterness in the mouth, unstable stools, constant drowsiness, and pain in the lower stomach occur. Treatment is carried out using antibiotics, sorbents, probiotics, and antidiarrheals.
Possible causes of bitterness in the mouth
Diseases of the biliary tract
Bile transport in the body is disrupted in chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, biliary dyskinesia, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Spasm or blockage of the duct leads to stagnation of secretions.
Important!
Bitterness in the mouth after eating can occur even after removal of the gallbladder. The reason is that bile is constantly produced in the body, and if a person does not adhere to a diet after surgery, some of the liquid may be thrown into the esophagus. You won’t be able to get rid of the bitter taste without following a diet.
Digestive system diseases
Diseases of the liver, esophagus, stomach, and intestines are accompanied not only by constant bitterness in the mouth, but also by other characteristic symptoms:
- nausea, vomiting;
- severe heartburn;
- belching;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- pain in the epigastric region.
The symptom of bitterness in the mouth can accompany giardiasis, gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer, etc.
Other pathologies
Various oral conditions can cause a bitter taste:
- diseases of the tongue and gums: gingivitis, stomatitis, glossitis;
- insufficient oral hygiene;
- incorrectly installed fillings and dentures.
A bitter taste in the mouth may appear when taking certain anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, hypnotics, and antibiotics. The same symptom is accompanied by poisoning with copper, mercury, lead, and the development of cancer pathologies. Severe bitterness in the mouth can be a reaction to taking herbal remedies: decoctions and infusions of herbs, nuts, sea buckthorn oil.
Symptoms accompanying a sour taste in the mouth
Sometimes the sour taste occurs only in the morning, in some cases it is felt constantly. It happens that it is combined with bad breath, which causes discomfort. What do the different “shades” of bad bite mean? They can talk about such violations:
- sour-bitter - occurs when there is a violation of fat metabolism and liver damage, eating large amounts of unhealthy food before bedtime;
- sour with a metallic taste - may indicate anemia, the development of dental diseases, the initial stage of diabetes mellitus;
- sweet and sour – a sign of oral diseases, intoxication of the body, latent diabetes mellitus;
- sour and salty - indicates problems with the salivary glands, otolaryngological diseases, central nervous system disorders, and may also mean that strong coffee or tea is consumed excessively.
In addition to a sour taste in the mouth, other symptoms may also appear: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, burning throat.
What to do if you have a bitter taste in your mouth
The first thing you need to do is make an appointment with a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. The doctor will conduct a diagnosis and find out why bitterness and dry mouth occur and how to get rid of these sensations.
At the first consultation, the doctor interviews the patient. It is necessary to establish the period of maximum manifestation of symptoms. For example, increased bitterness in the mouth after eating may indicate overeating or disease of the bile ducts. If an alarming sign appears after taking medications, then most likely there is a violation of the intestinal microflora or a negative reaction of the liver. Bitterness in the mouth can occur in the morning or evening, after drinking alcohol, physical activity, and be accompanied by dry mucous membranes. All manifestations must be reported to your doctor.
Causes
The main reason for the appearance of a sour taste in the mouth is a violation of the acid-forming function of the stomach. This condition develops with hyperacid gastritis. A similar phenomenon is typical for gastritis with high acidity, as well as for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum. Also, a sour taste in the mouth can be observed with gastroesophageal reflux, when gastric contents reflux into the esophagus due to weakness of the gastroesophageal sphincter. The occurrence of a bitter taste in the mouth may be associated with the following factors:
- Violation of the process of bile discharge and cholelithiasis.
- All types of hepatitis, including viral and alcoholic type.
- Cirrhosis of the liver.
- Oncology of the liver or gallbladder.
The most common cause of a sweetish taste in the mouth is poor nutrition, when a person is prone to chronic overeating, and also when his diet is dominated by simple carbohydrates and fatty foods. Other potential causes of a sweet taste in the mouth include:
- Diabetes. If a characteristic sweetish taste in the mouth occurs spontaneously, regardless of food intake, then this may indicate developing diabetes mellitus. In addition to this symptom, additional concerns include dry mouth, intense thirst, increased appetite, and an increase in the daily volume of urine excreted.
- Ketoacidosis. With previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus, a complication such as ketoacidosis may develop. In addition to a sweetish taste in the mouth, this condition is accompanied by severe malaise, confusion, even entering a coma. After a sweet taste appears in the mouth, with ketoacidosis a characteristic smell of acetone appears from the mouth.
- Pregnancy. If a woman of reproductive age who is regularly sexually active has a sweet taste in her mouth, this may indicate pregnancy, since this condition is characterized by atypical taste sensations, as well as atypical taste preferences.
- Oral diseases. With pathologies such as deep caries, stomatitis, gingivitis, chronic bleeding of the gums develops, which leads to the appearance of a sweetish taste in the mouth.
A less common cause of this symptom is traumatic brain injury, when the nuclei of the cranial nerves, whose role in the formation of taste sensations is key, were involved in the traumatic process. With this type of injury, a person ceases to feel the entire taste palette.
The appearance of a sour taste in the mouth after eating or other atypical tastes does not differ significantly between men and women. In addition, an atypical taste in the mouth may be accompanied by an unpleasant odor, which creates not only physical, but primarily psychological discomfort, and negatively affects interaction in society and interpersonal relationships.
Expert advice
When there is bitterness in the mouth, self-medication is the most dangerous. It is believed that the main cause of the symptom is liver disease. Patients begin to make compresses on their own and drink herbal decoctions. Instead of relief, complications occur. The patient is sent to the hospital with severe pain, intoxication, peritonitis, etc. These are the consequences of trying to make an independent diagnosis. It turns out that the cause of the bitterness in the mouth was gallstones. A person independently drinks choleretic decoctions, stimulates the migration of stones, which safely get stuck in the duct and cause an acute attack. Instead of having the crystals crushed under medical supervision, the patient goes straight to the operating table.
Dzhgarkava Tea Gochaevna
Therapist-cardiologist Experience 5 years
There are other, no less dangerous cases. To get rid of bitterness in your mouth, you need to go to the doctor and cure the detected diseases. This is the only right decision.
Why does the bitter taste appear?
A bitter taste in the mouth appears due to the reflux of the contents of the duodenum into the stomach or esophagus and oral cavity.
This feeling is troubling not only because of gastrointestinal diseases. The reason may be the presence of an infection in the body, exposure to medications, insufficient oral hygiene, during pregnancy, due to a lack of vitamins, an excess of fried heavy foods, alcohol, and coffee drinks. Gum disease is accompanied by a feeling of taste in the mouth due to the growth of bacterial flora. With dentures and poor oral hygiene, bacteria accumulate, multiply, and a bitter taste appears in the mouth.
When taking chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, or antihistamines, bitterness in the mouth can be a side effect.
Dysgeusia is a taste disorder in which taste perception is altered. Dysgeusia can occur during pregnancy, in smokers, in older people, and in mental illness.
4.Treatment
It is equally unrealistic to describe all specific treatment methods, or at least outline a general methodology for eliminating the bitter taste in the mouth. It should be remembered that this is not a disease, but a symptom, and most often not the only one, therefore the further therapeutic strategy will be determined by the results of the examination. In some cases, it is enough to give up bad habits or normalize your lifestyle, in others, long-term and complex highly specialized treatment may be required, and sometimes bitterness in the mouth becomes a kind of “premonition” of a clearly necessary surgical intervention.
One way or another, of course, this phenomenon should not be ignored.
What to do if you have a bitter taste in your mouth and a white coating on your tongue
Some medications cause a bitter taste. These include lithium preparations, antidepressants, antibiotics, allopurinol, vitamin and mineral complexes. Bitterness in the mouth can be combined with nausea, dryness, and a white coating on the tongue. Usually, special treatment for bitterness in the mouth after taking antibiotics or other medications is not required. The unpleasant taste disappears upon completion of the course of treatment and no longer bothers you.
What should you do if you have a bitter taste in your mouth and a white coating on your tongue that persists for a long time after taking medications? Contact your doctor. It may be necessary to prescribe hepatoprotectors - drugs that restore liver function. The treatment regimen for some diseases initially includes medications that “protect” the liver. This approach is practiced when prescribing chemotherapy drugs, especially with long courses and high dosages.
Acid and bitterness
A bitter taste indicates a disruption of the liver and bile ducts. It may appear occasionally, but may bother you regularly.
Possible causes of a bitter-sour aftertaste:
- significant errors in nutrition - the liver is simply not able to cope with so many fatty, heavy, spicy foods, alcoholic drinks;
- alcoholism - the liver suffers first;
- treatment with aggressive drugs - a long course of antibiotics, antihistamines, and other medications;
- those who like to smoke a cigarette at night.
If we consider bitterness in the oral cavity in terms of the intended diagnosis, then most often it is cholecystopancreatitis, erosion of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, gastritis.
Acid and sweet
Acidity in the mouth is not a very pleasant sensation
A pure taste sensation is rare. Since there are receptors in the oral cavity for determining and analyzing various combinations.
In a pathological process, acid may predominate, but in most cases other flavors are also present. This provides additional information to find the cause of the unpleasant sensation.
Sweet and sour taste is caused by the following conditions:
- increased blood glucose levels due to stress, physical exertion;
- state of depression;
- excessive consumption of sweets;
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
- liver pathologies;
- toxic effects of pesticides, gaseous chemicals;
- smoking cessation period;
- diabetes with a slight increase in blood glucose levels, a latent form of the disease;
- pathologies of the maxillofacial system, which are accompanied by purulent processes - gum disease, caries, periostitis, gumboils and abscesses.
Before contacting a doctor, you should analyze the factors that contribute to the appearance of a sour taste in the mouth.
