The doctor explained what a craving for salty foods warns of - Rossiyskaya Gazeta

Diseases of the nervous system and blood vessels

In rare cases, the appearance of a salty taste in the mouth can be caused by disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and blood circulation, namely:

• cerebral ischemia;
• epilepsy;
• vascular atherosclerosis;
• thrombosis;
• high blood pressure;
• hemorrhagic stroke.

The development of a benign or malignant tumor in the brain or near nerve endings and roots often leads to disruption of the sense of touch and taste buds, which can result in an unusual taste in the mouth. Only a doctor can identify the exact cause through an extensive examination of the patient’s body.

Hydrogen sulfide taste

Such an unpleasant taste, like the taste of a rotten egg, suggests the presence of gastritis or a peptic ulcer caused by Helicobacter in your stomach, which can be detected by probing.

This can also signal stagnation of food in the stomach and the process of fermentation and rotting. Another taste of hydrogen sulfide may indicate a narrowing of the outlet of the stomach in the event of post-ulcer scars and tumors.

Therefore, in isolated cases, you can take an enzyme tablet to improve the digestion process, but in case of repeated signals, you cannot do without a doctor. And the sooner you meet him, the better.

Treatment of stomach discomfort

What to do if you have stomach discomfort?

To alleviate the condition you may need:

• diet;
• assistance with medicines.

To learn more

If discomfort or heaviness in the abdomen is associated with a lack of digestive enzymes, then taking enzyme preparations may be necessary. These drugs support digestion by delivering the same enzymes from the outside. Creon® is available in capsule form and is suitable for this task. The Creon® capsule quickly dissolves in the stomach, releasing hundreds of small particles - minimicrospheres1. Due to their small size, they evenly cover the food in the stomach to help in the digestion of its volume. This helps the body obtain the necessary nutrients from food and cope with symptoms such as heaviness and discomfort in the abdomen, bloating, and gurgling. This mechanism of action distinguishes Creon® from similar drugs in tablet form.

A tablet is an indivisible form of release that cannot be properly mixed with food in the stomach, and therefore cannot help in its complete digestion. The idea that a tablet can be crushed is erroneous, since this will lead to a breakdown of the protective coating of the drug, and the enzyme will simply die in the stomach.

You can find out more about the differences between Creon® and other drugs here.

In the fight against heaviness or discomfort, as a rule, 1 capsule of Creon® 100001 helps. Creon® capsules are easy to use: if necessary, you can open them and mix minimicrospheres with food or juice1. This way you can individually select the dose, which is especially important for young children, for whom Creon® is approved from birth1.

Oral hygiene

A common cause of a salty taste in the mouth is poor oral hygiene. If a person does not brush his teeth well enough, if plaque forms, all this contributes to the development of pathological microflora, the waste products of which will give this unpleasant salty taste.

Also, the appearance of taste is influenced by the presence of an infectious process in the oral cavity - the formation of tartar, fistulas, chronic tonsillitis.

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Taste of salt in women's mouths

Saltiness in the mouth in women is associated with the menstrual cycle. Progesterone can have this effect and is usually noticeable during pregnancy.
But some ladies have a fairly high sensitivity to the sex hormone, so they feel a salty taste during the second phase of the cycle. This feature cannot be considered an accurate marker of ovulation, since it varies greatly from cycle to cycle in the same woman. Sometimes this effect is also achieved by taking oral contraceptives - it imitates the natural cycle.

In men

Men do not have specific diseases manifested by a salty taste . The stronger sex more often than women experiences this symptom due to dehydration and alcohol intoxication.

In some cases, this may be a sign of prostatitis, but the severity of the symptom is so weak that it makes no sense to consider it as important.

In children

In children, there are two most common causes - poor oral hygiene and incipient mumps , if the child is not vaccinated. If we are talking about incorrect hygiene habits, then parents should pay more attention to developing the necessary skills in their baby.

If a small patient becomes infected with mumps, you need to see a doctor. A well-known and common complication of inflammation of the salivary glands in boys is inflammation of the testicular membranes and infertility. To avoid this, you need to vaccinate your baby on time.

Reason: 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.

“The list of drugs is impressive”

“At first I had a headache for several days. Then she suddenly developed a fever, aches and pains began, and the headache intensified,” recalls 31-year-old Ekaterina. – I drank paracetamol and used it to bring down the temperature. This went on for three days, and then my head hurt for another four. Afterwards, taste and smell disappeared. Now it is gradually returning. For some reason, there was still a constant bitterness in my mouth during the period of “tastelessness”. And it seemed that everything was salty.

The girl assumes that she became infected from a colleague sitting opposite her or from her husband.

— My husband was at the funeral. More precisely, we were there together, but I helped with cleaning the apartment, and he went directly to the cemetery. I just had a cold. And she most likely became infected from her husband, and then we spent the entire weekend at home together. “All our relatives are sick - they are in different hospitals and observation centers,” our interlocutor notes. - I have two children. The older child's test was positive, and the younger child's was negative. They didn’t have any symptoms at all - they just ran and played, and they still play.

The diagnosis did not frighten Ekaterina. But treatment, as it turned out, is not cheap.

— There was no panic, the need for isolation was just annoying. Medicines were brought to our parents before hospitalization, but we were immediately refused. The list of medications is impressive, and different therapists come and constantly add to it,” she says. - It's a little expensive. On what basis they are taken to the hospital is unclear, to be honest. My husband was taken away. My brother and parents were not in serious condition, but they were offered hospitalization. We were not offered to take children. Why dont know. As I understand it, those who cannot sit alone at home are taken to the hospital. If we get lucky.

The girl admitted that test results are often lost.

“I had them done twice because it got worse.” The first one came a week later - after I had already learned the results of the second analysis. I didn’t have to deal with aggression - friends called and offered to bring groceries or go to the pharmacy,” she noted. - So no negativity. The only inconvenient thing is that you do not have the right to change your place of “dislocation” - roughly speaking, where you were when you got sick, stay there. It would be more convenient for me to leave the apartment for an empty private house so that the children could at least walk in the yard. It’s hard to sit within four walls for three weeks. Besides, they constantly come, call, knock. I'm already tired of saying that I won't open it to anyone. Go through the forest, they say.

The reason is tears

Another interesting reason may be related to the pathology of the tear ducts. It would seem, how are the eyes and the salty taste in the mouth connected? In fact, if there is a disruption in the functioning of the tear ducts, increased secretion of tears may occur; on the other hand, the normal passage of this tear content is also disrupted. As a result, the tear enters the nose, then it flows down the back wall of the throat, and a feeling of saltiness occurs in the mouth. Pathology of the lacrimal glands (ducts) can provoke a salty taste in the mouth.

Why does a metallic taste appear in the mouth? More details

Forecast

The salty taste in the mouth itself is not dangerous and should not be considered a serious symptom. If the cause is successfully identified and treated, then the discomfort goes away quite quickly. The symptom itself is also easily eliminated. If the underlying disease is left without treatment, then this does not threaten the patient with anything other than unpleasant sensations.

General information about the forecast:

• The prognosis for life is favorable, there is no danger;
• The prognosis for work ability is favorable with rare exceptions (food tasters);
• Change in quality of life – slight deterioration.

Important! This description refers to the actual salty taste in the mouth, but not to the reasons that caused it. Their degree of threat varies - from a slight deterioration in the quality of life to the risk of disability.

Reason: 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

Dehydration

When the body loses too much fluid, such as after severe diarrhea or vomiting, saliva thickens and becomes salty due to the increased concentration of mineral salts in it.

What to do?

To prevent dehydration, doctors recommend drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. In case of severe dehydration, special solutions are prescribed to restore the water-salt balance.

How to treat loss of taste

To quickly restore your sense of taste, you should consult a specialist to diagnose the cause of the disease. Depending on the factor contributing to the loss of taste, appropriate treatment is prescribed:

1. Dryness in the mouth, accompanied by insufficient secretion of saliva, will be eliminated by drugs that help moisturize the oral mucosa. For this purpose, artificial saliva preparations are prescribed - Salivart, Mouth Kote.
2. In addition to medications, you can use mouth rinses . They not only moisturize the mucous membrane, but also have an antibacterial effect.
3. If the loss of taste is associated with fungal infections of the mouth , drugs for candidiasis are prescribed - Clotrimazole solution, Decamine ointment.
4. When diagnosing a lack of Zinc and vitamin B12 in the body, Zincteral, Berocca, and intramuscular injections of cyanocobalamin are prescribed. Additionally, multivitamin complexes may be prescribed.
5. restore taste perception . The leaves of peppermint, lemon balm and motherwort have a sedative effect and eliminate the main cause of pathology - neurosis. When the oral cavity is infected with a bacterial or fungal nature, rinses made from chamomile flowers, calendula and oak bark are used.
6. To increase the spiciness, you need to add spices to your food such as cloves, cinnamon, mustard and lemon.

Photo 2: Regular cleaning of the surface of the tongue reduces the risk of loss of taste. Source: flickr (Gabriella Yazickr).

Infections

Caries, gingivitis - each such infection without proper treatment can progress and lead to serious complications and consequences that affect many organs and systems.

With serious gum diseases such as periodontitis, patients are concerned about the following symptoms:

• tooth mobility;
• the formation of pathological gum pockets and purulent discharge from them;
• pain, burning and other unpleasant sensations in the gums;
• persistent bad breath;
• formation of massive dental plaque.

A fungal infection, which is characterized by the appearance of a white cheesy coating on the mucous membrane, can also provoke a salty taste in the mouth. With moderate and severe infection, patients may complain of a change in the taste of their usual food and the appearance of off-flavors.

HPV, the human papillomavirus, can infect the mouth and cause a strange taste in the mouth. If the diagnosis was not carried out on time and there is no treatment, this can cause a metallic and salty taste in the mouth.

Sour-salty taste

This symptom may be a warning of chronic or acute kidney failure, a condition in which the kidneys do not work properly and the body cannot eliminate toxins from the body. In severe cases of renal failure, a taste appears and the smell of the mouth changes. You may smell urine.

In addition to these symptoms, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting warn of the development of chronic renal failure and irreversible damage to the body. The person becomes drowsy, headaches and muscle pain occur.

Chronic renal failure

A urologist can diagnose kidney failure. To do this, you will need to take blood and urine tests and examine your kidneys. In some cases, you even need to do a biopsy.

Hypoglycemia after eating, causes and symptoms

Diabetes mellitus can cause hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia is a decrease in blood glucose levels less than 3.33 mmol/l. The condition is critical and requires urgent hospitalization due to the risk of developing coma. This pathology occurs both in patients with various diseases and in completely healthy people. Causes of hypoglycemia that develops after eating:

• Rapid emptying of the stomach and intestines after surgery
• Taking galactose against the background of galactosemia is a metabolic disorder in which galactose is not transformed into glucose
• Long-term intake of fructose
• Excess leucine due to increased sensitivity to this amino acid
• Early stage of diabetes

Other types of hypoglycemia are characterized by gradual development of symptoms and do not depend on food intake. The symptoms of this pathology begin to be felt when the glucose level decreases by only 0.33 mmol/l:

Salty taste in mouth

This is the first sign of dehydration. When a person drinks little water or takes diuretics, the fluid in the body thickens. It’s the same with saliva – salty sodium chloride accumulates in it. Or maybe you're just eating too much salty food - chips, crackers, salty sticks?

If the problem is related to dehydration, drink at least 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day, and in the heat - another 1 liter. At the same time, give up alcohol, including beer. Avoid drinking coffee, tea, energy drinks and weight loss shakes. All of these drinks have diuretic properties.

Very often, a salty taste occurs when the salivary glands are blocked. Then you will need to visit a dentist.

A salty taste in the mouth is a sign of dehydration.

Diagnosis and treatment of salty taste in the mouth

The development of prolonged saltiness in the mouth requires contacting a doctor. Remember that this symptom can be either a consequence of eating over-salted foods or a symptom of serious diseases.

To identify the cause of salinity in the mouth, the doctor collects an anamnesis, examines the patient, and prescribes a series of tests and examinations. Depending on the examination results, the patient is prescribed adequate treatment if necessary.

The prognosis is generally favorable, but only if the patient does not self-medicate or ignore symptoms, but immediately consults a doctor

Feeling of discomfort in the stomach

Unpleasant sensations manifest themselves individually, but there are common symptoms:

• nagging pain or burning in the upper abdomen;
• heaviness;
• feeling of quick satiety;
• nausea or vomiting;

• heartburn;
• flatulence or increased gas production;
• feeling of a full stomach.

The presence of even one of the symptoms indicates that not everything is in order with the digestive organs.

Discomfort in the stomach is a frequent companion to the modern rhythm of life and poor eating habits. The main negative factors include:

• Stress.
  Constant rush, nerves and stressful situations lead to disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Tobacco.
  Cigarettes have a negative effect on the mucous membrane of internal organs involved in the digestion process;
• Alcohol.
  With regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, you may encounter not only individual symptoms of stomach discomfort, but also serious diseases;
• Violation of nutrition rules:
  snacking “on the run”, eating low-quality foods, overeating, abuse of fast food, predominance of fatty and fried foods in the diet, violation of heat treatment rules, lack of a diet;
• Lactose intolerance.
  It is common to many, but is especially common in infants and older people. The fact is that with age, the body secretes less and less enzymes that are responsible for processing lactose (this is a disaccharide contained in milk). Due to the inability to break down sugar in the stomach, fermentation processes begin and gas is released in large quantities. Which is the main cause of discomfort.

Frequent consumption of too hot and strong coffee or tea, or highly carbonated drinks can also lead to stomach problems.

A common manifestation of discomfort is a feeling of a full stomach.