A bitter taste in the mouth can have several causes, ranging from simpler problems, such as poor oral hygiene, to more serious problems, such as thrush or acid reflux.
Smoking cigarettes can also cause a bitter taste in the mouth, which lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This type of taste change usually improves after eating other foods, drinking water, or brushing your teeth.
- However.
- If the bitter taste lasts a long time or if it occurs very often.
- It is recommended to consult a family doctor or gastroenterologist to see if there are any conditions that may be causing this type of symptom and initiate appropriate treatment.
It is the most common cause of bitter taste in the mouth, especially when waking up, and is caused by the accumulation of saliva and bacteria in the tongue, teeth and gums, causing bad breath.
What to do: Brushing your teeth at least twice a day, once after waking up and once before bedtime is enough. It is also very important to brush your tongue by accumulating dead bacteria and cells, also known as the tongue. Coating.
There are medications that, when ingested, are absorbed by the body and released into saliva, causing a bitter taste in the mouth. Examples include antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, gout medications, such as allopurinol and lithium, or medications used to treat certain heart disease.
People who use antidepressants may also have a dry mouth more often, which can alter the taste.
What to do: The bitter taste usually disappears within a few days of the start of taking this type of medication, however, if it is constant and unpleasant it is advisable to seek the help of a doctor to evaluate the possibility of using another medicine does not cause this type of side effect.
Dysgueusia, also known as metallic taste in the mouth, is a very common symptom in many women during the first trimester of pregnancy and occurs due to hormonal changes. This change usually lasts only a few days, then disappears naturally.
For example, some pregnant women may report a taste similar to having a coin in their mouth or drinking water from a metal cup, for example.
What to do: A great way to get rid of the bitter taste in your mouth is to drink lemonade or suck on a lemon ice cream.
Some vitamin supplements that contain large amounts of metallic substances, such as zinc, copper, iron or chromium, can cause a metallic and bitter taste in the mouth, this side effect is very common and usually occurs once the body completely absorbs it. .
What to do: It is recommended to wait a few minutes for the body to absorb the supplement, if the bitter taste is very intense or appears very often it is advisable to consult a doctor to consider reducing the dose or changing the supplement. .
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach reach the esophagus, after the onset of digestion, extracting acid from the mouth and leaving the mouth with a bitter taste.
What to do: Avoid eating very fatty or difficult-to-digest foods as they increase the acid content of your stomach; it is also important to avoid eating very abundant meals, as they make it difficult to digest the stomach.
When the liver does not function properly, the body begins to accumulate large amounts of ammonia, which is a toxic substance that normally transforms the liver into urea and is removed in the urine, these elevated levels of ammonia cause a change in taste, similar to that of fish or onion.
What to do: Liver problems often have other symptoms such as nausea or fatigue, so if liver disease is suspected, it is recommended to seek the help of a hepatologist to confirm the diagnosis and begin treatment, if necessary.
Upper respiratory tract infections such as colds, rhinitis, sinusitis, or tonsillitis can cause a bitter taste in the mouth due to substances produced by bacteria responsible for this type of infection.
What to do: It is important to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, as this helps to alleviate the bitter taste and speed recovery, however, it is also recommended to seek the help of a GP, in order to identify the specific cause and initiate proper treatment.