Bitter Taste in Mouth Causes

Any change in the ability to taste is referred to as Dysgeusia in medical terms. Taste buds in our mouth detect five types of basic tastes like sweet, salty, sour, savory and bitter. To detect complex tastes, sense of smell is very essential too. So, when a person suffers from respiratory infections and his sense of smell diminishes, his taste alters in the process. An altered taste, especially a bitter taste, can make a person lose his appetite, as a constant bitterness in mouth prevents him from eating anything. Besides respiratory problems, there are a number of other reasons which cause bitterness in mouth. Some of these are explained here, followed by remedies to get rid of them.

Causes of Bitter Taste in Mouth

Dental Conditions
A person who has an infection in the mouth, like a gum disease, an abscess in the tooth or gingivitis, might experience a bitter taste in his mouth. Sometimes, a person might be sensitive to the components in his teeth fillings and thus, may experience bitterness in mouth because of them.

Acid Reflux Disease
One of the main causes behind this condition is a disease known as acid reflux, also called Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease(GERD). A person suffering from this condition has his stomach juices or acids leak back into the throat, and thus, experiences bitterness in mouth when eating. The main causes of acid reflux disease are overeating, eating spicy and fatty foods and eating at wrong timings. Besides bitterness in mouth, other symptoms of acid reflux disease are heartburn, bad breath, headaches, bloating, gas, nausea and sore throat.

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC)
A normal person is born with around ten thousand taste buds. Certain people are able to taste Phenylthiocarbamide, a bitter compound, and thus, it makes them more prone to experiencing bitterness in mouth, than others.

Medications
Another reason behind bitter taste in mouth is intake of certain medicines and drugs such as antidepressants (given to patients suffering from stress and depression), prenatal vitamins (given to pregnant women) and even the regular antibiotics.

Intake of Pine Nuts
Certain researches have shown that consumption of pine nuts, especially the ones that have gone bad, can result in development of bitter taste in mouth. This change in taste can occur immediately after consumption of pine nuts or it can develop a couple of days after. The affected person might continue to experience this bitter taste for days and sometimes, even weeks.

Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances such as rise and fall in the estrogen levels, which takes place in a woman during her periods or when a woman is pregnant, can cause such changes in the mouth taste.

Metal Poisoning
Lead poisoning, copper toxicity and mercury positioning can cause bitterness and a kind of metallic taste in the mouth of the person who experiences them.

Diseases
Persons suffering from diseases such as jaundice, diabetes, cancer, liver or kidney malfunction, become prone to developing changes in the taste of the mouth.

Poor Oral Hygiene
A person who does not brush his teeth regularly, may have an accumulation of bacteria and germs in the mouth, which could lead to a bitter taste.

Remedies for Bitter Taste in Mouth

The treatment for curing bitterness in mouth entails, determining the exact cause behind it, and then taking necessary steps and medication to eliminate it. Here are a few tips on how to get rid of bitter taste in mouth.

• Brush your teeth twice a day, followed by a medicated mouthwash. Regular flossing is very important too, to prevent accumulation of germs and bacteria in the teeth.
• An effective home remedy to get rid of bitterness in mouth is brushing your teeth with a mixture of baking soda and salt. This mixture is very beneficial in fighting dental infections and also in the removal of plaque from the teeth.
• Eating citrus fruits or drinking fruit juices such as orange juice or lemon juice, stimulate the saliva production and thus, help in washing the bitter taste.
• Chewing on cinnamon and cloves, few times a day, helps in minimizing the bitter taste too.
• Bitter taste in mouth after eating, caused due to indigestion or acid reflux disease, can be treated by eating in moderation, avoiding spicy and fried foods, and by eating small and frequent meals at proper timings.

Bitterness in mouth is not a very serious condition. By simply following the above mentioned home remedies, maintaining oral hygiene and taking steps to improve your digestion, you can get rid of this problem.