Taste in the mouth – that means bitter, metallic & Co.

A metallic, sour, bitter or salty taste in the mouth often causes uncertainty. But a funny taste in the mouth usually has harmless causes and disappears on its own. In some cases, however, serious illnesses can also be behind it. A complete loss of taste can also indicate various diseases, including a coronavirus infection. In this article, you can read what is behind the various sensations, what to do if you have a bad taste in your mouth and when to see a doctor.

What are taste disorders in the mouth?

Taste disorders (dysgeusia), or taste disorders, occur particularly frequently during the cold season and usually disappear after the cold subsides. In the context of an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, even the temporary loss of taste (ageusia) is a typical symptom.

Persistent taste disorders and different taste sensations in the mouth can have numerous causes.

 

Bitter taste in the mouth

A bitter taste in the mouth is harmless in most cases. It can often result from eating certain nuts, chicory or citrus fruits such as grapefruit because these contain numerous bitter substances that the tongue can still feel after a few days.

A bitter taste also often occurs in women during pregnancy because the altered hormone release can significantly impact the sense of taste. Even with the onset of menopause, the perception of taste can be changed for a while until the body has gotten used to the hormonal changes.

In addition to diet and hormonal changes, there are other possible causes of a bitter taste in the mouth:

• Stressful and psychologically stressful situations
• Heavy alcohol and nicotine consumption
• Medication-related taste disorders (taking certain antibiotics such as clarithromycin, antidepressants, or medication for high blood pressure )
• age-related change in taste

Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for head and neck cancer can also lead to a bitter taste. Untreated diabetes mellitus is also a possible cause and should, therefore, be considered in any case.

Changes in the pancreas can also cause a bitter taste in the mouth. They are usually due to gallstones and often require medical attention.

In addition, a bitter taste can also be triggered by dental problems. Caries can be responsible for this, as can loosened amalgam fillings. If none of the above causes are possible, a dental examination is recommended if the problem persists for several days.

Metallic taste in the mouth

A metallic taste is usually not an indication of a severe illness. For example, it is often only the result of a small wound so that the metallic taste of the blood is noticeable – this is often compared to a taste of iron. But gum inflammation can also be the cause, so a visit to a dentist’s office may be recommended if the taste in your mouth doesn’t go away for several days.

In general, the potential causes of a metallic taste are very similar to those of a bitter taste. Medications can cause an unpleasant taste. In this case, it is advisable to talk to your doctor about the sensation and, if necessary, try a different medication. Hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy, can also be the cause here. Food intolerances can also be responsible.

Another possible cause is an excess of iron, zinc, magnesium or other minerals in the body. This may be due to unnecessary supplement intake. A deficiency could also be reflected in this symptom. This can be checked with a large blood count.

Suppose the taste persists for a long time, even though the causes mentioned above, such as excessive intake of dietary supplements, can be ruled out. In that case, medical advice should be sought because, in rare cases, a metallic taste can, in addition to diabetes mellitus, also be caused by diseases such as dementia or neurological disorders.

Caution: A metallic taste in the mouth combined with severe dizziness indicates possible mercury poisoning or poisoning with copper, lead or selenium. In this case, an urgent medical examination is essential!

An excess of iodine can also lead to poisoning, which can manifest itself in the combination of a metallic taste and a copper deficiency. An Hyperactive thyroid gland is often the result of a long-term excess of iodine and can result in other diseases.

 

Salty taste in the mouth

A salty taste in the mouth often persists for a while after a high-salt meal. In addition, various medical conditions can cause this sensation:

• Side effects of medications (antibiotics, antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, antifungicides)
• Inflammation of the gums or other inflammations in the oral cavity
• Mangel an Mineralien (Zink, Eisen, Iodine)
• hormonal fluctuations
• Thyroid diseases
• heartburn

Lack of water (Dehydration) can also be a cause of the salty taste, as the mineral content increases when water is lost.

Sour taste in mouth

A sour taste in the mouth is often caused by heartburn. When you have heartburn, stomach acid flows back from the stomach into the esophagus (reflux). This is usually noticeable by an unpleasant, burning sensation behind the breastbone. However, this pain does not always occur.

Heartburn is harmful in the long term because it can significantly affect the esophagus, but can be treated with special medications (proton pump inhibitors such as Pantoprazole ) after medical consultation or Omeprazole, for example contained in Buscopan®) treat well.

What helps against a bad taste in the mouth?

A bad taste in the mouth is unpleasant for the person affected, but it usually has the same causes as Bad breath, which the affected person usually doesn’t have at all notice. You usually only notice the bad taste when the bad breath has been occurring for a while.

As a rule, the unpleasant, often referred to as “weird”, “rotten” or “gross” A taste in the mouth caused by bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth. After a while, for example due to poor oral hygiene, they multiply and form sulfur compounds and fatty acids in the mouth. They are often found in the spaces between teeth (tip: use dental floss!), in untreated tartar, in the gum pockets (for example in periodontitis), in caries holes or on poorly cleaned dentures.

A bad taste is often the result of inadequate oral hygiene and should be an impetus to improve it. If problems persist, dental advice should be sought in addition to the normal routine examination so that further damage to the teeth can be prevented as early as possible.

If your breath smells like ammonia (“biting-stinging”), there is often kidney damage or diabetes mellitus. In this case, you should urgently consult a nephrologist (kidney specialist).

 

Loss of taste – what are the causes?

There can be many reasons why you may temporarily or permanently lose your sense of taste. From the intake of food with the tongue to the perception of taste, several stages are passed through that are involved in the sensation of taste.

The taste is initially absorbed via the taste buds on the tongue. The information is then transmitted to the brain via three different cranial nerves (facial nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve). The information from the taste buds is then processed in the brain.

A disorder can occur at any of these three stations, leading to a loss of taste (ageusia). If the sense of taste is reduced but still present to a small extent, it is referred to as hypogeusia. Possible causes for a loss of taste sensation can be:

• Disturbance of the taste buds
• Disturbance of cranial nerves VII, X or XI
• Disturbance in the brain

The reasons for potential damage to the various stations are varied. This creates an impairmentin the area of ​​the taste buds for example due to simple flu-like infections (i.e. a cold) or , a vitamin B12 or iron deficiency, liver or kidney disease or as a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the head and neck area.Scarlet fever 

Damage to the cranial nerves results primarily from their complicated anatomical course, which is why operations on the ear or removal of the palatine tonsils (tonsillectomies) are also causal factors can be such as brain inflammation (encephalitis) or skull base fractures, which often result in an injury to the brain stem.

At the level of the brain there are usually serious injuries in the head area with damage to the corresponding areas of the brain as well as neurodegenerative diseases that lead to the death of brain cells, an important role. A well-known example is Parkinson’s disease. Inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can also be the cause.

Loss of taste due to Corona?

An infection with SARS-CoV-2, like other viral infections, can significantly disrupt not only the sense of smell but also the sense of taste and even cause it to fail. In the case of flu-like infections or the colloquial “cold”. This also happens often. The nasal turbinates swell, and you smell worse for a while, but after a few days, the sense of smell and taste return.

The exact mechanism that causes those affected to lose their sense of smell and taste is unclear with the coronavirus. A possible explanation could be that the virus attacks the so-called supporting cells, which, as a result, can no longer adequately support the olfactory sensory cells.

However, fortunately, the sense of taste works differently than the sense of smell. While the latter is perceived via nerve cells, which can take several months to regenerate after damage, the sense of taste is based on skin cells, which renew themselves at least every 14 days. Loss of taste after a coronavirus infection usually does not last long. On the other hand, a long-term loss of smell is considered a possible complaint after a corona infection (long COVID).

A loss of taste is a regular accompaniment to the common cold and recurs year after year. So, there is no need to fear being infected with Corona if you know this feeling from previous illnesses. Nevertheless, the symptom – mainly if it occurs suddenly – is typical of COVID-19, so a corona test is recommended if you lose your sense of smell and taste.