Sour taste in the mouth

The sensation of a sour taste in the mouth is normal for a person if he has eaten any sour food, such as lemon or sour candy. And can an atypical taste appear without connection with eating?

Indeed, the sensation of acid in the oral cavity in some cases refers to the clinical symptoms of diseases and pathologies in the body, to the side effects of taking certain drugs.

Manifestation and etiology of the condition

A sour taste on the oral mucosa causes inconvenience to a person not only because it is unpleasant in itself – the problem is that it is often accompanied by bad breath, noticeable to others, and this significantly reduces communication skills.

Why does this sign appear, what does it indicate and how dangerous can it be? Any diagnosis begins with establishing the cause of the sour taste in the mouth. First of all, the condition may indicate the presence of problems with the digestive tract. So, the cause of the sensation of acid in the mouth may be the increased acidity of the discharge in the stomach, the formation of pathologies in the digestive organs, diseases of the oral cavity, disorders in the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, bile reflux into the stomach and esophagus. Taking certain medications can cause extraneous tastes in the mouth that are not associated with eating.

Pregnancy is a condition in which a woman often feels acid in her mouth. This is due to the fact that pressure in the abdominal cavity increases slightly, and gastric juice under its influence is thrown into the esophagus and enters higher into the mouth. The pressure on the organs increases due to the growing volume of the uterus.

A sour taste along with dry mouth appears when the water-salt balance is disturbed, if a child or an adult develops dehydration, with the constant use of harmful, fatty, fried foods.

The appearance of a sensation of acid in the oral cavity, one way or another, signals that a violation of physiological processes occurs in the body. This feeling should be especially alert in combination with other symptoms, for example, nausea, diarrhea, pain in the stomach or liver, vomiting, discoloration of feces and urine. Such manifestations can signal the formation of inflammation of the walls of the stomach, increased acidity, peptic ulcer in the stomach or intestines.

Classification of the state according to its manifestations

In medicine, it is customary to distinguish 4 types of sour taste:

• sweet and sour;
• sour-bitter;
• sour-salty;
• sour with metallic.

Sweet and sour taste indicates the presence of problems in the functioning of the nervous system, which is especially pronounced after experienced stress. It also appears against the background of an increased concentration of sugar in the blood after a sweet, due to some pathologies of the digestive process or a sharp cessation of smoking by a heavy smoker.

If a person develops periodontal disease, caries or gingivitis, the presence of a sweet and sour taste sensation in the oral cavity can determine their onset. The appearance of an unpleasant taste, along with nausea and smell, indicates a possible intoxication of the body, including intoxication with medicines, chemicals such as pesticides, and carbonic acid dichloride.

Why is a person concerned about a bitter taste with sourness? Often this phenomenon is noted in the morning after sleep, it may be present constantly, that is, all day, or temporarily.

Among the main reasons for the appearance:

• eating unhealthy food the night before, and the subsequent functional load on the liver and intestines during the night;
• drinking a significant amount of alcohol;
• allergic reactions;
• antibiotic treatment;
• pill abuse;
• cholecystitis;
• stomach or intestinal ulcer.

The sensation is also present in gastritis and pancreatitis.

If a person is addicted to nicotine, and smokes a lot of cigarettes before going to bed, at night he will feel a bitter taste with sour.

Acid with a metallic aftertaste is primarily due to the presence of metal crowns on the teeth, piercings or metal prostheses in the mouth. In addition, metallic with a sour taste appears as a symptom of gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontal disease, diabetes mellitus, anemia, bleeding ulcers. After a tooth is removed, a metallic taste indicates that the resulting wound is bleeding. In pregnant women, it is noted against the background of hormonal changes associated with their position. It can manifest itself in adolescents during puberty, or in women with the onset of menopause.

It is typical for prolonged or acute poisoning with heavy metal compounds – mercury, lead, copper, arsenic, zinc.

Acid with a salty taste is a sure sign of the inflammatory process of the salivary glands (sialoadenitis), manifested in the presence of pathologies of the upper respiratory tract, mumps, Sjogren’s disease, sometimes felt after prolonged crying or during a runny nose. People with an unbalanced diet complain of a similar feeling. The sensation is especially aggravated after drinking coffee, strong tea, energy drinks, sweet soda, or may accompany a state of dehydration.

Association of acid in the mouth with nausea

If the sour taste in the mouth is determined together with a feeling of nausea, this clearly indicates the presence of diseases in the digestive tract. If initially only these two symptoms are present, over time, belching, heaviness and pain in the upper abdomen, heartburn are added to them. The described manifestations are characteristic of gastritis, gastroduodenitis, duodenal ulcer or stomach ulcer.

However, symptoms can form even after a banal overeating, especially if a person has eaten a lot of dry food without drinking liquids, when the stomach is not able to secrete enough juice for digestion. Food does not have time to be digested normally, stagnates and wanders in the stomach, so belching is formed rotten, nausea, constipation or diarrhea.

The most common problem with these symptoms is damage to the pancreas.

Common cases of bad taste in the mouth

With hyperacid gastritis in humans, the mucous walls of the stomach become inflamed. There are several different reasons for the formation of the disease, including the reproduction and functioning of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, nervous tension and stress, malnutrition, smoking and alcohol intake.

The disease is manifested by heartburn, vomiting, frequent headaches, loss of appetite, which can either sharply decrease or increase greatly. The tongue is covered with a white coating, the patient is tormented by constipation, colic and spasms in the intestines.

Peptic ulcer of the stomach is formed due to disturbances in the work of peristalsis and secretory function of the organ, due to problems with blood circulation and nutrition of its walls. It is also known that an ulcer can develop on a nervous basis, due to stress, prolonged psychological stress, hormonal disorders.

Symptoms are similar to the manifestations of gastritis, but are expressed much more clearly – this is a cutting pain in the upper abdomen, severe vomiting, often with an admixture of blood, rotten belching, increased gas formation, bloating and flatulence, burning in the esophagus, constipation, feeling of heaviness after eating, increased salivation .

The state of diaphragmatic hernia is characterized by an expansion of the opening of the diaphragm, where part of the stomach enters, penetrating into the chest cavity. The disease is mainly accompanied by reflux, when the contents of the digestive tract begin to move in the other direction, while bile from the gallbladder enters the stomach, the contents of the stomach can enter the esophagus and oral cavity. Naturally, in this case, a person feels a sour taste in the mouth.

A hernia of this type is formed due to severe and constant physical stress, against the background of obesity, pregnancy, increased elasticity of the tissues of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, and also as a result of other pathologies.

The feeling of acid in the mouth does not always haunt a person all day continuously, while eating when eating acidic foods – the condition can manifest itself at different times of the day, or be associated with certain actions of a person.

In the morning, a feeling of sour in the mouth indicates problems with digestion, the presence of gastroduodenitis, gastroesophageal reflux. If the symptom is not associated with eating sour foods, you should definitely see a gastroenterologist with it.

The appearance of the taste of sour milk in the mouth, if at the same time the person did not drink it before, should alert the person, as it manifests itself with helminthic invasion, intestinal spasm, and liver dysfunction. Especially dangerous for a person is the presence of a yellow coating on the tongue (the so-called “yellow tongue” symptom) – a condition characteristic of damage to liver tissues by helminths.

After eating, a person can feel acid in the oral cavity, which is explained by poor oral hygiene, the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, malnutrition, and the abuse of acidic foods, such as citrus fruits. Naturally, if you eat a kilogram of tomatoes or oranges at one time, a sour aftertaste will remain in your mouth.

If the problem arose due to poor oral hygiene, it will be enough just to start brushing your teeth at least twice a day (in the morning and before bedtime). Additionally, you can use refreshing rinses for teeth and gums. If such a measure did not help, you should consult a dentist – perhaps the reason lies in the development of periodontal disease or caries, in the processes of tooth decay.

An increase or decrease in the concentration and acidity of gastric acid is usually referred to as a symptom of gastritis. In this case, there is often a sour taste in the mouth, a white coating on the tongue, pain and colic in the abdomen, and heartburn. The described clinical picture requires a mandatory examination by a doctor, as well as some examinations.

Of the less typical causes of the sensation of acid in the mouth – pharyngitis, tonsillitis, colds, metabolic disorders, diseases of the endocrine system, dysbacteriosis in the mouth or in the intestines.

How is pathology treated?

In fact, the appearance of a sour taste in the mouth is not in itself a disease or pathology – it only signals the presence of health problems. The patient cannot independently determine which ones, and he definitely needs to contact a therapist, and then a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, infectious disease specialist, dentist.

During the appointment, the doctor interviews the patient, learns about the features of his diet, about the presence of diagnosed diseases. It should be noted that one examination and questioning is not enough to establish a diagnosis, since the doctor needs to understand what is happening inside the patient’s digestive tract. To do this, he will need to undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs and FGDS. Additionally, the results of the study of blood, feces and urine are analyzed.

The basis of treatment is dietary nutrition. If there are problems with the digestive process, it is impossible to cure them only with the help of drug therapy. First of all, fried, spicy, salty, smoked foods are excluded from the diet, the patient is prescribed fractional meals in small portions. The basis of the daily menu is cereals and plant foods, but raw fruits and vegetables should not be consumed when cooked, during an acute condition.

It is also forbidden to eat confectionery, fresh bread, fast food, canned food, fatty meats and fish. Strong tea, coffee, carbonated and sweet drinks are excluded. Drink at least 2 liters of pure water per day.

To treat problems of the oral cavity, ENT organs and the gastrointestinal tract, it is imperative to stop smoking and drinking alcohol – at least temporarily, but best of all. An important component of the recovery process is oral hygiene, regular brushing of teeth, and timely visits to the dentist.

Immediately after eating, you should not lie down horizontally so as not to interfere with the digestion process – it is better to sit down or take a leisurely walk.

Is it possible to cope with the symptom of folk remedies? If, after visiting a doctor and establishing a diagnosis, he allows the use of some prescriptions, for example, rinsing with soda in the mouth, they can be supplemented with the implementation of general medical treatment. However, the reviews of doctors about such methods of treatment are very ambiguous, and they speak of their low effectiveness.

The appearance of foreign tastes in the mouth is normal after eating, especially after eating foods with pronounced taste properties – after citrus fruits, milk, fatty meats, mushrooms, coffee or strong tea. After a short amount of time, the feeling goes away.

However, if a child or an adult complains of an unpleasant taste and sourness in the mouth in the morning, or at night, or outside meals, this may indicate a health problem, so in such cases you should not postpone a visit to the doctor.

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