Healthy taste buds and good oral hygiene are essential to detect proper taste and enjoy every food as it's the weakest sense in the body. Among them, the bitter taste can be concerning if it lasts for a long time.
Taste is one of our five senses
Taste has been a sensory function of our central nervous system and has been subdivided into five categories: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. It is expected that the taste of the mouth changes after eating some food. But the issue begins when altered taste lasts for a more extended period than usual.
Altered taste sensation
Once someone complains about the altered taste in the mouth, a good consultant should take proper history to find out the primary cause of this. Medically, dysgeusia or parageusia are the terms used for an altered taste sensation. Here we will discuss the primary reasons that will result in a sore or bitter taste in the mouth.
Causes of bitter taste
One of the primary causes is poor oral hygiene. If a person does not do proper brushing, flossing or rinsing, it will be an open invitation for the microorganisms. First of all, gingivitis occurs due to poor oral hygiene, which leads to bleeding gums and bad taste in the mouth and eventually, dental issues begin.
In poor oral health, the patient complains of white spots on the tongue and other intra-oral structures known as oral thrush, caused by a yeast infection, which alters the taste. The same goes for viral infections, such as Hepatitis B, which also affects the taste of the mouth.
Due to dehydration, xerostomia occurs, which causes a sour taste in the mouth. Even anxiety due to any exam or surgery will result in the bitter taste of the mouth. A person taking pine nuts in excess also complains of altered taste after 2-3days.
Patients taking antidepressants, antibiotics such as tetracycline or multivitamins also complain of a bitter taste of the mouth. Some COVID patients reported altered taste sensation instead of loss of taste.
Due to acid reflux in pregnancy or gastroesophageal reflux disease, patients often complain of the bitter taste. Females undergoing menopause also arrived with an acrid feeling in the mouth.
How to prevent it?
Different symptomatic treatment options are available to improve dental hygiene. We should practise twice a day brushing along with flossing so that no food particles remain impacted between or around the teeth. Chewing sugar-free gum or drinking plenty of water will increase the salivary flow that will also cause good flushing throughout the mouth. Moreover, avoiding spicy food to reduce acid reflux will also help combat and prevent altered taste in the mouth.
