Many people experience bitter taste in their mouth, especially those who have any chronic diseases. Such a symptom in most cases accompanies the pathology of the gallbladder, liver or biliary tract, as well as problems with other parts of the digestive system.
Changing the taste is not always associated with illnesses, for example, a brief bitter taste can be triggered by taking spicy or spicy food, certain medications. What causes bitterness in the mouth and what should I do with it?- read further.
Contents
- 1 Causes of bitterness in the mouth
- 2 Bitterness and dry mouth
- 3 Bitterness in the mouth as a symptom of the disease
- 4 Bitterness in the mouth, not associated with diseases of the digestive system
- 5 Causes of bitterness in pregnancy
- 6 Treatment of bitterness in the mouth
- 7 Possible complications
Causes of bitterness inmouth
Bitter taste acts as a classic symptom of bile in the esophagus. Therefore, the first cause of bitterness in the mouth is diseases of the gallbladder, ducts or liver.
To determine the exact factor, a complete examination of the gastrointestinal tract is performed. Three common pathologies leading to bitterness in the mouth are:
- Cholecystitis - In case of gallbladder inflammation, in addition to the bitter aftertaste, there is pain on the right under the ribs, a yellowish skin tone, high fever, constipation or diarrhea.
- Liver pathology - any violation in the work of this body can provoke a malfunction in the production of bile. In this case, there may not be other pronounced symptoms.
- Diseases of the bile ducts - in this case bitterness in the mouth is one of the brightest symptoms. With gallstones, problems with the motility of the ducts, stagnation of bile is observed, and periodic sharp ejection and entry into the esophagus and oral cavity.
The same causes of bitterness can be as other violations of the digestive process - dyspepsia, diarrhea, indigestion and other, and food poisoning.
Bitterness and dry mouth
If dehydration of the body takes place, for example, due to diarrhea or fever, a feeling of dry mouth is added to the bitterness.
The complex of these symptoms occurs with respiratory infections, vomiting, stressful conditions, burns of the tongue and bites, after dental interventions, with polyps in the nose and inflamed gums in heavy smokers.
Bitterness and dry mouth occur with cholecystitis, since inflammation of the gallbladder is often accompanied by diarrhea and fever.
Sensation of dryness is also present during dehydration as a result of diarrhea and vomiting in food poisoning, intestinal infections. Treatment in this case should be immediate.
Bitterness in the mouth as a symptom of
Disease in the liver and gall bladder can simultaneously be bitter in the mouth and plaque in the tongue - from yellowish to light green hue. The mucosa of the esophagus and oral cavity is irritated, the skin and eye proteins can acquire icteric color.
Unpleasant odor from the mouth, regular belching and stomach cramps are felt during reflux( reverse flow of contents of the intestine and stomach into the esophagus).If bitterness accompanies the appearance of pain after eating, such a symptom may indicate a peptic ulcer or gastritis.
With cholelithiasis and cholecystitis soreness is paroxysmal, in the area of the liver, a bursting is felt, often weakness and stiffness in the movements is felt( it is unpleasant and painful to turn the body, bend).
Other symptoms that may accompany bitterness in the mouth:
- violation of facial mimicry with facial nerve dysfunction;
- gum bleeding;
- abundant salivation;
- poor appetite;
- febrile state;
- headache and fatigue;
- smell disturbance;
- vomiting and nausea;
- inflammation of the tonsils;
- nasal congestion.
In diseases of the liver and gallbladder, bitterness in the mouth is most often observed in the morning, and it can appear for several days and even weeks in a row.
Bitterness in the mouth, not associated with diseases of the digestive system
Inflammatory process of peri-toothed tissues, gums, impaired innervation of the tongue, stomatitis and other diseases of the oral cavity, as well as unsuccessfully selected prostheses or crowns can cause bitterness in the mouth.
Other factors of bitter taste that are not associated with gastrointestinal problems:
- Hormonal disorders - hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism affect the contraction of muscle fibers of bile ducts. This leads to their dyskinesia and, as a consequence, to the appearance of bitterness in the mouth.
- Taking some medicines - antihistamines, antibacterial drugs and other drugs that affect the liver.while with bitterness often there is soreness in the right side under the ribs and heartburn.
- Heavy metals poisoning - lead, mercury, copper, for example, when employed in industrial production.
- Long experience of smoking, chronic stress, depressive state.
A bitter taste in the mouth can appear against the background of taking natural medicines - sea buckthorn oil, St. John's wort broth, licorice root, borage uterus.
Causes of bitterness in pregnancy
Sometimes bitterness in the mouth can appear in a pregnant woman, and in most cases this is not a manifestation of any disease. This symptom often accompanies an early toxicosis - in the first trimester, increased production of progesterone in the body helps relax the muscles, including the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus.
Because of this, bile and acid penetrates into the esophagus and mouth, causing not only heartburn, but also a feeling of bitterness. If the bitter aftertaste is observed in late pregnancy, it is explained by the fetal pressure on the gallbladder and stomach.
To reduce the intensity of bitterness and the frequency of its appearance helps to maintain a diet - in the diet there should not be an excess of fatty, fried foods, you should give up coffee, spices and acidic foods. Recommended frequent meals in small portions, do not drink water and other liquid during meals.
Treatment of bitterness in the mouth
To eliminate a permanent bitter taste or bitterness in the mouth after eating, treatment is prescribed only by a specialist based on the identified health problems. If this symptom does not pass several days in a row, you need to go to an appointment with a therapist who, after an initial examination and evaluation of complaints, will send for further examination to an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist or other doctor.
It's a mistake to treat a bitter taste as a separate disease - it's just a symptom. Depending on the reason for the treatment of bitterness in the mouth, tablets and other drugs are selected precisely to eliminate it.
If it is cholecystitis or liver pathologies, cholinolytics, antibiotics( for prevention of complications), spasmolytic and cholagogue agents, hepatoprotectors and a therapeutic diet can be shown. With stagnation of the bile, the doctor can prescribe such means as Allochol, Liobil, Holosas.
For the removal of inflammation and pain in the liver are effective Gepabene, Duspatalin. To dissolve the stones in the gall bladder, Ursofalk, Henofalk is prescribed.
An important component of therapy is purification and further preventive protection of the liver, which is carried out not only with inflammatory diseases, but also with poisoning and drug intoxication. Of hepatoprotectors, the doctor can prescribe Gepagard, Rezalyut, Essentiale Forte N, or another drug.
When hormonal disorders are prescribed medications that normalize the endocrine system. If the cause of bitterness in the mouth is food or chemical poisoning, the therapy is directed to gastric lavage, bowel cleansing, sorbents intake, antibacterial drugs, if necessary, dehydration.
When the apparent pathological cause of the bitter taste is not determined during the examination, the following recommendations may become a solution to the problem:
- quitting;
- cleansing of the intestine with the help of enetrosorbents;
- normalization of microflora with probiotics;
- healthy diet without excess fatty and heavy products;
- elimination of stress, normalization of the regime of work and rest, sports.
Possible complications of
Bitter taste in the mouth is often a symptom of a disease, and without timely diagnosis and adequate treatment, complications of bitterness in the mouth may develop:
- eating disorders, loss of appetite;
- risk of eating spoiled foods due to inability to distinguish the taste;
- sharp weight loss, exhaustion;
- is depressed due to the inability to sense the taste of food.
In addition to the consequences of this symptom, there are more serious complications of diseases that lead to a bitter taste. Therefore, the first action of a person, faced with bitterness in the mouth, should be a visit to the doctor.
