There are various causes of a bitter taste in the mouth. Starting from stomach acid that goes up into the esophagus, consumption of drugs, to the side effects of cancer treatment, namely chemotherapy.
Talking about a mouth that feels bad, generally there are oral health problems associated with it. In medical terms, this disorder is called dysgeusia. Symptoms that are usually complained of by people with dysgeusia are mouth tastes sour, bitter, or salty as if touched by metal. Even for worse conditions, the mouth feels rancid or rotten.
The human mouth has about ten thousand taste buds scattered on the tongue, roof of the mouth, and the esophagus that borders the throat. Each taste bud has sensory cell receptors to pick up the taste in food or drink. These taste buds can capture five main tastes, namely sweet, salty, sour, bitter, savory (umami).
Consumption of drugs, hormonal changes, a person's level of health, as well as pregnancy, can be the cause of changes in taste in the mouth.
Bitter Mouth from Drugs
A person who is taking drugs to treat a disease can feel a bitter taste in the mouth, especially in elderly patients. Usually the medical team gets around this by giving fluids that have been added with salt or sugar as intake and neutralizer from the mouth that tastes bitter.
Drugs that can cause a bitter taste in the mouth include antibiotics, drugs for heart disease and blood pressure control, antifungal drugs, corticosteroids, chemotherapy drugs, mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, to certain supplements such as iron tablets.
To help reduce a bitter taste in the mouth, you can rinse your mouth with water, brush the entire inside of your mouth with toothpaste, rinse your mouth with mouthwash, drink plenty of water, chew sugar-free gum, and stop smoking.
Bitter Mouth for Pregnant Women
Although not very common, there are pregnant women who experience dysgeusia, especially in early pregnancy. This unpleasant taste in the mouth is thought to be caused by the presence of pregnancy hormones.
So that the bitter taste in the mouth of pregnant women is not too disturbing, it can be circumvented in several ways, namely:
- Neutralize with salt
Sometimes, this bad taste in the mouth can be because pregnant women are sensitive to sweet foods. Add a pinch of salt to sweet foods that will be consumed.
- Add sour taste
Bitter taste in the mouth can be eliminated by eating foods that taste sour. For example, water with lemon juice or meat soaked in vinegar or lime juice before cooking. In addition to helping eliminate the bitter taste in the mouth, sour taste can stimulate saliva production as well as the sense of taste.
- eat anything
If you can't eat certain foods because they cause a bitter taste in your mouth, eat whatever you can eat. On the other hand, there is no need to be afraid of nutritional deficiencies because the bad taste in the mouth will gradually disappear as pregnancy enters the second trimester and you can start managing balanced nutrition again. You can also consult this condition with your obstetrician if this condition makes you worried.
- Brush your teeth more often
Brushing your teeth more often will likely help get rid of the bitter taste in your mouth. Do not forget, also brush the surface of the tongue and the roof of the mouth. After brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with a solution of baking soda to neutralize the pH level with a ratio of tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water.
- Consumption of chewable vitaminsThere is one more way to deal with a bitter mouth, which is to ask your doctor for chewable vitamins. Pregnancy vitamins taken by chewing may neutralize the unpleasant taste. But remember, do not be consumed in excess.
Many things can be the cause of a bitter taste in the mouth, but before taking any treatment, it's a good idea to find out the exact cause of a bitter mouth first. Consult a doctor if the bitter taste of the mouth does not improve, or makes it difficult for you to eat because the taste is annoying.