Taste of garlic in the mouth. Causes, what the symptom means

An unpleasant taste in the mouth is a nonspecific symptom of a certain pathological process. Most often, this symptom is observed in gastroenterological diseases, infectious processes in the oral cavity, upper respiratory tract, pathologies of the liver and pancreas. It should be noted that an unpleasant taste in the mouth is especially noticeable in the morning or after eating food or drinks.

Unpleasant taste in the mouth

A different taste felt in the mouth may be the first, or even the only sign of the disease. Unpleasant, uncomfortable sensations in the mouth also do not always relate to the oral mucosa itself, the tongue or teeth.

For some time after a meal, a person continues to feel the taste of what he ate in his mouth. This is completely normal, as food particles remain on the tongue and inner surface of the cheeks until they are washed away by saliva or a neutral-tasting drink. But if the taste in the mouth lingers, no matter when the person last ate, or the aftertaste does not at all correspond to what was at lunch or dinner, it’s worth thinking about.

As in gastronomy, there are five main tastes that a person can feel in the mouth: sweet, bitter, salty, metallic and sour. If the taste occurs outside of food, it is most likely a marker of problems or diseases in the body. Although, in some cases there is no need to worry. Let's consider when reasons for anxiety are present and when they are not.

Constipation is one of the most common problems faced by parents of children of any age. The absence of stool for 2-3 days in children of the first year of life may be a variant of the physiological norm, but if the child does not feel well, refuses to eat, or has trouble sleeping, measures must be taken. Read more in the article: “laxative for children.”

Sour taste

In the simplest and most harmless case, the factors that caused an unpleasant sourness in the mouth are the results of food addictions. But if such taste sensations are observed constantly, then you need to figure out why this is happening, what their symptoms mean and examine the body as a whole to establish the internal cause.

Common ailments that affect the condition of saliva are the following:

• Problems of the gastrointestinal tract - these include gastritis, ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, diaphragmatic hernia, gastroduodenitis, chalasia cardia, increased acidity of gastric juice and other dysfunctions of these organs.
• Dental pathologies - the presence of caries, gingivitis, periodontal disease and other inflammations of soft and hard tissues contribute to the active spread of bacteria in the mouth. And this, in turn, is accompanied by the appearance of sour saliva, an unpleasant taste and bad breath. Even after tooth extraction, this side effect can occur.
• Taking some strong medications is also accompanied by a change in acidity in the mouth, which is felt as a sour, bitter or salty taste.
• The presence of heartburn in addition to this may indicate problems with the pancreas. And bitterness is about disorders of the liver or biliary tract.
• Lack of fluid, dehydration leads not only to problems with taste, but also to a sharp decrease in salivation.
• Indulgence in foods such as spicy, fried, fatty, sour and other harmful food addictions can temporarily change the state of saliva. But their long-term use leads to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, so they should be removed from the diet to maintain health.

Obviously, if after sweets or, for example, after watermelon, you have a sour sensation, then this indicates a disruption in the functioning of the stomach. Any additional symptoms that appear periodically or on an ongoing basis also indicate a disease.

If pain occurs in the lower abdomen, regardless of left or right, you need to classify it. After all, the nature of the pain in this case is a very clear diagnostic indicator, on which the establishment of its cause depends. Read more in the article: “pain in the left lower abdomen in women - causes.”

Salty taste

The sensation of saltiness in the mouth is quite rare compared to the other three possible tastes. The most obvious reasons why a person feels salt in the mouth are diseases of the nasopharynx. Due to the accumulation of mucus in the nasal sinuses, this specific sensation occurs, given that the tear ducts are located nearby, and the inflamed, swollen mucous membranes press on them, causing salty tears. Mixing, the liquids enter the oral cavity, giving off salt.

A salty taste in the mouth is possible in people with allergies, bronchitis, and asthma. These ailments involve the discharge of sputum, which most often has a salty taste. Another reason for changes in taste sensations is diseases of the nervous system and brain. Tumors, neoplasms, and impaired innervation can lead to the fact that a person feels salt on the tongue. This occurs due to rupture or partial numbness of the nerve segments responsible for transmitting signals, including taste.

Note. A salty taste in the mouth is often the cause of dehydration, which is natural when a person does not monitor the amount of fluid he drinks, or while taking diuretics or diuretics. This is a signal that you need to immediately pay attention to your drinking regime, drinking at least one and a half liters of clean water daily.

Sometimes the problem with a salty sensation is solved by a dentist by curing a person of inflammation of the salivary glands, caries, or simply pointing out insufficient hygiene.

Sweet taste

If we consider all of the above cases, the symptom of a sweet taste in the mouth most often occurs in those who have metabolic disorders due to poor nutrition. This especially happens after long holidays, when a person constantly overeats. From time to time, almost all of us get a sweetish taste in our mouth. And, as mentioned at the beginning, this may be associated, if not with eating disorders, then with depression and stress.

Often, after 2 - 3 days it goes away on its own, as the person’s mental state normalizes. But, if it lasts for more than 3 days, I recommend that you immediately go for a consultation with someone who deals with gastrointestinal problems. You may even need an abdominal ultrasound to fully determine the causes. I wrote this because the idea that “it will go away on its own” may not work.

Bitter taste

A bitter taste in the mouth may result from eating certain foods that contain oxidizable fats. These include pine or walnuts, duck meat, sunflower seeds, margarine, boiled pork, and fatty meat. During storage of these products, oxidative processes can occur in them, and when consumed, oxidized fats negatively affect the liver, which signals this by bitterness in the mouth. A bitter taste, especially after waking up, may indicate a malfunction of the gallbladder or ducts, duodenum.

Typically, a bitter taste of varying intensity is due to the fact that the gallbladder is in excessive tone and releases an excessive amount of bile secretion into the digestive tract, which is thrown into the oral cavity through the esophagus. In such a situation, correction will be required not only of the bile-producing organ, but also of the nervous system. Often the gallbladder is hypertonic due to factors associated with excessive emotional stress.

Constant bitterness in the mouth often accompanies people of retirement age. The fact is that the older a person is, the faster the natural decrease in the activity of taste buds occurs, as well as chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Also, a feeling of bitterness can be provoked by the constant use of any medications, most often these are choleretic, antihistamines or antifungals.

Usually, the bitterness goes away at the end of the therapeutic course, but if the drugs require long-term or lifelong use, it is worth discussing the unpleasant side effect with your doctor.

How to remove bad breath from reflux?

Medication treatment, as well as making some changes to your usual lifestyle, can help prevent sour breath from developing with GERD. First of all, you need to stop smoking. Nicotine causes the sphincter muscles in the lower esophagus to weaken, which is the main cause of stomach acid refluxing into the esophagus. In addition, smoking itself causes bad breath and increases the risk of developing cancers of the throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver and colon. How to prevent bad breath from reflux:

• do not lie down immediately after eating - in a horizontal position, gastric juice flows into the esophagus, and the longer it stays there, the more irritated its mucous membrane is. You must wait at least 2–3 hours;
• Place a wedge-shaped pillow under your head to elevate your upper body while you sleep. This way the esophagus will be located above the stomach and gastric juice will not flow back and irritate its walls;
• eat small meals throughout the day;
• Maintain a normal weight to avoid pressure on the stomach. Obesity increases the risk of hiatal hernia, which can worsen GERD symptoms;
• Chew gum to freshen your breath and reduce the risk of heartburn.

Changing your diet can also relieve symptoms of GERD and prevent bad breath. Many foods can reduce the tone of the sphincter muscles of the lower esophagus and increase the acidity of gastric juice, thereby exacerbating the problem. Foods and drinks to avoid if you have GERD:

• alcohol;
• coffee and tea containing caffeine;
• onion and garlic;
• citrus fruits and juices from them;
• carbonated drinks;
• tomato juice;
• mint;
• spicy food;
• chocolate;
• fatty and fried foods.

Include more fiber-rich foods in your diet. These are pears, apples, avocados, artichokes, lentils, beans, broccoli, bananas, carrots and beets. They help improve digestion and avoid halitosis. Consume natural sourdough yogurt without fillers and milk, and drink enough water. Drug therapy for GERD involves the use of several types of drugs that reduce the production of hydrochloric acid or neutralize it:

• histamine blockers;
• proton pump inhibitors;
• calcium carbonate, aluminum or magnesium hydroxide.

Only a doctor can prescribe medications. Self-medication can be harmful to health.

Metallic taste

The following factors can cause a metallic taste in the mouth:

1. Drinking mineral waters saturated with iron ions.
2. Drinking tap water when it passes through rusty pipes or a faucet that is rusty on the inside, causing it to become saturated with iron.
3. A metallic taste in the mouth after receiving new dentures or implants may occur when a person eats acidic foods (or drinks sour drinks). In this case, the taste will be due to the reaction between the metal and the food acid. If there were already dentures before, and the person installed additional ones made of a different metal, then the unpleasant iron taste will be due to the reaction between the two metals. In this case, you can even feel a slight electrification of the prostheses: with the participation of saliva, an electric current has arisen between them.
4. Cooking foods rich in acids in aluminum or cast iron can also cause a metallic taste in the mouth. It is caused by the final substances that are formed as a result of the reaction between the metal and the acid.
5. Tongue or (less commonly) lip piercing. In this case, the metal of the earring may react both with food/drinks that contain acids and with crowns, braces or implants made of other metals.
6. Poor oral hygiene results in plaque or tartar formation on the tongue or teeth.
7. Constant contact of massive metal jewelry, watches or bracelets with the skin.

Please note: the causes of a metallic taste in the mouth can be inflammation of the gums, caries or pulpitis that occurs under the crowns. This process will not be accompanied by pain: before installing such prostheses, the nerve is removed.

Table 1. Combination of flavors and their possible causes

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases

In addition to natural causes, the taste of garlic in the mouth can be caused by the development of intoxication of the body with heavy metals, dental reasons, or gastrointestinal problems.

Poisoning

In case of arsenic poisoning or selenium overdose, it is necessary to isolate the victim, thereby eliminating the risk of further influence of the harmful factor, and then perform gastric lavage:

• water;
• saline solution prepared from 2 tsp. salts mixed with 1 liter of liquid;
• 20 g of suspension of magnesium sulfate, diluted in 1 liter of water;
• 1 tsp Ipecuana syrup.

Lavage is carried out 2-3 times to completely cleanse the stomach. In an unconscious state, this procedure is performed through a probe.

Garlic taste in mouth

If arsenic or large amounts of selenium enter the skin through the skin, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the skin with a soap solution and running water to prevent further intoxication.

For further treatment, the victim is hospitalized in the toxicology department, where:

• put a dropper with an antidote using Unithiol or Dimercaprol;
• restore the body’s water balance with saline;
• carry out oxygen and vitamin therapy;
• in emergency cases, emerging cardiovascular pathologies and renal failure are corrected.

Dental treatment

The appearance of an unpleasant garlicky taste with the addition of rot occurs due to dental pathologies associated with the formation of stony deposits, as well as poor oral hygiene, which provokes the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, which become one of the causes of the development of caries and periodontitis.

In this case, thorough sanitation of the oral cavity, including hygienic teeth cleaning, will allow you to eliminate the garlic taste. During the appointment, the doctor will assess the condition of the teeth and gums, remove tartar deposits along with plaque, and then, if necessary, clean out the carious cavity, installing filling material in its place. Additionally, after treatment, the patient will be prescribed a mouth rinse with herbal decoctions or LISTERINE and Sensodyne products.

Treatment of chronic sinusitis and sinusitis

The taste of garlic in the mouth caused by chronic sinusitis requires not only dental, but also ENT treatment, which consists of removing the accumulated pus responsible for the unpleasant symptoms

Teeth cleaning, like sanitation of the oral cavity, is carried out at the initial stage and is accompanied by a thorough examination of the condition of the patient’s teeth and gums for the appearance of carious areas. After this, an ENT doctor is consulted to identify tonsillitis, sinusitis, nasal polyps, rhinitis, which are considered responsible for the garlic taste. For sinusitis and sinusitis, an endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity may also be required.

Additionally, to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes:

• CT;
• x-ray (panoramic image).

Conservative treatment methods do not solve the problem of unpleasant odor and garlic taste in the mouth, so the patient facing this problem is offered endoscopic sinus surgery, which allows one to carefully remove the pus accumulated in the maxillary sinuses without traumatic punctures. After cleansing, the specialist places a special drainage to prevent re-accumulation of pus, and then the patient is prescribed antibacterial therapy with sensitive antibiotics (Amoxiclav, Suprax, Sumamed).

Additionally, for daily hygiene of the sinuses, rinsing with medicinal solutions (Aqua Maris) is prescribed.

Diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies

The taste of garlic in the mouth, caused by disruption of the digestive tract, gastritis or gastric ulcers, requires contacting a gastroenterologist and carrying out appropriate diagnostics, including laboratory tests and gastroendoscopy.

When the diagnosis is confirmed, the following are prescribed:

• acid neutralizers that accumulate in gastric juice (Maalox, Omez and Almagel);

  
  Omez

• antibiotics (Flemoxin solutab and Klacid);
• painkillers (No-shpa, Baralgin).

In emergency cases, surgical treatment may be required.

In addition to medications, the patient is prescribed a special diet that completely excludes:

• fried and salty foods;
• smoked products;
• solid food.

Additionally assigned:

• consumption of activated carbon tablets, as well as using it to clean teeth;
• use of mouth rinses;
• Thorough brushing of not only your teeth, but also your tongue every time after eating food.

Unpleasant sensations in the oral cavity

Sometimes discomfort in the mouth is not manifested by any foreign taste. It happens that people are tormented by manifestations of varying degrees of intensity - from mild irritation to unbearable pain. Let's consider what signals the oral mucosa gives to a person.

Numbness of the mouth

The feeling of dental anesthesia is familiar to many. But what to think if numbness occurs arbitrarily, without visiting a dentist?

If a person’s tongue, inner surface of the cheeks or lips go numb, this may indicate the following ailments:

• Allergy;
• Reflux, in which hydrochloric acid is released into the oral cavity;
• Neuroses, insomnia;
• Disorders of the oral mucosa (glossalgia);
• Mechanical damage;
• Stomatitis, caries;
• Neuropathy due to diabetes;
• Increased cranial pressure;
• Tumors in the head, brain lesions;
• Strokes;
• Osteochondrosis.

Also, numbness in the oral cavity can be caused by migraines, cervical circulation disorders, vegetative-vascular dystonia, lack of potassium or magnesium, and damage to the facial muscles. If you have such a symptom, you need to make an appointment with your local physician, then, if necessary, see a neurologist and endocrinologist.

Pathological causes of taste

In dentistry, there are several main factors that cause dry mouth, soreness, burning of the tongue and discomfort in the oral cavity:

1. Xerotomia. The symptom complex of xerotomy is expressed not only by dryness and burning in the tongue, but also by a disturbance in the secretion of the salivary glands. On examination, cracks ranging from barely noticeable to pronounced deep are noted on the surface of the tongue.
2. The burning sensation intensifies to the point of pain when the patient eats acidic foods, fresh fruits, carbonated or sour drinks. The etiology of xerotomia is often caused by dehydration due to intoxication, Sjögren's disease.
3. Candidiasis. Fungal infection of the oral cavity is always accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, burning, pain in the areas of fungal rashes.
4. Candida fungus exists in all people, but under certain factors it turns into a pathogenic agent, causing diseases.
5. Clinically, with candidiasis, the tongue is coated with a white, often dry coating, and the tongue area itself turns a rich bloody color. Along with itching and burning, patients experience severe pain on the tip of the tongue.
6. Allergic reactions. Allergies and inflammation are often the body's reaction to foreign bodies in the oral cavity. Thus, when installing braces, during prosthetics or osseointegration, as well as when wearing removable orthodontic structures, irritation may occur.
7. Despite the hypoallergenic nature of modern materials, the likelihood of allergies, rejection and other unpleasant consequences of prosthetics is quite likely.
8. Deposits on tooth enamel. Insufficient care or lack of oral hygiene leads to the formation of stones on the inner surface of the tooth.
9. Hard plaque contains huge colonies of pathogenic microorganisms that release toxic components.
10. Microbes provoke the development of inflammatory foci in the oral cavity, leading to chronic glossalgia. The condition is easily eliminated by hygienic teeth cleaning at the dentist.
11. Epithelial leukoplakia. When the mechanisms of desquamation of epithelial structures at the cellular level are disrupted, as well as disruption of regenerative processes, it leads to the formation of white plaques on the cheeks, on the surface of the palate and tongue.
12. Often the course of the disease is latent with temporary episodes of exacerbation. Leukoplakia occurs more often in smokers, becoming a sign of a precancerous condition.
13. Herpetic rashes. Herpes is an infectious disease of a viral nature. Once an episode occurs, it almost always leads to chronicity of the pathological process.
14. The appearance of blisters on the mucous membranes of the throat indicates an exacerbation of the disease and requires immediate use of antiviral drugs. As the patient recovers, the blisters transform into small erosive lesions.

Almost all diseases of the oral cavity of any origin can cause glossalgia. This is due to the huge number of nerve roots and receptors in the tongue and sublingual cavity, including multiple capillary weaves.

Table 2. Other examples of unpleasant sensations in the mouth

Other causes of bitterness in the mouth

Why there is a constant bitter taste in the mouth - possible reasons:

• smoking;
• inhalation of vapors of certain chemicals;
• dehydration;
• glossitis;
• dry mouth;
• allergy;
• salivary gland infections;
• lack of zinc and vitamin B12;
• nasal polyps;
• autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome and Bell's palsy;
• mouth breathing;
• inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• injuries to the head, mouth, nose;
• braces;
• Radiation therapy to the neck or head.

Bitterness in the mouth in the early stages of pregnancy may be associated with changes in hormonal levels, attacks of nausea and vomiting (toxicosis). Read more about this symptom on our website.

Summarizing

Ignoring unpleasant sensations in the mouth is not paying attention to your health. The least common cause of oral discomfort is dental problems, which can be resolved relatively quickly. If the local course of the problem is excluded, it is necessary to consult a general practitioner.

To prevent the appearance of an unpleasant taste in the mouth, you should adhere to the rules of a healthy diet, promptly eliminate all diseases and observe the rules of oral hygiene.

How to eliminate unpleasant odor from the stomach?

The first step in dealing with bad odor caused by stomach problems should be to determine its true cause. To do this, you need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist, since attempts at self-medication can harm your health. After examining the gastrointestinal tract, the doctor will prescribe a treatment regimen that will help solve the problem of bad breath. Taking probiotics (beneficial microbial cultures that improve the functioning of the digestive system) also helps normalize the acid balance of the stomach and reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria.