The therapist told about the causes of bitterness in the mouth

An unpleasant taste in the mouth causes discomfort and may be a signal to the body about the malfunction of certain systems. Tatyana Simonova, a general practitioner at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia on May 16 about why bitterness occurs in the mouth, what diseases and conditions it can indicate and what needs to be done if it appears.

"The mechanism of bitterness in the mouth is most often associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Normally, intestinal motility and the lower esophageal sphincter prevent the process of throwing bile from the duodenum and stomach into the esophagus, but if the sphincter is insufficient, this disease causes a characteristic bitter taste in the mouth after a short period of time after eating," she said.

Another reason for an unpleasant taste in the mouth can be neurological disorders, such as impaired taste sensations. Sometimes bitterness in the mouth occurs when eating a number of foods: greens, eggplant, radish, honeysuckle; when taking certain medications, for example, some antibiotics; with insufficient water intake and, as a result, dehydration; in the presence of bad habits — smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.

In addition, the expert noted that in some patients, in 15-20% of cases, bitterness occurs for unknown reasons: upon careful examination, no organic pathology is found. Therefore, doctors may consider the appearance of this symptom as a component of psychosomatic conditions, such as anxiety disorder.

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"Often, bitterness in the mouth is not the only symptom, so it is important to pay attention to other manifestations that may indicate various diseases in combination. For example, with additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting with bile, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, pancreatitis may be suspected; the presence of pain in the right hypochondrium, especially after eating fatty foods, may indicate cholelithiasis or cholecystitis," said Simonova.

Among the basic recommendations for the occurrence of bitterness in the mouth are the following: careful oral hygiene — it is important not to forget to brush your tongue and use mouthwash; correction of the drinking regime — at least 1.5–2 liters of liquid per day in the absence of contraindications; observance of a rational diet, as well as exclusion from the menu, especially for the next 12-24 hours, spicy, fatty, coffee.

"In 60% of cases, the appearance of passing bitterness is associated with nutritional errors that do not require treatment. However, if the symptom lasts for more than three to five days, is accompanied by other complaints, such as nausea, or does not go away after a change in diet, then you should consult a general practitioner. Urgent consultation is required if, in addition to bitterness in the mouth, there are any of the symptoms: yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eyes, vomiting with an admixture of blood, weight loss by 5-10% of body weight in four weeks, fever," the specialist added.

Earlier, on April 16, Svetlana Nemova, a therapist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia that the complete absence of plaque on the tongue and the appearance of a red smooth tongue could signal a serious vitamin B12 deficiency. It can also change after sleep due to decreased salivation or when consuming coloring products such as coffee or black tea.