Why does bitterness occur in the mouth? Recommendations for heartburn

Bitterness in the mouth may indicate problems with the digestive system. Severe or persistent bitterness in the mouth is a reason to consult a doctor.

From time to time you may experience an unpleasant bitter taste in your mouth. As a rule, this is due to a sudden release of bile into the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, some bile may enter the esophagus and cause a bitter sensation in the mouth.

. Often a bitter taste in the mouth is felt in the morning, since bile can enter the stomach during sleep (especially if you sleep on your left side and dinner included fatty foods).

Bile is a secretion produced by the liver and is necessary for digesting food. The bile duct carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder, which acts as a storage reservoir. During the active digestive phase, bile from the gallbladder enters the duodenum. Some substances have choleretic properties, that is, they increase the production of bile. Eating foods with choleretic properties (for example, pine nuts) can provoke a sharp increase in the flow of bile into the intestines and, as a result, the appearance of bitterness in the mouth. Some medications have the same effect - both medical preparations and traditional medicine (St. John's wort, sea buckthorn oil, etc.).

However, bitterness in the mouth should not be ignored

. Its appearance indicates that not everything is in order with the digestive system. For example, a bitter taste may appear after eating fatty (heavy) foods. Fatty foods stimulate bile secretion. Normally, the secreted bile should not enter the stomach and esophagus, but should be released exactly as much as is necessary for the digestive process in the intestines. The appearance of bitterness indicates that this is not the case. And we need to figure out what caused this. If bitterness in the mouth occurs frequently or persists for a long time, then it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor.

Symptoms

Bitterness in the mouth can manifest itself in different ways, for example:

• after overeating and eating certain foods - indicates the reflux of bile into the esophagus and diseases of the bile ducts,
• aftertaste after taking medications means a disruption of the normal microflora, a negative effect on the liver and the destruction of beneficial bacteria,
• after sports training - speaks of liver pathologies.

Bitterness can occur at different times of the day, after physical activity and during the abuse of bad habits. Often the symptom is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, dizziness, heaviness in the side and abdominal pain, white coating on the tongue and a feeling of bloating, heartburn and belching, dry mouth. At the appointment, you need to inform the doctor in detail about each sign.

Help before diagnosis

Even if a diagnosis has not yet been made, several measures can be taken to alleviate the condition:

• Adjust your diet, remove fatty and fried foods, eat more often and in small portions.
• Stop smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Drink more water.

Monitor the quality of oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth twice a day, as well as use mouthwash and floss. If you have problems with your teeth, you need to visit a dentist.

Photo: goffkein/freepik.com

Important!

You should not try to use folk remedies or treat yourself - this can be dangerous. If a bitter taste in your mouth appears regularly, you should consult a doctor and get recommendations for treatment.

Which doctor treats bitterness in the mouth?

First of all, bitterness in the mouth is considered as a symptom of gastroenterological disorders, so when the first signs appear, you need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

To make an appointment with a doctor, choose any method:

• call the clinic +7 (495) 103-99-55,
• order a call back,
• leave a request for an appointment using a convenient form on the website:

Often people do not pay attention to bitterness in the mouth, explaining the occurrence of the symptom with overeating, an uncomfortable position in bed and some other reasons.

IMPORTANT! Rarely does anyone think that bitterness in the mouth is a signal indicating the development of serious pathology of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

If you have been experiencing this symptom for a long time, do not engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication - make an appointment with a specialist at the Kuntsevo Treatment and Rehabilitation Center! An experienced gastroenterologist will collect anamnesis, complaints, conduct an objective examination, and refer you for laboratory and instrumental diagnostics to understand the cause of the pathology.

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Herbal therapy

Treatment of bitterness in the mouth is possible with the help of medicinal plants. The most popular recipes.

Read also: Herbs for colds: list, traditional medicine recipes

You can also mix honey, ground raspberries and a pulp of young aloe leaves in equal proportions. Then you need to take this remedy 1 tbsp. l. three times a day. This homemade medicine can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.

Treatment methods

Basically, the treatment of bitterness in the mouth comes down to taking medications. The specialist selects complex therapy based on the results of tests and instrumental examinations. The gastroenterologist identifies one of three problems:

• Liver disorders. Means are prescribed to stabilize the operation of the “filter”,
• Digestive tract dysfunction. Drugs that affect the digestive system normalize the work
• Uncontrolled bile production. Eliminated by drugs that affect the level of secretion, for example, anticholinergics.

Treatment with juices and drinks

To quickly get rid of bitterness in the mouth, you need to switch to proper nutrition. At the same time, it is useful to consume the following juices:

You can also prepare another healthy drink. Requires 1 large citrus fruit (for example, lemon).

Recipe:

• grind the fruit through a meat grinder;
• transfer the pulp into a glass container;
• add a glass of linden honey and 50 ml of olive oil (exclusively unrefined);
• stir with a wooden spoon.

The workpiece should be stored in a dark and cool place (a refrigerator will do). You need to take the product every time an unpleasant taste appears in your mouth. Allowed to eat 1 tsp.

Another traditional drink will also be beneficial - jelly. But it gets rid of bitterness only with certain preparation. Required:

• pour 1 tbsp. l. flax seeds with boiling water;
• wait until the product infuses and cools.

Drink half a cup twice a day (no straining required).

Why do we need to treat bitterness in the mouth?

Since an unpleasant taste in the mouth is a symptom of some pathology, a comprehensive examination is needed, without which it is impossible to establish a diagnosis. Our clinic has the latest equipment for ultrasound diagnostics of the liver and gallbladder, gastroscopy, etc., which help identify the pathological process in a short time. Our own laboratory allows you to get test results within a few hours. It is the quick examination process that attracts many Moscow residents to our clinic, as well as experienced, qualified staff ready to help every patient.

2. Reasons

Even a non-specialist in the vast majority of cases associates a bitter taste in the mouth with a pathological state of the digestive system, more precisely, the liver and/or biliary tract. Indeed, the biochemical and physiological evolution of higher mammals has led to a strange paradox. As you know, bile produced by the liver is absolutely necessary for the digestion of food, be it the simplest food or exquisite delicacies. But at the same time, bile itself has a sharp unpleasant odor and an unbearably bitter taste, so normally it goes directly into the intestines (starting from the duodenum) and does not come into contact with the taste buds of the oral cavity. However, in a number of abnormal or clearly pathological conditions and processes, bile stagnates, is thrown into the stomach and esophagus, its taste is felt in the mouth - in a word, that same bitterness appears. In some cases, this may be associated with the consumption of too fatty foods or simply with banal overeating (the bitterness disappears as the body copes with the overload), in others it serves as one of the diagnostically significant signs of a serious gastroenterological disease. Thus, the most likely groups of causes of bitterness in the mouth are:

• diseases and any congestion in the biliary (bile) system, i.e. all kinds of dyskinesias, anomalies or pathologies of the bile ducts, cholelithiasis, pathology of the gallbladder, etc.;
• liver diseases: hepatitis, oncopathology, cirrhosis, etc.;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with reflux syndrome (reflux into the esophagus): gastritis, gastroduodenitis, cancer of the pancreas and other gastrointestinal organs.

However, the above reasons, with all their diversity and, indeed, the greatest probability, do not exhaust the list of possible sources of bitterness in the mouth. You should also add to it:

• allergic reactions (in particular to dental materials);
• chemical intoxication, incl. taking certain groups of medications with hepatotropic side effects;
• inflammatory processes (especially with a purulent component) in the oral cavity;
• the presence of worms;
• endocrine disorders;
• infections;
• dysbacteriosis;
• hormonal changes associated with gestation (pregnancy) or menopause;
• deficiency or imbalance of a number of microelements necessary for the body (B vitamins, zinc, etc.);
• smoking (the more cigarettes smoked per day, the more stable and intense the bitter taste in the mouth and lips), as well as withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking, which can be controlled with a special diet and vitamin therapy;
• alcohol consumption;
• abnormal mental states (depression, chronic stress, etc.).

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Diagnostics

You can start diagnosing with a consultation and examination with a doctor. To do this, you need to contact a therapist, gastroenterologist, hepatologist or dentist. The doctor will conduct a survey and refer the patient for examination.

Photo: okfoto / freepik.com

During the consultation, the doctor needs to describe in detail the existing symptoms, tell how often and under what circumstances bitterness appears. Information about lifestyle, diet, and existing diseases will be useful.

For diagnosis, the following studies are carried out:

• Duodenal sounding. If a malfunction of the biliary tract is suspected, portions of bile are taken using a probe for bacteriological examination, and the rate of excretion of bile into the duodenum is also assessed.
• Gastroscopy (EGDS, FGDS) is a study using a gastroscope. Allows you to examine the mucous membrane of the digestive organs and do a biopsy (take tissue samples for laboratory testing).
• Ultrasound of the liver, gall bladder and other organs. It is carried out to assess the size and presence of changes in internal organs.
• Lab tests. If diseases of the digestive organs or biliary tract are suspected, a stool test is prescribed. A biochemical blood test is performed if cholecystitis is suspected. A test for hCG and sex hormones, as well as a serological test if viral hepatitis is suspected, can also be performed.

Folk remedies

Bitterness in the mouth may be due to medication

In cases where no serious pathologies are found, folk recipes will help get rid of the feeling of bitterness in the mouth.

• Flax seed. To prepare the drink, take a quarter cup of ground flaxseed, add half a liter of boiled water and leave. Drink half a glass in the morning.
• Vegetable juices. Freshly squeezed juices from potatoes, carrots and celery increase the secretion of saliva and thereby help with bitterness in the mouth.
• Decoction of calendula flowers. For half a liter of boiling water you need to take 20 grams of calendula flowers, bring to a boil and leave. It is recommended to take 2 glasses per day for a month.
• Sunflower oil. Keep the slightly heated oil in your mouth for several minutes. The feeling of bitterness should disappear.
• Corn silk. A decoction of corn silk has choleretic properties, it contains fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin E. It helps cleanse the body, get rid of bad breath and stimulate the production of digestive enzymes.
• Rose hip decoction. Rosehip decoction is a choleretic agent and a real vitamin bomb. This drink not only relieves the feeling of bitterness in the mouth after eating, it also stimulates the immune system.

The choice of treatment for bitterness in the mouth depends on the disease that caused this sensation. No matter how harmless this symptom may seem, the cause of its occurrence can be quite serious, so you should not neglect this signal from the body and listen to it: get examined and begin treatment.

What to do?

Bitterness in the mouth after eating can be eliminated in various ways.

So, there are quite a few causes of bitterness in the mouth and it is impossible to determine the exact etiology from just one or a few symptoms. In order to get rid of this unpleasant feeling, you need to undergo a full examination, including:

1. Ultrasound
2. Gastroscopy
3. Colonoscopy
4. Laboratory diagnostics
5. Computed tomography
6. MRI

Choosing the right research and treatment is impossible without consulting a gastroenterologist, therapist, or neurologist.