Doctors are often contacted with a complaint of a salty or fishy taste in the mouth.
In some cases, this circumstance is not associated with the disease, but nevertheless worsens a person’s quality of life, since appetite decreases and it becomes impossible to enjoy food.
But most often this condition is provoked by various diseases .
Therefore, in any case, if you have a fishy taste in your mouth for no apparent reason, you should see a doctor.
Why does it occur: causes of the symptom?
Stay up to date! If a person did not eat seafood or consume fish oil the day before, then the taste of raw fish in the mouth can be caused by a number of factors, such as:
- Kidney failure.
- Inflammatory process in the salivary glands. Under the influence of bacteria or viruses, inflammation leads to a change in the chemical composition of saliva.
- Insufficient intake of fluid into the body , while dry mouth is added to the fishy taste. As a result of dehydration, a person loses beneficial vitamins and minerals. Often this problem occurs due to improper use of medications - diuretics.
- During cancer treatment, radiation and chemotherapy can affect taste buds. Therefore, the taste of fish or other substances in the mouth is not excluded. In particular, such side effects are caused by the drugs Methotrexate and Vincristine.
- Tears entering the nasopharynx.
- Sinusitis, rhinitis or allergies - mucus can accumulate in the sinuses and oropharynx, which, flowing down the walls of the throat, gives a similar taste.
- Lack of oral hygiene. As a result, soft and hard deposits develop, and they are a favorable environment for the development of infection. Pathogenic bacteria begin to affect the oral mucosa, teeth, and salivary glands, which can also affect taste. If inflammatory processes in the oral cavity are started, they can become chronic. As a result, a person constantly feels a fishy taste in his mouth. Such pathologies include dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, tartar, gum fistula, and chronic tonsillitis.
- Taking medications that can affect the chemical composition of saliva. In particular, medications for the treatment of diseases of the stomach and thyroid gland have this effect. Sometimes topical iodine-based antiseptics can also lead to a fishy taste in the mouth, such as Lugol's drug. To get rid of the unpleasant taste, just stop using this product.
- Smoking.
- Diseases associated with disruption of the nervous system .
Note! Quite rarely, a fishy taste develops due to an extremely rare disease - trimethylaminuria.
This is a congenital disease that develops against the background of liver pathology. But this phenomenon is extremely rare, and often a fishy taste in the mouth appears due to the above reasons.
Causes of taste in mouth
Causes of blood taste in mouth
This symptom occurs when you accidentally bite your cheek or tongue until it bleeds. The characteristic taste in the mouth, repeated several times a week, is due to pathological reasons. The main diseases that cause a taste of blood in the mouth are:
- Dental diseases
: gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis. - ENT pathology
: sinusitis, chronic atrophic rhinitis. - Damage to the gastrointestinal tract
: erosive esophagitis and gastritis, peptic ulcer, dilation of the esophageal veins. - Cardiovascular disorders
: hypertension, angina, vasculitis. - Rare causes
: tuberculosis, lung cancer, bronchial asthma.
Causes of bitter taste in mouth
Bitterness is most often felt in the morning, but sometimes the symptom bothers the patient during the day. The bitter taste is accompanied by nausea, loss of appetite, sometimes vomiting with bile, and a specific unpleasant smell of rotten breath. A bitter taste in the mouth can be caused by the following reasons:
- Age-related mucosal atrophy in the elderly
. - Pregnancy
. - Bad habits
: smoking, alcohol abuse. - Liver pathologies
: autoimmune, viral or toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty degeneration. - Damage to the biliary tract
: cholecystitis and cholangitis, bile duct dyskinesia, cholelithiasis. - Gastrointestinal diseases
: functional dyspepsia, chronic gastritis, duodenitis. - Neurological disorders
: consequences of traumatic brain injury, residual manifestations of stroke, Alzheimer's disease. - Iatrogenic conditions
: placement of fillings, dental prosthetics. - Complications of pharmacotherapy
: treatment with chemotherapy drugs, antihistamines, antibiotics.
Causes of metallic taste in mouth
An unpleasant sensation is more often observed after consuming untreated tap water that passes through poor quality pipes covered with rust. The taste of iron also appears when cooking or storing food in aluminum cookware. Possible pathological causes of a metallic taste in the mouth:
- Anemia
: iron deficiency, B12 deficiency. - Foreign bodies
: piercings on the tongue or lips, low-quality metal dentures. - Hormonal changes
: pregnancy, menopause. - Chemical poisoning
: mercury, lead, copper, arsenic. - Exposure to radiation
. - Diseases of the urinary system
: chronic glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis, renal failure. - Gastrointestinal diseases
: esophageal erosion, bleeding gastric ulcer, esophageal varicose veins. - Complications of pharmacotherapy
: taking antiprotozoal, antacid antihypertensive drugs.
Causes of sweet taste in mouth
A constant taste of sweetness is observed in people who abuse confectionery and chocolate. If the symptom is not associated with food intake, unsweetened foods predominate in the diet, this indicates serious problems. The main reasons for which a sweet taste appears in the mouth:
- Diabetes
. - Pregnancy, gestational diabetes
. - Dental diseases
: caries, periodontitis, stomatitis. - Diseases of the digestive system
: chronic pancreatitis, GERD, hyperacid gastritis. - Exposure to pathogenic microorganisms
: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and streptococci. - Neurological disorders
: damage to the facial nerve, chronic stress. - Pesticide poisoning
.
Causes of acetone taste in the mouth
A sharp chemical taste is often the result of changes in metabolic processes and the accumulation of ketone bodies. This symptom does not occur normally and always indicates serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. The unpleasant smell and taste of acetone in the mouth is caused by the following reasons:
- Following a low-carbohydrate diet
. - Endocrine diseases
: diabetes mellitus and its complication - ketoacidotic coma, thyroid dysfunction. - Kidney damage
: glomerulonephritis, acute and chronic renal failure, necronephrosis. - Liver pathology
: fibrosis and cirrhosis, Wilson-Konovalov disease, neoplasms.
Other symptoms
The presence of other symptoms along with the taste of fish in the mouth is due to the underlying disease.
You should know! When dehydrated, a person develops dry mouth and pale skin, general health worsens, and lethargy appears.
The accumulation of mucus in the nasopharynx develops due to infection, so all signs of inflammation develop - rhinitis, cough, general malaise.
Poor oral hygiene can lead not only to a fishy taste in the mouth, but also to other dental ailments - caries, gum inflammation , etc.
Infectious and inflammatory processes in the oral cavity cause , in addition to a fishy taste, a number of associated symptoms in the mouth:
- development of bleeding gums;
- tooth pain;
- plaque on the teeth and on the surface of the tongue;
- if there is a fistula in the gum, then pus is released from there;
- sore throat and coughing;
- expectoration of foul-smelling sputum, which often forms with chronic tonsillitis.
Diagnosis and which doctor to contact?
It is worth noting! If a person experiences the taste of fish in his mouth and those around him smell it, then this becomes a big psychological problem.
To avoid it and understand the causes of this condition, you should seek help from a doctor.
Initially, you can contact your dentist to rule out problems with the oral cavity.
If everything is fine with this, then plan your next visit to a therapist .
The doctor will conduct a general examination and, if necessary, refer you to specialists.
Diagnostic procedures may include the following research techniques:
- Abdominal ultrasound to identify gastrointestinal diseases and sinus ultrasound to rule out problems in this area;
- taking scrapings from the mouth ;
- donating blood for analysis;
- checking sputum for the presence of fungal infection;
- X-ray of lung tissue, nasal septum;
- in extreme cases, a biopsy is performed;
- immunogram;
- CT and MRI.
After receiving all the test results, the general practitioner will be able to decide which specialist to refer the patient to.
Depending on in which organ the problem of fishy taste in the oral cavity lies, the attending physician is determined who can eliminate the disease.
Keep in mind! This could be an endocrinologist, dentist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist and other specialized specialists.
Treatment
You should not try to relieve symptoms on your own.
It is best to consult a doctor so as not to miss important calls, since any disease can be eliminated faster at its initial stage.
If you are sure that the taste of fish in your mouth is due to external influences, then you can take the following measures:
- In case of dehydration, normalize the water-salt balance . This is achieved by drinking plenty of water. It is recommended to drink up to 2 liters of liquid per day.
- If you experience a taste due to taking medications, you should inform your doctor. Then he will select analogues, but without adverse reactions.
- If your oral hygiene is poor you should first visit a dentist so that he can sanitize the source of the unpleasant odor. After this, the doctor will recommend to the patient how to keep his mouth clean.
- If a fishy taste in the mouth appears due to a cold, then treatment should be started as early as possible. Local antimicrobial agents such as Hexoral, Faringosept have a positive effect. If you have a severe cough, you need to start taking expectorants, such as Bronchicum, Doctor MOM syrups, etc. You can take medicinal infusions as an auxiliary therapy. If the inflammatory process is complicated or prolonged, you will have to take antibiotics.
For your information! Most often, when the underlying disease is treated and its manifestations are eliminated, the fishy taste in the mouth goes away on its own.
Signs of fish poisoning
Symptoms depend on what exactly caused the poisoning. Most often we talk about food poisoning, namely salmonella gastritis, gastroenteritis or gastroenterocolitis. As a result of bacteria entering inside, the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines become inflamed, which leads to the acute onset of the disease.
The incubation period is most often 8-14 hours, less often - up to 2 days. A bacterial infection is characterized by an acute onset, the following symptoms appear:
- severe malaise;
- nausea;
- repeated vomiting;
- pain and cramping in the abdomen;
- frequent loose stools;
- increase in body temperature.
If the cause of intoxication is poisons contained in fish, the symptoms may be different. At an early stage, the clinical picture is similar to manifestations of food poisoning, but later other symptoms may be added to diarrhea and vomiting: numbness of the lips and tongue, metallic taste in the mouth, loss of coordination, body aches, speech defects, etc.
Botulinum is the most dangerous microbe that causes food poisoning. Its spores are found in the intestines of fish, so it is important to strictly follow the preparation and storage technology. The first signs of poisoning may appear within 6-36 hours. The following symptoms are typical for botulism:
- nausea and vomiting;
- fog and double vision associated with damage to the visual centers;
- swallowing disorders and characteristic hoarseness of the voice;
- drooping eyelids;
- dry mouth;
- difficulty breathing, which can lead to paralysis.
It is important to remember that the only way to treat botulism is by administering a special serum. If neurological symptoms appear, you should call an ambulance.
In case of chronic intoxication with products containing certain chemical components, the clinical picture may be blurred. Despite the absence of acute symptoms of poisoning, it is important to pay attention to the state of health if fatigue, headaches, weakness, excessive sweating, periodic stool disorders, etc. appear. It is also important to remember that, in addition to toxic infections, eating fish can be fraught with helminthiasis.
The latter less often manifest themselves in the form of suddenly developing acute symptoms, but helminths can be a source of long-term intoxication. And some make themselves felt within two days. For example, with ascariasis, signs develop in the period from 2 to 14 days after eating fish: skin rash, pain in muscles and joints, and enlarged lymph nodes are observed. Such symptoms can be mistaken for signs of mild intoxication, but it is also important to consult a doctor in this case.
The severity of symptoms and the choice of treatment method are influenced by the volume of fish eaten, individual characteristics (age and weight), as well as chronic diseases. Symptoms develop quickly, so the condition also depends on how much time has passed after eating the dish.
