Acid Taste In Mouth

Have you ever thought about the fact as to how it is possible for you to differentiate the taste of different food items? Our tongue holds thousands of sensory receptors known as taste buds that send signals to the brain the moment food is broken down in your mouth with the help of saliva. These receptors help the brain to distinguish between sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes. The sense of taste is one of the important senses in the body which helps in determining your appetite and hence your health in general. There are certain conditions that might lead to the degeneration of these taste buds leaving behind a foul or acidic taste in your mouth. One of the main causes of acidic taste in your mouth is acid reflux. The condition if not treated properly will make you lose your appetite, thereby causing serious health conditions. Mentioned below are some of the most common causes and treatments of acid taste in mouth. Read on to know more.

Causes And Treatment Of Acid Taste In Mouth

• Acid reflux is the main cause of acid taste in the mouth. ‘Esophagitis or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease’ (GERD) also causes acid taste in the mouth.
• Certain oral problems and diseases can also lead to acid taste in the mouth. Gum diseases and poor oral hygiene can make you lose the sense of taste leaving behind an acidic aftertaste, no matter whatever you eat.
• Out of the many harmful effects that smoking can have on a person, gum diseases and damage of taste buds are one. Smoking will slowly ruin your taste buds and will leave a foul, acidic taste in your mouth.
• It might so happen that your salivary glands are unable to secrete enough saliva. Poor saliva secretion by the glands can also lead to acid taste in mouth.
• Certain food items can also lead to acid reflux in a person, thereby creating an acidic taste in your mouth. It is advisable to avoid consuming such food items causing acid reflux.
• Aging is another factor that can create this condition. It is quite common for the taste buds of people to degenerate after the age of 50, making the food taste bland and unsavoury.
• The sense of smell and taste are closely related, and one cannot function efficiently if the other is out of order. Therefore, people suffering from various smelling disorders will have a tasteless and acidic feeling in mouth.
• Various infections like nasal polyps can also make the taste bud dysfunctional, thus making a person feels acidic whenever he/she eats something.
• Various pollutants and allergens can also trigger acid reflux in a person leaving behind an acidic taste in the mouth.
• Deficiency of vitamin B12 and zinc in the body can also lead to this condition by triggering acid reflux in a person.
• Your medication can also be the cause of loss of sense of taste in you. The medicines you consume can degenerate your taste buds leaving behind a featureless taste in your mouth.

• Monitoring your diet is the best treatment you can provide for acid reflux. It is advisable to follow the GERD diet when suffering from acid reflux.
• You can also get some alkalisers prescribed that will help neutralize acid in the oesophagus. However, if the problem is reoccurring you might have to consult a doctor.
• You can also consult a doctor and take some prokinetic drugs or acid-suppressing medications. These kinds of medications will help in keeping down the level of acid in people who suffer from acid refluxes leading to acidic taste in the mouth. These drugs also speed up the process of digestion.
• One of the simplest treatments which you can provide is to maintain proper oral hygiene. Make sure that you brush your tongue while brushing the teeth to revitalize and clean the taste buds.
• Consume fruits with high concentration of vitamin C which in turn will help in better iron absorption, and will reduce the tasteless condition of your mouth.
• Include dairy products like liver and meat in your diet, since they are rich in Vitamin B and zinc.
• Switch to brown or unrefined sugar from white sugar in order to get rid of the problems pertaining to taste buds.
• Being overweight will put pressure on the stomach. This in turn will encourage acid reflux. Therefore, it is advisable to lose some weight.
• Your body posture and movements also determine the occurrence of acid reflux. Lying down or bending forward repeatedly during the day will encourage reflux. Tight clothing and sitting hunched will put extra pressure on the stomach thus aggravating reflux.
• Surgery might be required to tighten up the sphincter and to check the damage made by the oesophagus due to the recurrence of acid reflux.