Dysgeusia is the medical term for experiencing changes to your taste, and it includes:
bitter taste;
sour or terrible taste;
salty taste;
and depending on the cause, other symptoms may be experienced.
Some causes include: dry mouth, dental issues, pregnancy, burning mouth syndrome (feeling a burning sensation in your mouth), menopause, acid reflux, oral thrush, pine nut syndrome (which happens after consuming pine nuts), stress and anxiety, nerve damage, medications and oral supplements, illnesses or cancer treatments.
While it’s common to experience an altered taste in your mouth, see a medical professional if the bitter taste is not going away. Treatment can be provided once the cause is known.
5. Your saliva is thick.
People may have thick saliva for a variety of reasons. One is breathing through the mouth. Another is dehydration, which can be brought on by heat, physical activity, or a medical condition.
Other serious causes of thick saliva might be:
dehydration;
breathing through the mouth — it exposes your mouth to the air, making it dry out;
chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer;
Sjogren disease;
cystic fibrosis;
or side effects of medications.
Seek medical help to reduce saliva in your mouth, but there are some things that you can do to get rid of thick saliva. These include breathing through your nose instead of your mouth, sipping water often, sucking sugar-free candy, avoiding dehydration, reducing caffeine intake or using artificial saliva.
Your saliva needs to do a good job
Saliva in your mouth is great for breaking down your food, controlling bacteria, providing minerals to teeth to make them stronger and rinsing acid and food particles from the teeth and gums. If this does not happen, there’s a high chance of getting: cavities (tooth decay), gingivitis (mild gum inflammation), oral infections, periodontitis (advanced gum disease), build-up of dental plaque, thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth) or tooth deterioration.
So keep an eye on any changes in your saliva.
Make sure to check in with your doctor for clarity and a proper diagnosis. If you want to find out why you’re always tired and how you can fix this, we’ve found 5 possible reasons and solutions for your fatigue that are really interesting.
