Many people may have experienced a bitter or sour taste in the mouth, and some might think it's caused by different foods. In fact, it's not the food but an illness in the body. What diseases are caused by the various strange tastes in the mouth?
Bitter Taste
Bitter Taste with Dry Throat
Symptoms: Five-heart vexation and heat, bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat.
Causes: Caused by heat in the liver and gallbladder, with the gallbladder qi steaming upwards, often related to abnormal bile metabolism. Commonly seen in acute and chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis, gallstones, and liver and gallbladder tumors.
Solution: Spinach is sweet and cool in nature, entering the large intestine and stomach meridians. It has effects on nourishing blood and stopping bleeding, benefiting the five organs, unblocking the blood vessels, quenching thirst and moistening the intestines, nourishing yin and calming the liver, aiding digestion, and clearing heat and toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. It is often effective as an adjunctive treatment for liver qi stagnation complicated by stomach diseases.
Sweet Taste
Sweet and Sticky Taste
Symptoms: Sweet and sticky taste in the mouth, acid reflux when consuming sweets, loss of appetite and nausea, heavy body and tired limbs.
Causes: Mostly caused by damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, with hidden fire in the liver and spleen. Commonly seen in diabetes and digestive dysfunction.
Solution: The main cause of spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome is the ineffective treatment of the above-mentioned diseases, leading to repeated activity and progression of the condition. Secondly, it is related to unhealthy lifestyles, such as overindulging in rich, greasy, and spicy foods, and smoking and drinking, which damage the spleen and stomach, causing dampness to accumulate and heat to form. Therefore, to prevent the occurrence of spleen and stomach damp-heat, it is first necessary to actively treat the underlying diseases. At the same time, it is necessary to change unhealthy lifestyles, eat in moderation, do not smoke, and do not drink alcohol.
Sour Taste
Sour Taste due to Stomach Fire Flaring Up
Symptoms: When stomach fire flares up, it can cause stomach qi to reverse upwards, leading to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting of sour, bitter, and yellow fluid.
Causes: Caused by heat in the liver and gallbladder invading the spleen, commonly seen in gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Solution: Try to eliminate triggering factors. For example, completely treat chronic gastritis, avoid irritating, spicy, and hard foods and drugs that irritate the stomach, and treat chronic infections in the mouth and throat. For those with excessive stomach acid, concentrated broths like rich chicken soup, acidic foods, and large amounts of protein should be avoided to prevent increased gastric acid secretion. It is advisable to consume milk, soy milk, cream, vegetable puree, congee, noodles, bread, etc.
Salty Taste
Salty Taste due to Kidney Yin Deficiency
Symptoms: Five-heart vexation and heat, dry throat, flushed cheekbones; red tongue with little coating, weak and thready pulse.
Causes: Caused by insufficient kidney yin with floating deficient fire, commonly seen in neurosis, chronic nephritis, chronic pharyngitis, and oral ulcers.
Solution: The main approach is to nourish kidney yin. Commonly used formulas include Liuwei Dihuang Wan, Zuo Gui Wan, and Zuo Gui Yin. If there is a disharmony between the heart and kidney, Huanglian Ejiao Tang can be selected. For liver and kidney yin deficiency with liver yang rising, Qi Ju Dihuang Tang and Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang can be selected. For rampant ministerial fire, Zhi Bai Dihuang Wan can be selected. For lung and kidney yin deficiency, Baihe Gu Jin Jin and Mai Wei Dihuang Wan can be selected.
Bl Taste
Bl Taste without Thirst
Symptoms: Preference for warmth and pressure on the abdomen, bland taste in the mouth without thirst, cold limbs, loose stools.
Causes: Caused by deficiency-cold in the spleen and stomach with weak transportation and transformation, commonly seen in digestive and endocrine system diseases, malnutrition, and deficiencies in vitamins and trace elements like zinc.
Solution: Eat more high-protein and high-vitamin foods to ensure the body's various nutrients are sufficient, preventing anemia and malnutrition. For those with anemia and malnutrition, increase foods rich in protein and heme iron in their diet, such as lean meat, chicken, fish, liver, and kidneys. High-vitamin foods include dark fresh vegetables and fruits, such as green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, eggplants, and red dates. It is best to eat 2-3 fresh hawthorns per meal to stimulate gastric juice secretion.
Halitosis
Oral Malodor
Symptoms: Salivation, loss of appetite or slow eating, oral malodor, redness, warmth, swelling, and pain of the oral mucosa.
Causes: Caused by stagnation of food in the stomach with turbid qi reversing upwards, commonly seen in oral diseases and indigestion, such as stomatitis, pharyngitis, gingivitis, oral ulcers, dental caries, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and stomach cancer.
Solution: Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables can clean the intestines. At the same time, since oral ulcers can also be caused by a lack of vitamin B2, you can eat more vegetables and wheat germ and supplement vitamins B, C, and zinc. Also, when oral ulcers occur, if the patient also feels physically fatigued, they should check and understand if their nutrition is balanced, if they are getting enough rest, and appropriately supplement various vitamins and minerals.
Spicy Taste
Overconsumption of Spicy and Hot Foods
Symptoms: Excessive drinking, unregulated diet, overconsumption of spicy, hot, and rich foods.
Causes: Caused by lung heat or stomach fire flaring up, commonly seen in hypertension, neurosis, menopausal syndrome, and long-term low-grade fever.
Solution: Clearing the lungs with pear. Hollow out the pear and fill it with Chuanbei, rock sugar, honey, etc., and cook it; or drink mung bean soup 2-3 times a day. Bl Taste.