Dry Mouth and Metallic Taste

Dry Mouth and Metallic Taste Causes and Treatment

Dry mouth means you do not have sufficient saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth moist. Everyone has a dry mouth every so often, specifically if you’re nervous, upset or under stress. But if you have a dry metallic taste in mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable and can result in more severe health problems or show that a more major medical condition may exist. That’s due to the fact that saliva does more than just keep the mouth wet – it assists digest food, protects teeth from decay, prevents infection by controlling bacteria in the mouth, and makes it possible for you to chew and swallow.

Why Do I Have Dry Metallic Taste in Mouth?

There are a number of factors that the glands that produce saliva, called the salivary glands, may not work effectively. More often dry metallic taste in mouth issues consist of:

  • Side effects of some medications – over 400 medications can cause dry mouth, including antihistamines, decongestants, pain medication, diuretics and medicines for high blood pressure and depression.
  • Disease – illness that impact the salivary glands, such as diabetes, Hodgkin’s, Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS and Sjogren’s syndrome, may lead to dry mouth.
  • Radiation therapy – the salivary glands can be harmed if your head or neck are exposed to radiation during cancer treatment. The loss of saliva can be overall or partial, permanent or temporary.
  • Chemotherapy – substance abuse to treat cancer can make saliva thicker, or “ropey,” triggering your mouth to feel dry.
  • Menopause – altering hormone levels impact the salivary glands, often leaving menopausal and post-menopausal women with a persistent feeling of dry mouth.
  • Cigarette smoking – numerous pipeline, stogie and heavy cigarette smokers experience dry mouth.
Read also:   Spots and Bumps on the Roof of Your Mouth

How Do I Know if I Have Dry Mouth?

Everybody’s mouth feels dry from time to time. It’s when this sensation doesn’t disappear that you might have an issue with saliva production. Symptoms of dry metallic taste in mouth:

  • A sticky, dry sensation in your mouth
  • Trouble swallowing
  • A burning sensation on your tongue
  • A dry feeling in your throat
  • Broken lips
  • Reduced capability to taste things or a metal taste in your mouth
  • Mouth sores
  • Frequent bad breath
  • Problem chewing/speaking

How is Dry Metallic Taste in Mouth Treated?

The only long-term method to cure dry metallic taste in mouth is to treat its cause. If your dry mouth is the result of medication, your doctor might alter your prescription or your dose. If your salivary glands are not working appropriately however still produce some saliva, your doctor might offer you a medicine that helps the glands work better.

If the cause of your dry mouth with metallic taste can not be removed, or up until it can be, you can bring back wetness to your mouth a number of various methods. Your dental expert may advise mouth moisturizers, such as a saliva replacement. Rinsing with mouthwashes specifically developed to assist dry mouth may also bring relief. You can also:

  • Drink water or sugarless drinks frequently
  • Avoid drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea and some sodas, which can cause the mouth to dry out
  • Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless difficult candy to stimulate saliva circulation (if some salivary gland function exists).
  • Do not use tobacco or alcohol, which dry the mouth.
  • Know that spicy or salty foods can cause pain in a dry mouth.
  • Use a humidifier in the evening.
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