Have you noticed your taste buds working differently with everything having a definite salty taste? Yes, everything tastes salty – coffee, tea, bottled water, chocolate, tap water, and even toothpaste. Many people face this issue and ask, "Why does everything taste salty all of a sudden?" Keep reading to find out the possible answer to your question.
Why Does Everything Taste Salty? - 15 Causes
Dehydration
Yes, dehydration may well be the answer to your question, "Why does everything taste salty?" Dehydration can have many causes including diabetes, alcohol consumption, and not drinking enough water daily. If everything tastes salty and you feel very thirsty, especially in the morning, you should consider drinking more fluids to rehydrate yourself.
Blood
The salty taste in your mouth could be due to blood in your mouth. It could be due to as simple as damaged gums or a bitten tongue. If your gums bleed, you will have a salty and "metallic" taste in your mouth. You should rinse your mouth in the morning and spit to see any traces of blood. Also, make sure not to use a hard toothbrush to clean your teeth to avoid damaging your gums.
Infected Salivary Glands
The taste of your saliva may change due to a blockage or infection in your salivary glands. This may not just affect the taste, but it will affect the production of saliva as well.
Medication
The use of certain medications will also alter your taste; in fact, a salty taste is one of many side effects of certain medications like chemotherapy drugs. You may want to discuss it with your doctor, so they could make changes accordingly.
Tears
Your tears are salty, and everyone knows it. Sometimes, these tears may travel to your mouth after passing through your nasal passage. It happens rarely but it may well be the underlying cause of why everything tastes salty these days.
Nasal Drainage
Just like tears, mucus can travel through your nasal passages into your mouth. This usually happens when you have a cold or flu. If this is the reason why you're having a salty taste in your mouth, you will also feel the phlegm against your tongue. Blowing your nose often will help fix the issue.
Bacteria
If you ask, "What does it mean when everything tastes bad?" one answer could be, "a bacterial infection". Your taste may alter a bit if you don't brush your teeth often. This leads to the accumulation of bacteria in your mouth that can cause a salty taste and may even create problems related to bad breath. If you notice foul-smelling breath in the morning, this may indicate a buildup of bacteria in your mouth. Be sure to brush daily and use a mouthwash to eliminate any bacteria in your mouth.
Zinc or Vitamin B12 Deficiency
If your body lacks enough vitamin B12 or zinc, you will notice tenderness around your tongue with a salty taste in your mouth. Ask your doctor about this and have yourself tested for these deficiencies. You can take certain supplements to provide your body with zinc and vitamin B12.
Brain Tumor or Stroke
A salty taste may have nothing to do with anything in your mouth. It may only be due to faulty signals in your brain caused by a brain tumor or something similar. It is important to consult with your doctor to rule out any possibility of having a tumor.
Hypogeusia
You may have a salty taste in your mouth if you're suffering from hypogeusia, which refers to the reduced ability to taste sour, sweet, bitter, savory or salty. The disorder is usually temporary.
Dysgeusia
If a bad, salty, or metallic taste sensation persists in your mouth, this could be due to a condition called dysgeusia. The condition may also come with burning mouth syndrome in which you experience a severely painful burning sensation in the mouth. The condition usually affects older women.
Menopause
When women approach menopause, their bodies undergo serious hormonal changes. This may cause degenerative alternations in certain nerves in your mouth, which will lead to burning mouth syndrome. This will make you deal with taste disturbances with a feeling that you've eaten chili peppers.
Paraneoplastic Syndrome
It's a rare disorder but could be an underlying cause of why everything tastes salty. It usually affects patients with ovarian, breast or other types of cancer. The tumor produces certain substances that affect your nervous system and cause several sensory perception problems.
Sjogren's Syndrome
This chronic autoimmune disorder may also be the reason why you feel a salty taste sensation in your mouth. In this disorder, your immune system starts attacking moisture-producing glands, which causes dryness of the eyes, mouth, skin and nasal passages. It will also cause digestive problems, joint pain and neurological problems.
Smoke
It is important to bear in mind that smoking will cause a dry mouth that encourages the growth of bacteria in your mouth. The excessive bacteria will cause the salty taste in your mouth. Sometimes, you push bacteria deep into your salivary ducts by smoking. This leads to an infection, which usually clears itself when the glands produce more liquid. These infections affect heavy smokers more often, which leave them a constant salty taste in the mouth.
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