Salty Taste in Mouth - Causes and Treatment

Having a salty taste in your mouth can make you feel irritable all day. It is common for a person to experience a salty taste in their mouth once in a while but there are others who feel that their mouth is stuffed with a lot of salt. It can last a week or as longer than a few months. It is not a life-threatening medical condition but it can be unpleasant.

Causes of Salty taste in mouth

Dehydration

If you do not have an adequate consumption of fluids in your body it can cause an alteration in the chemical composition of your saliva. When this happens it gives your salvia a salty taste. This usually happens to people who are taking diuretics for weight loss in which your body will lose excess amounts of urine resulting in a low level of fluids in your body.

Cancer medications or radiotherapy

Either of these can affect your taste buds and when they are affected you can experience a taste in your mouth that is not normal.

Post nasal drip

This is usually caused by having excessive mucus production, a sinus infection, or allergies resulting in the accumulation of mucus in the back of your throat or nose. When it drains from your nose to the back of your throat it can cause a salty taste in your mouth.

Salivary gland disease

The salivary glands that are present under your jaw are responsible for your saliva production and when they become infected by a salivary gland disease or a bacterial infection. This causes the chemical composition of saliva to become altered, causing you to experience saltiness in your mouth.

Bacterial infection in your mouth

If you have poor dental hygiene and dental care it can result in the deposition of plaque on your teeth. This forms a perfect breeding ground for germs to thrive in. These germs can affect your gums and teeth and cause a bacterial infection in your mouth and result a salty taste in your mouth.

Tears

Your tears have a salty taste and when you cry they enter your nasal cavity through the tear ducts and then flow into the back of your mouth causing a salty taste in your mouth. If a person overproduces tears even when they are not crying it can cause a salty taste in their mouth constantly. If this is the case you may need to talk to an Ear, Nose, and Throat physician to see if something can be done to prevent the overproduction of tears.Some of the other causes can include endocrine glands disorder, neurological disorders, or nutritional deficiency. Some people who have epilepsy, a brain tumor, or migraine headaches complain of a salty taste in their mouth. The salty taste can even be caused by certain medications such as anti-thyroid medications.

Treatment

Which treatment is used will differ from person to person and is based on what the underlying cause for the salty taste in your mouth. Some of the treatments that can be used can include:

Drink a lot of extra fluids

This is especially true if the cause is inadequate fluids causing dehydration. Drinking a lot of juices and water can help to keep your body well hydrated.

Avoid diuretic beverages

You should try avoiding drinking too many products that are considered diuretic beverages. Some of these can include tea, orange juice, sodas, tomato soup, etc. They will increase the amount of urine production resulting in more fluids being released from your body.

Treating the bacterial infection

If it is a bacterial infection you will need to see your dentist to have the infection treated. Once you get rid of the infection the salty taste will go away. In order to keep the bacterial infection from recurring you need to make sure that you are keeping good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing at least two times a day. You should also rinse your mouth with mouthwash and continue regular visits with your dentist.If the cause is a medication your physician can possibly change it to a medication that will not cause this problem