Causes of a Bitter Tongue and How to Overcome It

Bitter tongue is a common condition when you are sick. This condition is actually not dangerous, but can be annoying enough to reduce appetite. Apart from being sick, there are other things that can make your tongue taste bitter.

Causes of a Bitter Tongue

Bitter tongue can be caused by various things, including:

1. Dehydration

In some cases, a bitter taste on the tongue can be caused by dehydration. This condition makes the mouth feel dry and interferes with the function of the sense of taste, so the tongue can taste bitter.

2. Dry mouth

Medically, dry mouth is known as xerostomia. This condition is characterized by decreased saliva production. Lack of saliva can change the taste in the mouth and usually become more bitter. Dry mouth can be caused by aging, autoimmune diseases, smoking, and Sjogren's syndrome.

3. Stomach acid disease

GERD or acid reflux disease is a condition where stomach acid rises from the stomach into the esophagus, even up to the mouth. This condition can cause the mouth to taste sour or bitter.

Acid reflux disease is generally triggered by several things, such as smoking habits, excessive consumption of coffee or alcoholic beverages and fatty foods, as well as the effects of consuming drugs such as aspirin.

4. Consumption of drugs

The rest of certain drugs that have been absorbed by the body can be released into the saliva, causing a bitter taste on the tongue. The types of drugs and supplements that can cause a bitter taste in the tongue are antibiotics, heart medications, and supplements that contain iron, chromium, or copper.

How to Overcome a Bitter Tongue

Bitter tongue usually gets better, even goes away on its own, after the cause is resolved. Even so, so that the bitter taste on the tongue can get better soon, there are several ways you can try to do, namely:

• Meet the fluid needs to increase saliva production, by consuming 8 glasses of water every day
• Chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production
• Maintain dental hygiene by brushing teeth at least 2 times a day and flossing at least 1 time every day
• Gargle using a saline solution or mouthwash
• Avoid things that can cause stomach acid to rise, such as smoking, eating spicy or fatty foods, and consuming alcoholic beverages.

Those are some of the causes of a bitter tongue and how to overcome it. As previously mentioned, the condition of the tongue tastes bitter is actually not a dangerous condition.

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