Everything tastes “minty” in your mouth, even if there is no food!
Do I sound crazy? Well, I am not. People often feel a tingling minty taste in mouth no matter if they are eating something or not.
This minty taste disorder is closely connected with a chronic condition named Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) or glossodynia. The reasons behind this wired taste disorder can vary between GERD, infection, menopause, pregnancy, ketosis, and neurological disorder.
Acid reflux or GERD is the most common cause behind this tingling minty taste in the mouth. However, you can’t ignore the other cause as they also indicate underlying health issues.
In this article, let me explain the reasons and remedies behind this taste disorder. To know more, check our latest article on the cold sensation on the back of your throat. The reasons will surprise you for sure.
Table of Content
10 Causes of Constant Minty Taste In Mouth
The reasons for glossodynia or minty taste in mouth are quite varied, and you already have an idea about it. Let’s look at the individual reason that caused this phantom taste in your mouth. Besides, I have rounded up some quick remedies to eliminate this uncomfortable taste issue.
GERD or Acid reflux
When food enters your esophagus and approaches your stomach, it produces gastric acid to digest the food. There are thin muscles at the lower end of your esophagus to ensure that the food sent to the stomach doesn’t come back up.
However, sometimes it is dysfunctional and lets some of the food back up along with the acids produced by the stomach. This causes gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Too many gastric acid secretions mean too much saliva secretion. This gives a sudden minty taste to the mouth.
How to avoid minty taste in mouth GERD symptoms?
- Make sure to stay well hydrated and eat slowly in smaller amounts.
- Avoid foods like hot coffee or excess spicy foods.
- Don’t lie down immediately after eating
- Try different combinations of foods to see what is best suited for you
If you’re still getting a weird minty taste in your mouth or throat irritation, omeprazole might help, but you might want to check with your health practitioner for full discretion.
Related: Is Omeprazole Hair Loss True or a Myth?
Pregnancy
The most common complaint of pregnant women in their first trimester is that their mouth tastes like chewing on minty candy or metal coins. This happens because your hormones, especially estrogen, are on a roller coaster ride.
Usually, the foul taste goes away as the pregnancy progresses, but it can sometimes stay throughout your pregnancy. As your uterus size increases, it puts pressure on your stomach, causing GERD.
Related: Foods to Avoid While Pregnant
As pregnancy progresses, your progesterone level also increases, which relaxes the muscle at the lower end of the esophagus and causes GERD. This, in turn, results in a metallic and minty taste in the mouth.
There’s not much you can do about the metallic taste due to pregnancy except for chewing on sour candies and other citrus fruits. You must be careful about carb and sugar consumption to avoid developing gestational diabetes.
Related: Is it Safe to Eat Sour Cream While Pregnant?
You can have an omeprazole course in the last trimester to eliminate the GERD. However, always consult your doctor regarding any medications during pregnancy.
Sinusitis infection
Infection of the sinus can derange taste sensations. Sinusitis affects smell sensations more than taste. Smell adds a significant amount of diversity to the taste of food. So, if you have sinusitis, you might get a menthol-like taste in your mouth.
You might need an antibiotic to get rid of sinusitis it is an acute infection. If you’ve been suffering from sinusitis for a long time, then saline solution through your nostrils might help keep your nose clear and eventually improve your sinus condition.
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Uncontrolled diabetes causes a complication called diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when there is insufficient insulin to burn carbohydrates, so your body burns fat to get energy. Burning fat is known as ketosis.
As a by-product of ketosis, a chemical called acetone is produced and excreted from the body through your breath. Acetone is responsible for the sweet minty taste in the mouth during ketosis.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is more common in type 1 diabetics since it occurs in children unaware they have developed diabetes. So if a child has sweet breath, you may need to take your child to a doctor immediately.
Related: Does Your Child Have Diabetes?
Oral hygiene
After you eat, digestion starts from your mouth right away. Saliva in your mouth contains enzymes like amylase that break down carbs from your food. Carbs are made with glucose, sucrose, or starch.
Starch starts to degrade in the mouth into glucose, and the process finishes in your stomach. However, sucrose stays in your mouth.
Sucrose often sticks to your teeth which are broken down by natural bacteria. These bacteria feed off the sugars and produce lactic acid. This strong acid erodes your enamel and causes a sour taste in the mouth.
If more leftover food is in your teeth, bacteria destroy it to produce malic acid and give the mouth a more spicy foul taste. Excess acid produced in the mouth can also give you a burning sensation at the back of the throat.
Related: Do You Feels Like Hair In Throat?
Minty or sour taste can be a result of the natural digestion process. However, dental infections such as gingivitis or periodontitis, abscesses, or simply because of the eruption of wisdom teeth can also cause it.
Stress brushing more frequently, and make sure to clean your tongue thoroughly. Use antibacterial mouthwash to ensure there are no food leftovers in your mouth.
COVID
One of the earliest and most common symptoms of coronavirus is the loss of smell and distorted taste. The taste disorder that happens if you’re infected by coronavirus is phantosmia. Phantosmia is the reason you don’t feel like eating, even if you’re given your favorite food. Food that was once very pleasant to taste becomes foul-tasting.
Although the reason behind this is still unknown, some studies have shown that coronavirus is not directly related to loss of taste since taste buds don’t have the receptor to bind to the virus. However, the release of chemicals causing inflammatory reactions in the body gives a foul taste in the mouth.
To know if you’re infected, get yourself tested first. Don’t be afraid that the result doesn’t come in your favor. Isolate yourself and just follow your doctor’s advice. You will soon find the minty taste in mouth coronavirus is disappearing.
Kidney failure
If you wake up in the morning with a bad taste, get yourself checked because it could be due to high urea levels in your body because your kidney cannot excrete it.
Heart attack
According to studies, men have more pronounced side effects of a heart attack than women. Women experience very mild symptoms or undergo silent attacks, so knowing the warning signs of an impending heart attack is essential.
The most common signs are consistent heartburn feelings, neck and jaw pain, and a cool minty taste in the mouth. Get an annual complete body checkup to be on the safe side.
Stroke
Taste buds are supplied by different cranial nerves, which send signals to the brain about the food. That’s how you know if something tastes sour, sweet, spicy, or bitter. When you have a stroke, this signal is interrupted, so there are changes in your taste palate.
Add spices and lemon to your food to eliminate the bitter minty feeling in your mouth, and avoid using metal utensils.
Injectable drugs and medications
Injectable drugs like painkillers are usually given with a saline flush. The drugs injected are directly not responsible for a sudden minty taste in mouth. Still, the water flush causes diffusion and some of the by-products to be diffused into the lungs, which are then breathed out, resulting in a metallic minty taste in the mouth.
Drugs such as antibiotics, steroids, calcium, contrasts, and vitamin supplements can give a metallic taste too. As for vitamin and calcium supplements, try to switch to natural alternatives if possible.
How to get rid of the minty taste in mouth?
- Drink a lot of water and keep yourself hydrated
- Chew mints and chewing gums to feel fresh
- Brush frequently
- Rinse mouth with antibacterial mouthwash after brushing
- Add spices to your food to make them flavourful
- Don’t lie down immediately after eating
- Drink herbal tea instead of coffee and tea
FAQ
Can I get a metallic taste in my mouth due to any particular food?
Yes, you can get it from Chinese pine nuts. It is also known as pine nut syndrome and makes you taste bitter for up to 3 weeks. Just ignore Chinese nuts next time you buy them, and you should be ready.
What does it indicate if I have numbness in my hands and face while having a tingling feeling in my mouth?
This probably indicates that you’re suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis. Visit your doctor as soon as possible to understand your symptoms better.
When should I see a doctor?
You might be taking different things to get rid of the minty taste in mouth and get no return. You should see a doctor if none of the home remedies work and if you suspect you might be affected by other diseases such as covid, diabetes, stroke, or cardiovascular diseases.
Takeaway
Minty taste in the mouth results from plenty of different reasons but mainly from the top 10 causes discussed in this article. Some home remedies are also discussed. Visit your health practitioner if the home remedies are not effective enough for you.
