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What Causes A Salty Taste In The Mouth?
Hi I am A 54 yr old menopausal woman.I have been dieting since mid April and have lost 45 lbs. using ADVOCARE care products and vitamins.My health is great. Just had physical but I have developed a salty taste in my mouth.Teeth and gums are fine.eating fresh fruit and veggies,leand meats,fish.Swim daily,walk,bike ride,kayak and. Walk. Could it just be menopause.Hot flash all day/ night for 3 yrs now and done period
Wed, 27 Aug 2014
Thank you for writing to us,
brief answer -
A salty taste in the mouth is most often related to a change in the amount of saliva your body is producing, the chemical composition of your saliva, or both.
Detailed Answer -
Saliva contains substances that chemically interact with food and stimulate the taste receptors on your tongue and other parts of your mouth.
The influence of saliva on the taste of food is really quite complex. Our taste buds are constantly stimulated by saliva. For example, there is enough sodium and chloride, the two ingredients of salt, in our saliva to stimulate our taste receptors for salt. But because the amount of salt in the saliva is relatively constant, our taste buds adapt to our usual level of salivary salt and therefore our own saliva does not normally taste salty.
You could experience a salty taste in your mouth if either the concentration of salt in your saliva rose above your usual amount of salt, or your taste buds temporarily became more salt sensitive.
The two most common reasons why these changes in saliva or taste bud sensitivity occur are:
1. Side effects of medication. There are about 400 different medicines that can alter taste sensation.
2. Dehydration. You might not even be aware that you are not drinking enough water. Remember that alcohol and caffeinated drinks can be dehydrating.
brief answer -
A salty taste in the mouth is most often related to a change in the amount of saliva your body is producing, the chemical composition of your saliva, or both.
Detailed Answer -
Saliva contains substances that chemically interact with food and stimulate the taste receptors on your tongue and other parts of your mouth.
The influence of saliva on the taste of food is really quite complex. Our taste buds are constantly stimulated by saliva. For example, there is enough sodium and chloride, the two ingredients of salt, in our saliva to stimulate our taste receptors for salt. But because the amount of salt in the saliva is relatively constant, our taste buds adapt to our usual level of salivary salt and therefore our own saliva does not normally taste salty.
You could experience a salty taste in your mouth if either the concentration of salt in your saliva rose above your usual amount of salt, or your taste buds temporarily became more salt sensitive.
The two most common reasons why these changes in saliva or taste bud sensitivity occur are:
1. Side effects of medication. There are about 400 different medicines that can alter taste sensation.
2. Dehydration. You might not even be aware that you are not drinking enough water. Remember that alcohol and caffeinated drinks can be dehydrating.
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