Salty taste in mouth and lips

Salty Sensation in the Mouths and Lips

There are people who are troubled by quite a peculiar condition. Namely, they seem to be tasting something salty in their mouth and on their lips even though nothing is there, nor have they eaten salty food beforehand.

This condition can remain persistent, leading to these salty taste sensations for a longer period of time, pestering the "victim" and making him or her unable to function properly, enjoy meals, or even sleep.

This unexplained salty taste causes a lot of mental and physical frustration and makes a person incapable of dealing with all their daily troubles successfully.

There are several different causes of this problem and, therefore, several different treatments which can return you to a regular taste in your mouths and on your lips. What is more, the problem of an unexplained salty sensation is always related to the mouth instead of having anything to do with the nose, as some might think initially.

Reasons behind an Unexplained Salty Taste in the Mouth and on the Lips

One of the most common causes of the problem of a sudden salty taste despite not consuming anything salty is dehydration. Due to the lack of water in one's body, the mouth and lips may begin to have a salty taste. You may become dehydrated if you do not drink enough water, if you live in a hot climate, or if you are on a diet which involves taking diuretics which make you lose water faster. Either way, you should compensate for your fluid losses in order not to experience the salty sensation anymore.

Speaking of medications, those drugs which are prescribed when a person is fighting cancer or is going on a radiotherapy are known to cause taste abnormalities, possibly resulting in a salty sensation on the mouth and lips.

On the other hand, sinus infections, allergies, or any other medical conditions that lead to excessive mucus production in the throat may all lead to the onset of this salty sensation in the mouth and on the lips as well. In some cases, the very glands which are in charge of saliva production get infected by bacteria or a virus. Then, the chemical composition of one's saliva gets altered, resulting in a salty tasting mouth in some cases.

Poor dental and oral hygiene may lead to bacterial infections which affect a person's mouth as a whole. Then, both lips and mouth may be affected, causing a salty taste to be felt on both of them. Finally, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, brain and neurological disorders, malnutrition, epilepsy or brain tumors can all be considered as alternative causes of these taste and sensation problems.

Possible Treatments for a Strange Salty Sensation in the Mouth and on the Lips

Every effective treatment depends on the root cause of the problem. Therefore, those people who are troubled by dehydration should increase their water and fluid intake. Similarly, those who suffer from bacterial infections should treat them (with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor) and take greater care of their oral health, by brushing their teeth regularly, flossing, and seeing a dentist regularly. Finally, if any drugs are causing this phenomenon, changing the treatment along with the medications may result in the cessation of the taste problems of this type.

If you are suffering from a salty sensation in your mouth and there is no obvious explanation in your diet, then it is best to seek medical care to determine what is causing this phenomenon.