Bad Taste In The Mouth – Symptoms, Causes, Home Remedies, And Prevention Tips

 Did you know that about 25% of the people worldwide are believed to suffer from chronic bad breath! A stinky breath is one of the many causes of a bad taste in your mouth. Are you wondering what further triggers these taste and breath changes? A long night’s sleep, poor oral hygiene, infections, or even eating certain foods like garlic can cause a foul taste to linger for too long in your mouth. If you want to eliminate this issue for once and all, you must make a few diet and lifestyle changes. We have lined up a few home remedies that will help you get rid of the foul taste in your mouth. Keep reading to know more!

What Causes A Bad Taste In Your Mouth?

A bad taste in your mouth that lasts even after you have brushed your teeth could be due to the following
causes:

Oral Causes

• Poor oral hygiene and dental problems
• Dry mouth
• Oral thrush

Infections

• Respiratory infections like sinusitis, colds, tonsillitis, etc.
• Hepatitis
• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Acid reflux

Medications And Supplements

• Dietary or vitamin supplements
• Medications like antihistamines, diabetes medicines, oral contraceptives, antibiotics, antidepressants, etc.Cancer Treatment

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy

Neurological Conditions

Conditions that affect the nerves in your brain, like:

• Brain tumors
• Dementia
• Head injury or trauma
• Epilepsy

If you often have a bad taste in your mouth, you may also experience a few of the following symptoms, depending on the underlying cause.

Signs And Symptoms

Individuals who suffer from oral problems may notice symptoms like:

• Bad breath
• Bleeding gums
• Red or swollen tissues in the mouth
• Tooth sensitivity

Other symptoms that may be prevalent in individuals who also have a bad taste in their mouth are:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of taste
• Difficulty in eating
• Diarrhea
• Bad breath

These symptoms could be traced to causes like acid reflux, hepatitis, respiratory infections, or oral thrush.

Since the bad taste in your mouth can interfere with your appetite and cause nutritional deficiencies, it is best to get this condition treated immediately. To help you with the same, here are some effective home remedies.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 glass of warm water

What You Have To Do

1. Add a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to a glass of water.
2. Mix well and add a little honey to the mixture and drink it up.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

Apple cider vinegar is acidic. It helps in restoring the pH balance of your mouth, promoting your oral health. This remedy also stimulates the production of saliva that helps in getting rid of the foul taste (1).

2. Baking Soda

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• Lemon juice (a few drops)

What You Have To Do

1. Take a teaspoon of baking soda and add a few drops of lemon juice to it.
2. Use this paste to brush your teeth daily.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

Why This Works

The alkaline nature of baking soda can help in restoring the pH of your mouth. Its exfoliating properties can also help in getting rid of the plaque deposits on your tongue and teeth, thus helping with the foul taste or smell (2).

3. Oil Pulling

You Will Need

1 tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil

What You Have To Do

1. Take a tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil and swish it inside your mouth for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Spit the oil and go about brushing your teeth normally.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once every morning.

Why This Works

Oil pulling helps in plaque removal and addresses various oral conditions (like oral thrush, bad breath, and gingivitis) that may be causing a foul taste in your mouth

4. Warm Salt Water

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 glass of warm water

What You Have To Do

1. Add a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water.
2. Mix well and use this solution to rinse your mouth.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this 2 to 3 times daily.

Why This Works

Salt has natural antiseptic properties that can prevent the build-up of infectious oral bacteria. Regularly rinsing your mouth with the salt solution can help eliminate the foul taste and smell of your mouth (4).

5. Hydrogen Peroxide

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
• 2 tablespoons of water
• A soft bristle brush

What You Have To Do

1. Mix a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide with two tablespoons of water.
2. Dip a soft bristle brush in the hydrogen peroxide solution.
3. Gently brush your tongue and the insides of your mouth with this solution.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong antibacterial agent that combats the infectious oral pathogens that could be causing your mouth to taste weird. It provides a healthy oral environment by eliminating bad bacteria (5).

6. Aloe Vera Juice

You Will Need

1 teaspoon of fresh aloe juice

What You Have To Do

1. Take a teaspoon of fresh aloe vera juice and swish it in your mouth for about 5 minutes.
2. Spit the juice out.
3. Alternatively, you can also drink half a cup of aloe vera juice.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this twice daily.

Why This Works

Aloe vera juice has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities that heal oral infections and treat the foul taste and smell that accompany such oral problems (6).

7. Turmeric

You Will Need

• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• A few drops of lemon juice

What You Have To Do

1. Add a few drops of lemon juice to half a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
2. Apply this thick paste to your tongue and the insides of your mouth.
3. Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily for about 2 weeks to see the desired effects.

Why This Works

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antibacterial agent that kills all the bad bacteria in your mouth, promotes oral health, and eliminates the bad taste (7).

8. Lemon

You Will Need

• 1 lemon
• 1 glass of warm water

What You Have To Do

1. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of warm water.
2. Mix well and use this solution to rinse your mouth.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily for at least a week to start seeing results.

Why This Works

The vitamin C in lemons restores the lost pH of your mouth. Also, the bactericidal activities of lemon can keep oral pathogens away, thus preventing further oral problems (8), (9).

9. Green Tea

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon of green tea
• 1 cup of water
• Honey (optional)

What You Have To Do

1. Add a teaspoon of green tea to a cup of water.
2. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Strain and allow the tea to cool down for some time.
4. Add a little honey to the tea and consume immediately.

How Often You Should Do This

You must drink green tea at least twice daily to avail all its benefits.

Why This Works

Green tea is a great remedy for oral infections. Along with promoting oral health, green tea can also help eliminate the bad taste and foul smell in your mouth (10).

10. Cinnamon

You Will Need

• ½ tablespoon of cinnamon powder
• ½ lemon
• 1 glass of warm water

What You Have To Do

1. Add half a tablespoon of cinnamon powder and the juice of half a lemon to a glass of warm water.
2. Mix well and use this solution to rinse your mouth at regular intervals.
3. Alternatively, you can also use a drop or two of cinnamon essential oil instead of cinnamon powder.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this 2 to 3 times daily.

Why This Works

Cinnamon is yet another remedy that can help eliminate the bad taste in your mouth, owing to its antibacterial properties. It can easily combat oral infections and promote your overall oral health by eliminating oral pathogens (11).

Your diet choices have a significant role to play in your health and well-being. They are also critical to help you overcome the bad taste in your mouth. Hence, you must take the following diet tips into consideration in addition to following these home remedies.

What To Eat To Get Rid Of Bad Taste In The Mouth

Those who have a bad taste in their mouth usually have a low sense of taste and may be intolerant to certain foods. Some foods that can be tolerated by affected individuals are:

• Fresh fruit juices (orange or lemon)
• Eggs, fish, peanut butter, beans, and dairy products like yogurt and ice cream
• Hard candies

The affected individuals must stay away from spicy, sugary, and oily foods.

To prevent the recurrence of a bad taste in your mouth, follow the tips mentioned below.

Prevention Tips

• Brush and floss daily.
• Use a mouthwash to rinse your mouth regularly.
• Chew on sugar-free gum to encourage the production of saliva.
• Drink enough water and keep yourself hydrated.
• Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine.
• Quit smoking tobacco.

Although the sudden onset of a bad flavor in your mouth is not of much concern, it has the potential to cause unhealthy weight loss and subsequent nutrient deficiencies. So, it is best if you try and get rid of this condition at the earliest. If you still see no improvement, we recommend you get yourself diagnosed by a medical professional immediately.