Bitter Taste In Mouth: Any modification in a person’s capacity to taste is medically called “Dysgeusia” in medical expressions. In the mouth taste-buds in the mouth basically detect 5 types of tastes such as salty, sweet, savory, bitter or sour. To detect tastes that are more complex, sense of smell is essential. So, if an individual is suffering from infections of the respiratory system and the sense of smell weakens, the taste may also alter in this process. A changed taste, predominantly a taste that is bitter may make an individual lose his appetite, as a continuous bitterness in the mouth prevents the individual from consuming anything. Additional problems besides respiratory infections include numerous other reasons that cause bitterness in the mouth.

An individual with a mouth infection such as a disease of the gums, gingivitis, or an abscess in the tooth, may have a bitter taste in the mouth. Often a person might also be sensitive to components in teeth fillings and therefore, may taste bitterness in the mouth because of them.

Another main cause of bitterness in the mouth is a disease known as “acid reflex”, also referred to as “gastro-esophageal reflux disease” or GERD. An individual suffering from this condition has stomach acids and juices leak back into the throat and this causes bitterness in the mouth.

Most normal individuals are born with close to 10,000 taste buds. Some individuals are able to taste Phenylthiocarbamide, a compound that is bitter and makes them more prone to undergoing bitterness in mouth, than others.

Another problem behind taste in mouth being bitter is intake of definite medicines and drugs such as prenatal vitamins, antidepressants, and even some antibiotics.

Other problems causing metal taste include: hormonal imbalance; metal poisoning; different diseases as an underlying cause as well as poor oral hygiene.