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Taste of blood in the mouth: causes and treatment

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

Checking the mouth, tongue and teeth is part of the routine medical examination and not only because it allows you to see how far the doctor’s eyes go, but because it gives clues about the health of the rest of the body. There, local processes are manifested, which have to do with irritation, trauma injuries, infections, among others, but the health of the rest of the digestive system can also be inferred, it gives clues of how the respiratory tract is located and even allows us to know alterations hormonal.

One symptom that can occur frequently is the taste of blood in your mouth. If you are interested in knowing what are the possible causes and the treatment that can be instituted, be sure to read this FastlyHealarticle.

Taste of blood in your mouth

Multiple processes can give this symptom so common and at the same time worrying. Knowing that there is blood in the mouth gives the indication that something is not within normality and that is why knowing the cause can become so relevant.

It is important to clarify that most of the time these are benign processes, but that it is essential to solve the situation because it can lead to certain complications that, sometimes, can worsen the symptoms and make it difficult to solve them. The main causes of a taste of blood in your mouth are listed below.

Taste of blood in the mouth due to inflammation of the gums

The poor condition of teeth, as well as poor oral hygiene, can promote inflammation of the gums , also known as gingivitis . This can lead to them bleeding during brushing, chewing or just like that, giving your mouth that taste of blood that you are concerned about.

It is something very common, but no less important, since if the process continues it can lead to inflammation of nearby structures, such as bone, causing what is known as periodontitis .

Sometimes this inflammation is such that it generates ulcers near the gums, and this is what is known as ulcerative stomatitis . It usually occurs when wisdom teeth erupt in people who, in addition to poor oral cleaning, often smoke cigarettes.

The important thing to solve it is to improve the cleaning of the mouth and teeth , this is achieved by brushing after each meal. Yes! After each of the main meals you should brush your teeth and, once a day, floss to clean between them. It is not advisable to use mouthwashes frequently, since they alter the flora itself (that is, the bacteria that normally must be present to maintain oral health).

It is recommended that you go to your dentist to check and check that there is no other type of damage due to poor hygiene (such as cavities, for example) and instruct you on the correct way to sanitize your mouth.

Taste of blood due to hormonal disturbances

It is not very common, but it may be that due to pregnancy or hormonal alterations (such as that caused by the use of oral contraceptives), a small lesion is generated in the mouth that can bleed.

If this is your case, keep calm, this type of injury usually disappears when the hormonal situation returns to normal. It is important that you do not contribute to the irritation of the mouth: eat foods that are not very spicy, maintain good oral hygiene and consult your doctor or family dentist so that, in this way, they can help you solve your doubts and check the status of your oral cavity.

Taste of blood from bleeding in areas near the mouth

If you have a small amount of bleeding in other areas near the mouth, the first symptom to appear may be the taste of blood in the mouth. This can happen in the following cases:

  • Mild nasal bleeding: as the nose connects backwards with the throat, it may be that if you have a small bleeding in this area, you perceive it in the mouth. This happens frequently if the episode is during the night, favored by the lying position. Small bleeding can be common during irritation from colds, from dryness (common during cold, from dry heating), from irritation with tobacco, or from nose-picking.
  • Pharyngeal inflammation: if the irritation at the throat level is such that the mucosa bleeds a little, you may taste blood in the mouth. It can happen from severe gastroesophageal reflux or traumatic injury, for example.
  • Inflammation or lung infection: there are a few cases in which this can cause bleeding at the lung level, it is then when the cough can bring some blood and feel that taste in the mouth.

If you think that any of these is the reason why you taste blood in your mouth, it is important that you go to the doctor. It’s probably a simple thing to solve, but sometimes it can be more complex problems. And as a very important fact, if you smoke, stop doing it, as it can bring you many other health problems apart from this one.

Injuries to the mouth from medications

There is the possibility that some medications cause lesions in the mouth (such as methotrexate, gold salts, antibiotics, quinidines, antiretrovirals, sulfa drugs, antiepileptics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antifungals, among others).

The important thing is not to suspend them without consulting the doctor first , since sometimes this can be worse than a simple oral bleeding. But if this is your case, do not hesitate to go to the professional who indicated them, probably, they can change them or adjust the doses.

Specific diseases in the mouth

There are certain very rare diseases that can lead to bleeding mouth lesions, these are:

  • Bullous angina: bleeding blisters appear on the cheeks and soft palate, usually lasting a few days and the cause is unknown.
  • Vascular malformations (Rendu Osler Weber’s disease): if they occur in the mouth or nose, they can lead to frequent bleeding.
  • Inflammatory granulomas: due to local irritation and in some cases due to viruses and poor defenses, what is known as botryomyomicoma may appear and it may bleed.
  • Tumor: it is very rare, but possible, that bleeding in the mouth or nearby structures is due to a bleeding tumor lesion, especially in people who consume tobacco or alcohol.

If you think that any of these is your case, do not stop consulting your doctor, it is probably not serious, but it requires you to pay attention.

What to do if I taste blood in my mouth

There are certain general steps you can take:

  • Keep your mouth clean.
  • Improve your diet: increase the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, water and avoid processed foods, meats and dairy.
  • Do not smoke! Smoking is one of the main causes of respiratory and oral irritation, therefore, it is not recommended that you continue with that bad habit.
  • Consult your trusted doctor or dentist.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Taste of blood in the mouth: causes and treatment , we recommend that you enter our category of Teeth and mouth .

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