Here Are the 10 Most Common Reasons for a Bitter Taste in Your Mouth

It’s a strange, but surprisingly common, experience: Being revolted by the taste of your own mouth. What’s causing that sudden, bitter taste in your mouth? Could it be serious?

Family medicine provider Mark Rood, MD, shares 10 reasons your mouth may have a bitter taste, how to get rid of it and when it’s time to talk to a provider.

Causes of bitter taste in the mouth

There’s a whole host of reasons why your mouth might have a bitter, acrid taste. Here are some of the most common ones.

1. Dehydration

If your mouth’s tasting miserable, Dr. Rood says the first thing you need to check is your hydration level.

“One of the most common reasons why people have a bad taste in their mouth is that they’re just not drinking enough fluids,” he explains. This problem becomes worse as we get older — and not just because our thirst response weakens.

“We learn not to think about whether we’re thirsty,” Dr. Rood notes. “We just muddle through our day and don’t pay attention to the little signals that we used to pick up when we were kids.” Unlearning that behavior is one of the best things you can do to kick the bitter taste out of your mouth.

2. Oral health issues

Severe tooth decay, infections, abscesses and even oral cancers can cause an unpleasantly bitter taste in your mouth.

“Many people put off dealing with dental issues because they can be costly. But seeing a dentist on a regular basis is really important,” Dr. Rood says.

Good oral hygiene is equally important.

“Not brushing and flossing your teeth properly allows plaque and bacteria to build up in your mouth, which can leave you with a bad taste,” he continues. So, make sure to brush at least twice every day and floss at least once.

3. Medications

Bitter taste and dry mouth are common side effects of:

• Prescription drugs
• Over-the-counter medications
• Vitamins
• Supplements
• Radiation therapy for head and neck cancers

If there’s a chance a medication or treatment is behind the yucky taste in your mouth, speak to your provider about it.

4. Nasal congestion

Whether you’re dealing with a sinus infection, seasonal allergies, a cold or COVID-19, nasal congestion can do a number on your sense of taste. That’s partly due to inflammation and partly because our sense of smell impacts how we perceive flavors.

“Nasal congestion is especially problematic if it’s causing you to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose,” Dr. Rood explains. “Mouth breathing causes your tongue and mouth to dry out, which adds to the bitter sensation.”

And how’s this for a cruel twist: Antihistamines and decongestants can also cause that unpleasant taste!

5. Acid reflux

If you’ve ever had heartburn, you know it can leave a nasty taste in your mouth. The good news: It’s often treatable at home with over-the-counter antacids and small changes to the what, when and how of your diet.

“Don’t eat meals right before lying down,” Dr. Rood advises. “The more distended (bloated) your stomach is, the more likely acid is going to splash up into your esophagus and mouth from your stomach. You can also elevate the head of your bed on books or blocks about four to six inches. That way gravity is your friend, instead of your enemy.” If you can’t adjust your bed, try using a wedge pillow instead.

If you deal with acid reflux on a regular basis, see a provider. You may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which requires more intense treatment than run-of-the-mill heartburn.

6. Infections

Dental and upper respiratory infections aren’t the only conditions that can leave a rancid taste in your mouth. Other common causes include:

• Oral thrush: Yeast infections of the mouth or tongue can make your mouth taste bad. It also causes white patches to appear on your tongue.
• Kidney infection: If that bitter taste in your mouth has a metallic quality, it could mean your kidneys — which filter waste products — are being stressed by an infection.
• Hepatitis: If your liver is inflamed, it won’t do as good a job filtering toxins out of your body. An ammonia taste could be a sign that you’re dealing with hepatitis.

7. Smoking

Add that bitter taste in your mouth to the long list of reasons to quit smoking. Smoking can give you a ghastly gob by:

• Adding harmful chemicals to both your saliva and oral tissues
• Damaging your taste buds, which dulls your overall sense of taste
• Reducing saliva production, which allows those chemical irritants to linger
• Causing dental issues like gum disease, bad breath (halitosis) and tooth decay

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. But that doesn’t make it easy. When you’re ready to kick the habit, talk to a provider. They’ll be happy to help.

8. Hormone fluctuations

When your estrogen or progesterone levels change, it can alter both your sensitivity to taste and your taste buds’ turnover speed. As a result, both pregnancy and menopause sometimes come with an unwanted helping of “ewww.”

9. Aging

As you get older, both your sense of smell and taste change — as does your thirst mechanism. To make things extra complicated, the percentage of your body that’s made up of water goes down, too, making it easier than ever to become dehydrated.

That combination is a recipe for a bitter mouth.

Home remedies

Depending on what’s causing it, you may be able to blunt that bitter taste in your mouth yourself. Dr. Rood recommends trying the following home remedies:

• Drink more water. It’s not flashy, but it works! “The most important thing you can do to treat a bitter taste in your mouth is to stay hydrated,” Dr. Rood says. Not a fan of plain water? Give unsweetened coconut water, herbal teas and seltzer a try.
• Chew sugar-free gum. Chewing sugar-free gum promotes saliva production. That extra spit freshens your breath by moving lingering food particles along, combating bacteria and removing excess acid from your mouth.
• Try a baking soda rinse. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of warm water, slosh it around in your mouth a bit and spit. Beyond its anti-inflammatory properties, baking soda is great for neutralizing odors and acidity.
• Suck on ice chips. If you’ve got bad morning sickness or are on chemotherapy, nausea can make staying hydrated even harder. Sucking on ice chips is a great way to (slowly) up your H2O intake and activate your salivary glands.

Final thoughts

It may seem silly to go to the doctor over a bitter taste in your mouth, but if it’s not going away — or if it’s getting worse — that’s exactly what you need to do. There are lots of other health concerns that can impact your sense of taste, like:

• Diabetes
• Thyroid diseases
• Nerve damage
• Head injuries
• Brain conditions
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease

Dr. Rood recommends talking to your provider if the bitter taste continues for over a week or you’re having other symptoms.

“If you have symptoms that go beyond your mouth, like abnormal weight loss, fatigue or feeling ill in other ways, the bad taste in your mouth might be a sign of something else going on,” he explains. “Conditions like diabetes and liver disease can sometimes start with subtle symptoms like that, so you need to take it seriously.”

A provider can help pinpoint the exact cause — and get your taster back on track.