The taste bud of our tongue is capable enough to sense 5 essential food tastes including the bitter, sour, salty, sweet, and umami. Usually, your taste bud would sense sweetness only if you eat the products that are either processed such as pastries or are extracted from the nature like sugarcane, honey, pineapple, banana, and other fruits. However, due to some health-based issues, an individual is apt to sense sweetness in their mouth even without the consumption of any sweet products.
Here you shouldn’t get confused with the temporary sweetness you might experience after the consumption of sugary eatable or drinks rich in sugar. But, if the taste remains constant and doesn’t fade away with time, you might be suffering from a critical health disorder. Although there are several causes of sweet taste in mouth, it is one of the major signs of diabetes. Hence, if you’re facing persistent sweet taste, it is worth approaching your nearest hospital and consulting a specialist. Here’s a brief guide on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of this specific disorder:
What causes a sweet taste in mouth?
As mentioned earlier, the sweet taste that remains after you eat sugary food and the long-lasting sweetness are two diverse concepts. While the former is very common, the later can turn out to be critical if remain undiagnosed and untreated for a long time. Here is what causes perpetual sweet taste:
- Diabetes
One of the major yet common factors that have a direct influence over the utilization of insulin level (that controls blood sugar) by a human body is diabetes. And when this hazardous disease reaches an extreme level or becomes out of control, it escalates the blood sugar level of your body which further leads to sweet taste in your mouth. However, it isn’t the only symptom a diabetic patient might notice rather you tend to experience a blurred vision, a lot of thirsts, excessive fatigue, frequent urination, and a diminished capability to sense sweetness in sugary food.
- Low Carb Dieting
Besides diabetes, if you’re following a low-carbohydrate diet, you might observe the same sweetness in the mouth. Reducing the consumption of Carbohydrate could burn your excessive fat. And this might be one of the reasons why people suffering from obesity or weight-related issues go on for a low-carb diet. However, this procedure causes the growth of Ketosis in human’s bloodstream. Hence, it is advisable to consult a nutritionist before getting on to the same.
- Infections
It isn’t surprising to say that certain infections may adversely affect your senses . However, research suggests that even usual infections like influenza and cold could be the major cause of the excessive amount of glucose in your saliva. If the infection is the cause behind the continuous sweet taste in your mouth, it could be cured once you get free from the infection.
- Treatment
Whilst certain causes of this disorder have the major influence over the olfactory and respiratory system of a human body other might have an adverse effect on your neurological system. Apart from the diagnostic tests, the specialist may also take up your physical checkup. Be prepared to elaborate any health-related history you had or the medications you are taking. Some of the common tests involve:
- Blood test to examine if your body is affected by any sort of bacterial or viral infection, insulin level, and hormone levels.
- CT scans to diagnose any symptoms of cancerous cells in your body
- Brain scan to analyze any neurological disorder and endoscopy to examine the possible digestive issues.
Once your doctors get to know the reason behind the perpetual sweet taste in your mouth, he/she would be able to give you an appropriate treatment as per the disorder.
However, it is worth noting that your treatment would differ completely considering the issue you’re tackling. For example, an individual experiencing sweet taste due to diabetes would be suggested to adopt certain dietary changes, take on to a regular exercise, or get insulin therapy to get relief from the same whereas the others suffering from infection or flu would be prescribed with antibiotics.
Final Verdict
Having a sweet taste in your mouth for a temporary period shouldn’t be your major concern, however, if the same tend to occur very often, you should straight reach to your doctor and get proper treatment. The earlier you diagnose the issue, the easier it would be to treat the same.