Food tasting salty can be caused by dry mouth, dehydration, sinus infections, or certain medicines. See a doctor if it lasts.
Causes
- Dry mouth or dehydration.
- Sinus infection and postnasal drip.
- Medicines (blood pressure drugs, antihistamines).
- Oral thrush and gum disease.
- Zinc deficiency.
- Sjogren’s syndrome.
- Chemotherapy and radiation.
- COVID-19 and nerve damage.
What helps
Drink water, brush your tongue, use sugar-free gum and a humidifier.
See a doctor if
It lasts more than 2 weeks or comes with other symptoms.
Dysgeusia
The medical name for altered taste.
Fact
Taste is linked to smell, so congestion can change taste.
Treatment
Treat the cause.
Why food may taste salty
A salty taste when nothing salty is eaten is usually from changes in saliva, nerves or the mouth. Saliva contains sodium, and when the amount drops or the makeup changes, a salty taste can come through. Postnasal drip, dehydration and some drugs are common causes.
Causes
- Dehydration and dry mouth.
- Postnasal drip from allergies, colds or sinus infections.
- Medications such as ACE inhibitors, antihistamines, antidepressants and chemotherapy drugs.
- Gum disease and mouth infections.
- Nerve damage affecting taste, such as Bell’s palsy or injury during dental or ear surgery.
- Acid reflux.
- Burning mouth syndrome.
- Cerebrospinal fluid leak, rare.
- Vitamin or zinc deficiency.
- Smoking.
- Sjogren’s syndrome.
What helps
- Hydrate with plenty of water.
- Rinse the nose with saline and treat allergies.
- Maintain mouth hygiene, and brush the tongue.
- Chew sugar-free gum or suck on candy to boost saliva.
- Use a humidifier at night.
- Talk to a doctor about medications.
See a doctor if
The taste lasts more than 2 weeks, accompanies other symptoms such as numbness, weakness, confusion, or a clear salty fluid draining from the nose after a head injury.
Dysgeusia
The medical term is dysgeusia, meaning a distorted sense of taste. Related terms are hypogeusia (reduced taste) and ageusia (loss of taste). Taste disorders affect about 200,000 Americans who see a doctor each year, according to the NIDCD, and many more go unreported.
Fact
The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. The tongue has about 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds, and they renew every 10 to 14 days. Smell accounts for most of flavor, so a stuffy nose changes taste.
Treatment
Treat the cause: antibiotics for infection, change of medication, zinc supplements if low, dental care, and management of reflux. Many cases resolve once the underlying problem is treated.
Taste science and related medical issues
Taste is processed by about 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds, and saltiness is detected by sodium channels called ENaC on the tongue. A persistent salty taste, a form of dysgeusia, can come from dehydration, dry mouth, sinus infections and postnasal drip, since mucus has salt and dissolves on the tongue. Oral thrush, gum disease and acid reflux are also linked. Medications such as lithium, metformin, ACE inhibitors, antihistamines and some chemotherapy agents can change taste. Zinc deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and Sjogren syndrome may cause taste changes. Smell loss reduces taste, as seen in COVID-19, where about 5 percent of people had lasting changes. Drinking more water, brushing the tongue, rinsing with saline and treating nasal conditions can help. See a doctor if the taste lasts more than 2 weeks or comes with weight loss, mouth sores or a swollen tongue.
Based on data from the NIDCD and the Mayo Clinic
