Hi Doctor, My Wife Is Feeling Some Weird/particular Taste In

Posted on Wed, 12 Jun 2019

Question: Hi Doctor,
My wife is feeling some weird/particular taste in her mouth for last 8-10 days. Due to this she doesn't get the actual taste of the eatables. Not sure how else I can explain this. Any thoughts on this situation? What could be the reason and what can be done in this situation. Please suggest.

Regards,
Ankur

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Need some details....

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX

I can understand your wife's problem. There are different causes of altered taste sensation. Can you answer a few of my questions to help me understand further?

1. Did she have a fever before the problem started?
2. Does she have a headache, runny nose, throat pain / discomfort?
3. Does she have abdominal fullness, nausea, retrosternal pain, abdominal pain?
4. Does she have any known medical problems - diabetes, high blood pressure?
5. Did she take any medications before the symptom started?
6. Do you notice any physical change on the tongue like redness, rashes, patches?

Awaiting your response...

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Prasad J (12 hours later)

Hi Doctor,

Here are the replies:

1. Did she have a fever before the problem started? - No

2. Does she have a headache, runny nose, throat pain / discomfort? - No, she has migrane problem so in general she complains about pain behind one ear but, no specific headache before this issue started

3. Does she have abdominal fullness, nausea, retrosternal pain, abdominal pain? - A little bit of acidity but, not pain as such

4. Does she have any known medical problems - diabetes, high blood pressure? - No
5. Did she take any medications before the symptom started? - No
6. Do you notice any physical change on the tongue like redness, rashes, patches? - No redness or rashes but, a little bit of whiteness on the tongue which happens sometimes in general.

Regards,
Ankur

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Antacid + improved hydration...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for updating. Based on your replies, I do not clearly find a direct cause of altered taste sensation. Since there are no other alarming symptoms, I don't think it is related to any serious medical problem yet. I will suggest she drinks plenty of water (a dry mouth can cause altered taste) and start antacid medication to treat acidity (acid reflux to the mouth can also cause similar symptoms).

If she doesn't get better despite these changes or if you notice white (patch) increasing on the tongue - she should visit a doctor for physical evaluation.

Hope this answered your question. Let me know if you need clarifications.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar