Causes of iodine taste in the mouth

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Published: 06/26/2020

Reading time: 4 min

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• 1 Basic principles of treatment
• 2 Hormonal background of women
• 3 Possible complications
• 4 Hormonal agents
• 5 Thyroid disease
• 6 Diseases of the digestive system
• 7 Interesting facts
• 8 General recommendations
• 9 Taking hormonal drugs
• 10 Taking contraceptives
• 11 Reasons
• 12 Reasons for the taste of iodine in the mouth
• 13 Manifestations of hyperthyroidism

Basic principles of treatment

It is clear that the treatment and elimination of the taste of iodine in the mouth will depend on the pathology that caused it. To find out what kind of illness this is, you need to contact an endocrinologist and undergo tests - ultrasound, laboratory blood tests.

If the endocrine test does not find any problems with the endocrine glands, you should look for the causes of the iodine taste in dental and other problems.

Self-treating the taste of iodine in the mouth is not only not advisable, but also quite dangerous, since improper treatment can only aggravate the situation and lead to irreversible consequences.

Treatment

Before you start trying to eliminate discomfort on your own, it is better to consult a specialist doctor or therapist. He will order an examination and determine the correct way to get rid of the taste of iodine in the mouth.

Drug therapy

Depending on the etiology of the pathology that caused the taste of iodine in the mouth, the doctor may prescribe medication. These include:

• Thyroxine, Carbimazole, Levothyroxine, Thiamazole - used in endocrinology for increased production of thyroid hormones;
• Carvedilol, Metoprolol, Anaprilin - beta-blockers that reduce heart palpitations and high blood pressure (prescribed to patients with hyperthyroidism);
• Polysorb, Polyphepan, Enterosgel are pharmaceutical sorbents that will help remove toxins, thereby reducing the negative impact of the substance;
• antidepressants and hypnotics - for neurological and psychological etiology of the symptom (Phenazepam, Sibazon).

The health worker will be able to determine which remedy is suitable after conducting an examination and identifying the cause of the iodine odor in the mouth.

Balanced diet

If you have digestive problems, you can get rid of the taste of iodine in your mouth by adjusting your diet. A cleansing diet requires following the following rules:

• avoid foods rich in iodine;
• do not season dishes with iodized salt;
• exclude fatty, spicy and fried foods from the diet;
• give up night snacks (they trigger putrefactive reactions in the stomach);
• Eat high carbohydrate foods in the first half of the day;
• enrich your diet with fiber (found in fresh fruits and vegetables);
• periodically arrange fasting days on kefir.

On a note! In case of severe poisoning, gastric lavage will speed up the elimination of the toxic substance. After the procedure, sorbents are prescribed that prevent the absorption of iodine into the blood.

Folk remedies

An excess of a substance that provokes unpleasant sensations is removed by folk recipes. The most popular and effective methods to help remove the taste of iodine in the mouth involve the use of European cinquefoil or white cinquefoil plants.

Zyuznik

The plant helps with various pathologies of the thyroid gland, in which there is an excess of iodine in the body. Zyuznik gives other positive effects: improves blood composition, normalizes emotional stability.

Medicinal decoctions are prepared based on folk remedies. To do this, pour 1 teaspoon of crushed sage grass into a glass of water and heat it on the stove for 15 minutes. Drink 50 ml of the strained product before each meal. Course duration – 1 week.

To make a healing tincture, you will need fresh leaves collected from the top of the sapling. They are filled with alcohol or vodka (proportions 1:10) and left in the dark for two weeks, having previously been tightly sealed. The filtered product is drunk 10 drops diluted in a glass of water. Weekly, the dosage is increased by 5 drops, bringing it to 40. Then the amount of the product is reduced in the same order. When the dosage returns to the base value (10 drops), the course is stopped.

White bloodroot

The popular name is cinquefoil. In case of minor disruptions, it normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland. Prescribed for nodular formations, hyperfunction and thyrotoxicosis.

It is customary to prepare an infusion from cinquefoil. You will need clean crushed roots of the plant, which are filled with alcohol (1 to 10). The infusion time in the dark is 30 days. Before meals, drink 20 drops diluted in water. Treatment is carried out for 1 month, then a 2-week break is taken and the course is resumed.

Hormonal background of women

In women, an unpleasant taste may occur due to taking hormonal contraceptives. Both because of the inadequate quality of the drug itself and because of the excessive duration of its use. Both reasons lead to a malfunction of the endocrine system.

An iodine taste during pregnancy does not at all mean the development of a pathological process. It’s just that hormonal changes occur in the female body during pregnancy, and this is reflected in taste perception.

Any taste can be felt due to emotional distress. It's not even a taste, but a simple taste hallucination caused by tension and stress.

Possible complications

This seemingly “frivolous” symptom, the taste of iodine in the mouth, can lead to the development of quite serious complications, so you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. Delay may result in surgical intervention - if the cause of the taste lies in liver or thyroid disease.

Diseases that are accompanied by the taste of iodine can lead to:

• visual impairment;
• retardation of consciousness;
• weakened immunity;
• hoarseness of voice;
• serious deterioration in human health and even death.

Hormonal agents

Often the reason why the taste of iodine appears in the mouth is the use of certain hormonal contraceptives.

You should not use such medicines on your own without consulting your doctor.

Long-term use also leads to disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.

When tooth enamel is destroyed, saliva reacts with other tissues and new compounds are formed that cause the aroma and taste of iodine.

Food debris that is not cleaned out with a brush penetrates into the dental canals or under the gums, gets clogged between the teeth, decomposes and leads to unpleasant odors that resemble iodine.

During pregnancy, such a taste is not in all cases associated with anemia or other disorders.

At this stage, the hormonal levels in the female body change, which leads to changes in taste perceptions.

Thyroid disease

One of the main reasons why there is almost always a taste of iodine in the mouth is disruption of the thyroid gland. According to statistics, women are more likely to suffer from such diseases. This is due to the specifics of the hormonal background, which experiences constant changes. With diseases of the thyroid gland, along with the taste, a corresponding smell may appear in the mouth.

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Pathologies causing an unpleasant symptom:

1. Hypofunction (lack of hormones). Accompanied by an increase in the size of the thyroid gland, which is often visible to the naked eye (popularly known as a goiter). Associated signs of the disease include increased fatigue, lethargy, drowsiness, hypotension, brittle nails and peeling skin. For women of childbearing age, the pathology is dangerous because it makes it difficult to conceive and increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
2. Hyperfunction (excess of hormones). With it, the taste of iodine occurs more often every morning. Other signs of pathology: insomnia, increased sweating and heartbeat, swelling, tremors of the limbs. The disease can be triggered by stress or pregnancy.

An endocrinologist will help you get rid of the unpleasant taste in your mouth by eliminating the cause of the symptom.

Digestive diseases

Sometimes the taste of iodine becomes a signal of a malfunction in the digestive system. Gastritis and erosion do not go away without treatment, just like constipation and diarrhea. The liver indicates problems by the appearance of unpleasant taste sensations in the mouth.

Modern life keeps people in constant tension, they experience stress and sleep poorly. All this leads to depression and neuroses, and as a result – the appearance of obsessive ideas and sensations. There is no smell of iodine, but the person says that he really smells it.

Interesting Facts

A high concentration of iodine affects everyone differently. You can eat just one iodine-containing tablet or apply a harmless iodine mesh and get anaphylactic shock because you are hypersensitive to this element. And residents of Japan receive a daily portion of iodine 10 times more than the permissible limit by eating seafood. At the same time, they are cheerful, cheerful and long-lived.

The normal functioning of all body systems allows the required amount of iodine to be absorbed without harm to health, all other excesses are eliminated independently. This means that if you feel the taste of iodine in your mouth in the morning, you should visit your doctor soon and undergo a medical examination.

Taste of iodine in a child

The smell of iodine from the mouth can bother not only adults, but also children. Especially if it is a baby with too weak an immune system.

A child's mouth may smell for the same reasons, and they all symbolize an excess of a substance in the body. Parents should be attentive to the baby’s diet, since the microelement can be contained in salt, bread, and even milk.

Finding out why a child has increased the amount of iodine in his body is risky on his own. It is better to entrust the baby’s health to a pediatrician.

General recommendations

General recommendations for eliminating the taste of iodine in the mouth include:

• exclusion of seafood from the diet;
• stopping taking hormonal medications or oral contraceptives.

Important! A one-time sensation of the taste of iodine in the mouth, which is not accompanied by any other unpleasant symptoms, does not require visiting a doctor, but if the taste persists for more than 2-3 days, it is necessary to contact a specialist and undergo an examination.

How to remove bad taste in mouth?

To combat the unpleasant taste, it is necessary to reduce iodine consumption by excluding seaweed, mussels and other seafood rich in this element from the diet. Do not use iodized salt. Due attention should be paid to cleaning the mouth, not forgetting hard-to-reach places; rinsing and other folk remedies help achieve good results.

READ ALSO: What does the taste of salt in your mouth mean?

Rinse

• Prepare a solution with soda at the rate of 1 teaspoon per glass of warm water. You should rinse twice a day. Thanks to the antimicrobial and absorbent properties of soda, carrying out such procedures will help eliminate discomfort. Soda perfectly absorbs odors, but at the same time dries out the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, so it is recommended to alternate solutions.
• Decoctions of medicinal herbs - for these purposes they use: chamomile, sage, calendula. The disinfectant and anti-inflammatory components they contain actively fight bacteria, eliminating unpleasant odors. To prepare the decoction, pour a tablespoon of chopped herbs into 200 ml of boiling water, close the lid and leave for 20 minutes. Rinsing is carried out 3-4 times a day.

Folk remedies

• Spicy herbs work well against bad breath: chew cumin and bay leaves several times a day for 3-4 minutes.
• The cloves are chewed or placed in the space between the gum and cheek and left for several hours. Parsley can also eliminate extraneous odors.
• If the problem lies in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, lemon balm will help. To prepare the decoction, take 1 tablespoon of herb per glass of boiling water, boil for 3-5 minutes and leave for 20 minutes. Take half a glass twice a day.

Despite the fact that folk remedies include natural ingredients, their use is not always safe. Herbs can cause allergies and individual intolerances. In addition, precious time may be lost; it is better to consult a doctor at the first appearance of an iodine taste.

Taking hormonal medications

Women often experience a taste of iodine in their mouths while taking certain hormonal contraceptive medications. You should not prescribe medications yourself, relying on advertising and advice from friends. Long-term use also leads to disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system.

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When tooth enamel is destroyed, saliva reacts with other tissues and new compounds are formed, causing the smell and taste of iodine. Residues of food that are not cleaned by brushing fall into the dental canals or under the gums, become clogged between the teeth, where they decompose and lead to foreign odors reminiscent of iodine.

Iodine taste during pregnancy is not always associated with anemia or other disorders. It’s just that the hormonal levels in a woman’s body change, and this leads to a change in taste perceptions.

Taking contraceptives

Those women who are protected using hormonal contraceptives may also feel the taste of iodine in their mouth. The cause may be endocrine disorders. The balance in the body is very fragile. It is easy to break it by uncontrollably taking certain hormonal drugs on the advice of friends, or by trusting advertising.

It is the doctor's job to prescribe the drug. Before this, the doctor collects the patient’s medical history and sends her for tests. Not all hormonal medications are equally suitable for every woman. We must not forget about this. The taste of iodine in the mouth may also appear due to pregnancy. Due to changes in hormonal status in pregnant women, this phenomenon can be perceived as a variant of the norm.

Summary table of reasons why an iodine taste may appear in the mouth

As you can see, the taste of iodine in the mouth can occur for both fairly harmless and very serious reasons. The main thing you need to remember is that its appearance is largely related to the functioning of the thyroid gland, and an excess or deficiency of this microelement can upset the delicate balance of hormone production necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

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Consulting specialist

Soblirova Alena Maksimovna

Doctor rating: 9.7 out of 10 (3) Specialization: Dentist-therapist Experience: 12 years

Causes

The main reasons are as follows:

1. Yodism. It can occur both due to poisoning directly from the chemical preparation itself (iodine), and when the dosage of iodine-containing medications is exceeded. As a rule, when a doctor prescribes such medications, he asks the patient if he is allergic to iodine, and if the patient ignores the doctor’s question, the medicine will cause harm instead of benefit. The human body is designed in such a way that, if necessary, it gets rid of unnecessary substances, and therefore excess iodine is excreted through the salivary glands or respiratory tract, causing inflammation and burning of the mucous membranes. In severe cases, this condition can cause suffocation and anaphylactic shock.
2. Hyperthyroidism. This disease is accompanied by edema, tachycardia, sweating and irritability. The appearance of a taste of iodine in the mouth is also one of the manifestations of hyperthyroidism, and most often this symptom bothers the patient in the morning after sleep.
3. Destruction of tooth enamel. When the decayed part of the tooth oxidizes, complex chemical processes occur that cause an unpleasant iodine odor. Often this smell can be caused by rotting food debris that is stuck between the teeth or clogged in the dental canal.
4. Disorders of the digestive tract. Sooner or later, all untreated gastritis, erosion, constipation and diarrhea will lead to a malfunction in the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Liver. A diseased liver can also make itself felt by an iodine odor from the mouth, the smell of metal or rotten meat.
6. Taking hormonal drugs. Incorrectly selected oral contraceptives and other hormonal medications can cause hormonal imbalance in the body.
7. Stress, insomnia, depression. In some cases, prolonged neurosis can lead to various hallucinations, including smell ones.
8. Pregnancy. This condition is accompanied by hormonal changes and changes in the woman’s body, and the appearance of a taste of iodine in the mouth in this case can be considered as a variant of the norm, but consultation with a doctor is still advisable.
9. Use of contrast agents in diagnostics. For example, MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound. Iodine-containing drugs make it possible to more accurately determine pathologies, so they are injected into the veins, arteries and other cavities of the patient’s body. At the same time, the vessels and tissues into which the contrast was introduced change their appearance, and this allows the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. As a rule, the patient feels the iodine taste in the mouth immediately after the contrast is administered and this lasts for several minutes. But in rare cases, this condition can last for several days and be accompanied by other negative symptoms.
10. Idiosyncrasy. Increased sensitivity of the body to iodine. Exacerbation of this pathology is provoked by eating seafood.

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Important! There are many reasons why a taste of iodine may appear in the mouth, and only a specialist can determine them.

Treatment of iodine taste

Depending on the cause that caused the taste disturbance, specialists will select treatment. Providing self-help means doing double harm!

With iodism.

As long as your body has a high concentration of iodine, your overall health will be poor. To alleviate the condition a little, the patient will have to undergo gastric lavage. A good home remedy is flour dissolved in water. You can replace flour with starch or any pharmaceutical sorbent suitable for washing (smecta, polysorb).

In a hospital setting, the fight against iodism is carried out using sodium thiosulfate. It weakens the toxic effects of iodine, a kind of antidote.

After finishing gastric lavage, you should call a doctor or go to an appointment, if possible. If you have the slightest convulsions, you should immediately call an ambulance. The doctor, having familiarized himself with the patient’s complaints, prescribes appropriate treatment.

All iodine-containing drugs are discontinued. If they are vitally needed, they are introduced into use after a few days, but start with tiny doses.

Reduce the high concentration of iodine with drugs with bromine and 4 times the use of ampoules of 10% calcium chloride.

For hyperthyroidism.

The presence of hyperthyroidism is determined by the results of tests for the hormone TSH and after an ultrasound scan of the thyroid gland. Further recommendations for treatment will be given by an endocrinologist.

In the early stages of the disease, medications are prescribed that suppress the increased secretory function of the thyroid gland. If treatment does not bring the desired result, then the thyroid gland is treated with radioactive iodine or surgery is suggested.

The advanced form of hyperthyroidism is difficult to treat; as a rule, a person will have to take maintenance medications throughout his life.

Causes of the taste of iodine in the mouth

If the taste of iodine in the mouth appears suddenly in the morning, this may be a normal reaction of the body to an excessive amount of the element. Remember, maybe you have consumed foods that are unusual for you or iodine-containing medications. They salted their food with iodized salt or went on holiday at sea, because iodine has volatile properties and could enter the body even through the respiratory tract.

A constant and persistent taste of iodine in the mouth is a reason to immediately seek medical help, since the cause of its occurrence can be very serious and life-threatening.

Is iodine a friend or foe?

People learn about the benefits of iodine almost from the cradle. Caring parents talk about this in order to force their children to eat fish dishes. Manufacturers of iodine-containing drugs and iodized products, whose advertisements are constantly shown on television, also do not forget to sweeten the pill.

Iodine is truly vital, as it is part of the thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid gland. They are of key importance in the process of human growth and development. Plus micronutrient:

• strengthens the nervous system;
• prevents atherosclerosis;
• reduces blood cholesterol levels;
• increases immunity.

You should not consume iodine-containing vitamins without consulting a doctor; this can lead to poisoning. And if you go to the extreme and start dripping simple iodine into the water, you can get a burn to the mucous membranes of the throat and stomach, which can be fatal.

An increased concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood is also undesirable, as it can cause increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and a gradual decrease in intelligence. In all the above cases, a person feels a pungent taste of iodine in the mouth.

If the desire to enrich the body with a valuable microelement is too great, it is better to include natural foods in the diet : seafood, sea fish, beets, carrots, mushrooms, legumes, liver, eggs, herbs and others. They contain enough iodine for an ordinary healthy person; the main thing is to take into account the consumption rate for children and adults so as not to overdo it.

Manifestations of hyperthyroidism

The next reason that causes the taste of iodine in the mouth of a woman or man is also of a medical nature. This symptom may be a strong sign of hyperthyroidism, a disease characterized by excessive thyroid function.

A metallic or iodine taste in the morning is common in these patients. They know about their illness, so they are not concerned about it. But if such a symptom has visited you for the first time, this is a reason to go to an endocrinologist. Especially if the taste of iodine in the mouth accompanies:

• excessive irritability;
• swelling in the neck area;
• increased sweating;
• disruption of the menstrual cycle in women;
• cardiopalmus.

There is a hereditary predisposition to this disease. It also often manifests itself in areas with unfavorable ecology. The disease is treated surgically or with radioactive iodine. The doctor will tell you which treatment tactics are best to choose.

Additional symptoms

The signs that may accompany the taste of iodine in the mouth certainly vary depending on the reasons that caused it. For example:

1. If this condition is associated with diseases of the thyroid gland, the patient may experience obesity, swelling, irritability, and frequent mood swings.
2. If there is an excess of iodine in the body, slight dizziness, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, and skin rashes may occur.
3. In severe cases of iodine poisoning, blood pressure may drop to critical levels, convulsions, increased salivation and difficulty breathing may appear.
4. In case of pathologies in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the hypochondrium, and blood in the feces and urine are observed.
5. With dental problems, the patient may complain of acute toothache, pain when eating hot or cold food, and rotting in the gum area.