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Why Does It Taste "Metallic" In My Mouth During Pregnancy?

3 min read

Do you feel like you are sucking on something metallic, like a rusty coin perhaps? You have a harmless condition called Dysgeusia, roughly referring to metallic taste in the mouth. Considering how common this is among pregnant women, especially during the first trimester, we wonder why it does not get as much attention as morning sickness! So in this piece, we try to understand what Dysgeusia is, what causes it, and what you can do to get rid of it.
Metallic taste in pregnancy

What Is Dysgeusia Or “Metal Mouth”?

It is one of the symptoms of pregnancy that results in the woman getting a metallic taste in their mouth. This usually occurs in the first trimester. Unfortunately, this is the same time you get morning sickness as well and Dysgeusia might make it worse. Many women have tried to describe it as the taste of drinking water from a metal cup, though it is difficult to actually describe the same.

What Causes The Metallic Taste During Pregnancy?

The actual reason why you feel a metallic taste is not known. However, there are multiple “probable” explanations for Dysgeusia.

  • More estrogen in the body: Pregnancy is known to play around quite a bit with your hormonal levels. One specific hormone, estrogen, is produced a lot during pregnancy. Among other things, estrogen also impacts the sense of taste. As the amount of estrogen in the body increases, so does the sense of taste. Every time the estrogen levels fluctuate, your sense of taste also changes. This is why you keep liking and disliking certain tastes throughout your pregnancy. This could also be the explanation for the metallic after taste
  • More sensitive to smell: Similar to taste, it has been noted that many pregnant women register a heightened sense of smell. This is also connected with Dysgeusia, since taste and smell seem to be intimately connected senses
  • More retention of water: Your body tends to retain more water during pregnancy. This water retention, extended to even the taste buds, might be another trigger for the metallic taste

While these seem to be the most plausible explanations, there are more reasoning out there, including:

  • It ensures women do not eat something that might harm the baby inside
  • It is body’s way of “triggering” the women to eat more iron and calcium
  • It is the result of toxins secreted by lymph glands

How Long Will The Metallic Taste During Pregnancy Last?

Metallic taste during pregnancy is the play of hormones, and it indicates that your pregnancy hormones are in full swing. Though some women also go without much of botheration from Dysgeusia in their pregnancies as well. If you are lucky, it will disappear completely or at least reduce in intensity as your pregnancy progresses, much like morning sickness. If you are unlucky, you might have to bear with it throughout the pregnancy. Apart from the discomfort, Dysgeusia is not a medical concern and does not require any treatment.

What Can I Do To Ease The Metallic Taste During Pregnancy?

We hope the following few tips will help you if you are experiencing a metallic taste:

  • Saliva inducing food: If there is increased saliva in your mouth, this saliva can wash away the metallic taste. You can try:
    • Have more citrus flavors like lime water or vinegar-rich food like pickles. These tend to increase saliva in the mouth. Eating citrus-rich foods like orange also helps
    • Chewing gum can not only improve the taste in your mouth, but it also produces more saliva which washes away metallic taste
  • Supplements: Sometimes, some of the prenatal vitamins you are taking might be causing an after taste that is metallic. You might want to check with your doctor and review your current supplements
  • Brushing and flossing: Brushing your teeth well and often is another way to keep your mouth free of metallic tastes. Flossing also helps a great deal
  • Gargling: Another trick is to gargle with a mouth wash after brushing. You can also try to gargle with a bit of salt or baking powder solution. All these help to neutralize the pH level in the mouth, and keep the metallic taste away
  • Cold water: If the weather permits, sipping on cold water is also known to help. If not, even drinking lots of plain water helps. If possible, as mentioned before, squeeze a bit of lemon in the water. Avoid sugar
  • Sour food: Metallic taste can be fought with sour food items that will mask the metallic flavor
  • Green apples: Some women claim green apples help a great deal is dealing with Dysgeusia

Let us know what worked for you! Have a safe pregnancy!

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