Taste of blood when coughing

Why does the aftertaste appear?

A specific taste is usually associated with the presence of copper or iron ions in the oral cavity (“as if there was a penny under the tongue” or “as if you were kissing a doorknob,” they said earlier). But these are deceptive impressions, because the nature of the taste is completely different. It happens that the taste of metal in the mouth is mixed with a bitter taste. Such symptoms may be accompanied by dry mouth.

Let's look at the causes of this symptom.

Diseases accompanied by iron deficiency anemia. This could be liver disease, thyroid dysfunction, or diabetes. This is the most common reason why a metallic taste appears in the mouth. In addition to this taste, the patient sometimes experiences a sour taste. Iron deficiency anemia can also be detected by another sign - cracks in the tongue. However, in order to make a final diagnosis, you still need to take a blood test for hemoglobin. If the analysis confirms the diagnosis, the next step is to start looking for the causes of anemia.

Very often, this disease is caused not only by iron deficiency, which is often found during pregnancy and in vegetarians. Anemia can also be caused by a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid.

Gastrointestinal diseases. With certain problems with the liver, bile ducts and gastritis with low acidity, the patient may also experience an unpleasant taste of blood. In this case, we also recommend that you consult a specialist, undergo an examination and take appropriate measures to eliminate the symptom.

Treatment with medications. A metallic taste in the mouth often appears when taking certain antibiotics. Check with the doctor who prescribed these medications for you. Perhaps he will replace them with others.

Poisoning with substances such as vanadium, cadmium, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide, zinc, arsenic, lead, mercury. Heavy metal poisoning is often suffered by people whose work involves dyes based on metal salts. In this case, you should immediately consult a toxicologist.

Sometimes patients experience a metallic taste when coughing . Many people complain of a cough with a taste of blood after a cold. This may be a sign of bronchitis. To eliminate this unpleasant symptom, we advise you to consult a pulmonologist. Also, a dry cough and hoarseness can cause a fungal infection in the mouth. If your mouth becomes red or you have a cough, you should consult an ENT specialist.

The use of low-quality dentures or crowns made from various types of metal. They catalyze the galvanization process, which in turn releases ions from the material. You need to think about changing crowns to better ones.

cast iron or aluminum cookware for cooking . The iron taste may be stronger if you cook acidic foods in these containers. Since acids react with metal, food is equipped with a specific taste, which you subsequently feel.

Frequent consumption of mineral water with a high content of saccharin and iron.

Why does this symptom occur?

The taste of iron with a sour tint that occurs after eating may indicate problems with the gallbladder, and especially congestion in it.
In this case, pain may appear in the right hypochondrium, which is accompanied by nausea. The taste of aluminum along with vomiting and dizziness indicates intoxication. This could be poisoning from chemicals or spoiled food. In this case, diarrhea is often associated. The aluminum taste that occurs after running and is accompanied by dry mouth can occur due to vitamin deficiency and does not pose any threat to health. After correction of the corresponding condition, the symptoms disappear. While taking antibacterial drugs, there may be a taste of copper in the mouth. This symptom is typical on an empty stomach and most often occurs in the morning.

The taste of iron, accompanied by heartburn and a feeling of fullness after eating, indicates pancreatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, abdominal pain often occurs. The taste of lead, accompanied by increased salivation, may be a sign of poisoning with heavy metal salts.

Taste and pregnancy

Many of us know about the first signs of pregnancy - delayed menstruation, dizziness, morning sickness, weakness, etc. These are common symptoms of pregnancy. However, there are a number of strange and little-known signs. These include the taste of iron, which is considered one of the early symptoms of pregnancy.

This is explained by hormonal changes in a woman’s body. This taste may appear at the end of the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Doctors explain this by a lack of iron in the body. You should not self-medicate and eat a kilogram of apples a day. Unfortunately, this won't help. Contact a specialist who monitors you during pregnancy, he will prescribe the appropriate medications.

What to do if there is an iron taste?

We do not recommend self-medication and if this unpleasant symptom occurs, you should consult a qualified specialist for advice.

It is worth noting that there are no specific medications to treat just this symptom. Direct your efforts to identifying and eliminating the very reason that caused the metallic taste in the mouth. So, how to get rid of the above-described taste?

As we have already said, you need to contact specialists, after which you will be referred for a comprehensive examination. If the examination reveals diabetes, anemia, gastritis, problems with the gallbladder or thyroid gland, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment.

Careful oral hygiene will help you temporarily get rid of unpleasant sensations. Rinse your mouth regularly with a solution of baking soda or slightly acidified water. Lemon will also help get rid of this aftertaste. If a metallic taste in the mouth indicates anemia, then you should try to increase hemoglobin in the blood.

As can be seen from the above, the reasons for the appearance of an iron taste in the mouth can be very different. Listen to your body, respond to its signals in a timely manner, and then identifying and treating diseases will be much faster and easier. Stay healthy!

Dental diseases

If a metallic taste appears in the mouth, oral diseases may be the cause. This symptom may occur when:

Glossitis is inflammation of the tongue due to injury or pathogenic effects of microorganisms.
Gingivitis is a gum disease accompanied by bleeding and inflammation.
Periodontitis is a disruption of the bonds of periodontal tissues, which causes tooth mobility.
Stomatitis is a disease of the mouth resulting from damage to the mucous membrane and infection.

Dental reasons for the taste of iron in the mouth also include recently installed metal prosthetic structures: crowns, bridges, braces. They oxidize under the influence of saliva and certain foods. This symptom indicates low-quality materials.

A metallic taste in the mouth may appear after the installation of metal dentures or braces.
Important! A metallic taste also appears when dental prostheses are made from different materials due to the reaction that occurs between them.

“Metallic taste in the mouth” is observed in diseases:

Hemorrhagic gastritis is an acute inflammatory process that affects the gastric mucosa, leading to the formation of erosions and bleeding. Over the past 10 years, clinicians have noted an increase in this disease. The main risk group is people who have taken corticosteroid drugs and suffer from alcoholism. There are no restrictions regarding age and gender, but it is extremely rarely diagnosed in children.

Gingivitis is an inflammatory process concentrated in the gum area and accompanied by redness and systematic bleeding. Gingivitis, the symptoms of which are quite common, can be chronic or recurrent; in addition, the course of the disease can also be acute.

Mercury poisoning is one of the most serious poisonings of the body, which is dangerous due to its consequences. Most often, mercury enters the human body in the form of dust or vapor, through breathing or food. If this substance is ingested in a small amount and only once, it will not cause harm to health - the mercury will be eliminated from the body on its own without additional action. If it enters the bloodstream - through the kidneys along with urine, into the digestive tract - with feces. Such metal, entering the body, is not absorbed into the tissues and leaves unchanged.

Diabetes mellitus in children is a metabolic disorder, including carbohydrate metabolism, which is based on pancreatic dysfunction. This internal organ is responsible for the production of insulin, which in diabetes mellitus may be too little or there may be complete immunity. The incidence rate is 1 child in 500 children, and among newborns - 1 infant in 400 thousand.

Chronic atrophic gastritis is a sluggish disease during which thinning of the gastric mucosa occurs, a decrease in the amount of gastric juice production due to a decrease in the number of glands. In approximately half of the cases, such a disease is necessarily accompanied by a change in the structure of the membrane, i.e., its metaplasia. This is caused by a decrease in the number of normal cells and glands and the formation of hybrids that have a combination of characteristics that should not normally exist. Gastric cells are often replaced by intestinal cells. In addition, the disease is distinguished by the fact that as it progresses, it involves the anatomically located nearby internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract into the inflammatory process, and the functioning of the circulatory and nervous systems is also disrupted.

With the help of exercise and abstinence, most people can do without medicine.

Home » Cough » Iron taste in mouth after cough

Cough with a taste of blood in the mouth

Cough is the most common symptom of upper respiratory tract diseases. At the same time, patients often complain that they feel a taste of blood in their mouth during or after a strong cough.

What causes the unpleasant taste of iron in the mouth after coughing and should I be concerned about it?

Sometimes a metallic taste in the mouth after a cough appears because small capillaries burst when the larynx is strained - in this case there is no reason to worry.

But if there are streaks of blood or even clots in the sputum that comes out when you cough, you should visit a doctor.

When to be concerned

Even a doctor will not be able to immediately tell why, when you cough, blood appears in the sputum, and there is a metallic taste in the mouth. To do this, you need to conduct a complete and thorough medical examination.

If the blood admixture is insignificant and the patient’s general condition is stable, you can make an appointment with your family doctor and go to the hospital yourself.

But there are certain situations when emergency medical care is needed. You should call an ambulance in the following cases:

When, when coughing, suddenly there are streaks or obvious traces of liquid blood in the sputum;
The cough is accompanied by suffocation and chest pain;
Before the cough, unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth and blood in the sputum appeared, there was an injury;
Sputum with blood and a metallic taste in the mouth appeared on their own, but there was no cough;
A heavy smoker developed a cough and sputum mixed with blood;
The metallic taste in the mouth does not go away for several days.

First of all, it is necessary to exclude minor damage to the mucous membrane in the mouth - when scratching, a person also feels the taste of iron. But there is no cough. In all other cases, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Why does a metallic taste occur when you cough?

The main reasons why blood may appear in sputum or a metallic taste in the mouth after coughing are as follows:

Oncological diseases of the lungs - blood in the sputum is bright red in color, additional symptoms such as severe pain in the chest, attacks of suffocation, increased sweating at night are noted;
Lobar pneumonia is an inflammation in the lung tissues that is caused by pneumococci;
Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease with a negative prognosis caused by the tuberculosis bacillus;
Bronchitis - with this pathology, in addition to streaks of blood, pus can be seen in the sputum, the cough continues for more than three months and is difficult to treat with medication;
Bronchiectasis - in this case, the patient is also bothered by a prolonged cough, after which there is a taste of iron in the mouth, and blood is noticeable in the sputum, increased body temperature, and weakness;
Lung abscess. This pathology is a complication of pneumonia with severely weakened immunity. When a patient coughs, he feels the taste of iron in his mouth, and those around him notice an unpleasant odor from his mouth - the reason is the accumulation of pus in the lungs. Increased body temperature, weakness, poor appetite are also noted;
Pathologies of the cardiovascular system. If blood circulation is disrupted due to heart failure, blood can stagnate in the lungs - this phenomenon is medically called pulmonary hypertension. Characteristic symptoms are shortness of breath, tachycardia, taste of iron in the mouth;
Pulmonary embolism. This pathology can develop after surgery or as a side effect of thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Symptoms are similar to those of other pulmonary diseases - shortness of breath and severe chest pain;
Cystic fibrosis - this disease is transmitted by heredity at the genetic level, manifests itself as frequent colds, accompanied by a severe cough, after which the taste of iron remains in the mouth, and pus and blood can be found in the sputum;
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the taste of iron in the mouth is explained by constant and heavy bleeding, which can occur on its own, without coughing. The blood released is dark red in color, the patient complains of pain in the hypochondrium or peritoneum.

Sometimes blood in saliva or sputum and a metallic taste in the mouth appear after a medical examination performed to diagnose certain diseases - for example, when a probe is swallowed.

Often this phenomenon occurs after the removal of adenoids or tonsils. In such cases, the discomfort usually goes away on its own after a few days; no specific treatment is required.

How to treat coughing up blood

Since symptoms such as blood in the sputum and the taste of iron in the mouth often indicate the development of serious diseases, treatment should always be prescribed only by a doctor. As soon as the underlying disease is eliminated, the unpleasant symptoms will also disappear.

But if they are caused by minor injuries to the larynx or rupture of capillaries during severe coughing attacks, you can help yourself with the help of folk remedies.

Aloe. You need to select the lower, fleshy leaf of the medicinal plant and grind it into a paste. Add a tablespoon of honey and stir. You need to take this remedy one teaspoon in the morning and evening after meals, but do not swallow it immediately, but hold it in your mouth a little so that the juice gets on the mucous membrane of the throat. After a few days, the blood in the sputum and the metallic taste in the mouth should disappear.
Goat milk with Borjomi. First you need to prepare Borjomi - water is poured into a glass, after which carbon dioxide is removed from it using a teaspoon. Then the milk is heated, after which two parts of milk and one part of Borjomi are poured into a cup. You can add a little honey to enhance the effect. You should take this drink after meals three times a day.
Ginger root. One medium root is peeled and crushed, after which it is placed in a thermos and 500 ml of boiling water is poured. You need to infuse the drink for 3-4 hours, then add lemon and honey and drink it like tea throughout the day.
Inhalations for dry cough with essential oils. Hot steam will warm and soothe irritated mucous membranes, make mucus more liquid and make it easier to clear when coughing. But if you have a fever or problems with blood pressure, this procedure is contraindicated. Preparing inhalation is very simple: you need to boil 3-4 liters of water and add 5-6 drops of tea tree, fir or eucalyptus oil. You need to breathe the healing steam for at least a quarter of an hour.
Mustard plasters. This is a proven and affordable method of getting rid of a debilitating cough, but it is not suitable if its causes are tuberculosis, lung cancer or a lung abscess. Mustard plasters should not be placed on the heart area, moles or bone protrusions.

Even if you managed to eliminate the taste of blood in your mouth using the listed recipes, you still need to visit a phthisiatrician in the near future and get an x-ray of your lungs. Prevention will include quitting smoking, walking in the fresh air, doing physical therapy and therapeutic exercises.

The video in this article will discuss in detail the issue of the taste of blood when coughing.

Cough is a symptom of many diseases of the respiratory system. In some cases, it may be accompanied by the appearance of a specific metallic taste in the mouth . This phenomenon is especially characteristic of productive cough , which is characterized by expectoration of sputum or mucus.

Photo 1: An unpleasant taste in the mouth when coughing is always due to an objective reason. Source: flickr (Eugene Evehealth).

When a person tastes blood when coughing, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible and call an ambulance. Under normal conditions, a small amount of mucous secretion is formed daily in the respiratory tract of a healthy person. This is necessary in order to protect the bronchial mucosa from drying out and foreign agents getting on it.

In the presence of a pathological process in the organs of the respiratory tract, the production of bronchial secretions changes. Sputum is produced in large quantities and must be evacuated from the respiratory tract. For this purpose, a person has a cough reflex. If there are blood impurities in the sputum, its taste will be clearly felt when coughing.

Blood, like most substances, has its own taste and smell. The taste of blood is recognized by taste buds located in the oral cavity. Therefore, if bleeding occurs from the organs of the respiratory system, a person will definitely feel the taste of blood in the mouth when coughing.

A cough with a taste of blood should not be ignored - this can lead to disastrous consequences for the patient.

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Main reasons causing the symptom

First of all, you need to make sure that the appearance of a strange taste is not associated with cough . It may be caused by gum disease : ulcerative gingivitis, dental abscesses. Also, a metallic taste may appear due to damage to the small vessels of the larynx during a cough as a result of overexertion.

Important! The fact that no blood is visually detected when coughing suggests that the likelihood of a serious illness (tuberculosis, tumor) is extremely low. You should immediately undergo an examination if blood in the form of clots is actually present in the discharge.

A metallic taste can be caused by factors not mediated by a specific disease (cough acts only as an additional symptom):

taking certain types of antibiotics, medications for blood pressure, diabetes, heartburn, antidepressants;
side effect from the use of contrast agents used in computed tomography;
exposure to smoke, dust;
burning mouth syndrome;
food allergies;
food poisoning with heavy metals (mercury, lead).
Diseases that directly provoke the appearance of an iron taste when coughing:
bronchial asthma;
sinusitis;
viral pharyngitis;
emphysema;
tuberculosis;
oncological diseases.

Note! Sometimes the problem of an unpleasant taste in the mouth after a cough is related to the sense of smell and is associated with a loss or change in it under the influence of a viral or bacterial infection.

Causes of blood when coughing

The production of sputum mixed with blood causes a characteristic metallic taste in the mouth when coughing. When you cough, the taste of blood may indicate the development of some dangerous diseases. The most harmless reason for the taste of blood in the mouth is a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane of the mouth or throat. But this phenomenon is not accompanied by a cough. For some time, hemoptysis can be observed after traumatic endoscopic procedures (fibrobronchoscopy, fibrobronchoscopy, biopsy).

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Most often, blood in sputum appears in the following diseases:

Tuberculosis

“>This infectious pathology can be in the latent phase for a long time - not have any clinical manifestations and can only be detected during fluorography.
Tuberculosis begins to manifest itself as decreased appetite, weight loss, constant low-grade fever, profuse sweating at night, constant coughing with the release of mucopurulent sputum. Hemoptysis is a late sign of the disease. It occurs when foci of destruction form in the pulmonary parenchyma. Modern medicine makes it possible to completely cure the disease in the initial stages, but this takes more than ten months.

We recommend reading: What to do if blood appears when you cough up?

Pulmonary abscess

“>Severe pathology, which can occur primarily or be a complication of other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. Most often, abscess pneumonia leads to the appearance of purulent foci in the lungs. In the initial stages of abscess formation, the patient feels unwell, body aches, pain in the chest area on the affected side, and the body temperature remains at a subfebrile level.

As the abscess grows, the symptoms of intoxication increase, a hacking cough appears, the temperature rises to febrile levels, and the pain intensifies. Having reached its peak, the abscess bursts - at this stage, patients complain of hemoptysis, sputum with a putrid odor, note a decrease in temperature and regression of pain. If untreated, the disease can be complicated by chronic abscess formation or the development of sepsis.

Coughing up blood with a cold

Typically, a cold begins with a hacking, dry cough that does not produce sputum. A person trying to clear his throat makes great efforts, which results in damage to the small vessels of the bronchial mucosa. This blood mixes with bronchial secretions and when coughing enters the oral cavity, causing a metallic taste.

To avoid excessive coughing and damage to small blood vessels, you need to take cough emollients. It is advisable to do inhalations, which help thin the mucus and facilitate the process of its evacuation.

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Bronchiectasis

A disease that can be congenital or acquired. This pathology is characterized by irreversible expansion of the bronchi, as a result of which their functional purpose is disrupted. Usually the process develops in the bronchi of the smallest diameter, accompanied by chronic inflammation and the formation of purulent foci (bronchiectasis).

“>Patients complain of a constant cough with the release of a large amount of secretion with a putrid odor, especially after a night’s sleep. As bronchiectasis fills with new portions of sputum, the cough intensifies and the process repeats. Prolonged inflammation leads to thinning of the mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract. With constant coughing efforts, traumatization and rupture of small vessels occurs. This causes hemoptysis in bronchiectasis.

Source: stopillness.ru

What measures should be taken

In most cases of unknown etiology, the metallic taste disappears unnoticed , as after recovery from the disease. First of all, it is necessary to examine the oral mucosa and the surface of the pharynx and larynx for scratches or ulcerations.

If the appearance of a taste is caused by a disease and is complicated by additional symptoms , you should consult a diagnostician to prescribe appropriate treatment.

Important! The main thing is to exclude serious diseases - lung cancer, emphysema, and to prevent chronic inflammatory processes in the organs of the respiratory system.

General recommendations and prevention

Clean your mouth regularly, don’t forget to brush your tongue;
enrich your diet with citrus fruits and foods that promote increased salivation, which will change your taste sensations;
try to use drugs that regulate stomach acidity less often;
do not eat food from metal utensils;
mouth rinse. You can use a solution of salt in water - 1 tsp. for 250 ml (glass) of water.

What measures should be taken

To find out the cause, the doctor will prescribe a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

A diagnosis can only be made after a detailed examination. In this case, it becomes clear which diagnostic measures will be used only after an anamnesis has been collected and the patient has been examined.

The most commonly ordered test in this situation is a blood test. The laboratory specialist will need blood from a finger. Using it, employees of a medical organization will determine the level of hemoglobin in the blood, the number of platelets, erythrocytes and leukocytes. Based on this information, we can conclude about the presence or absence of a viral disease or inflammatory processes in the body.

If a general finger blood test reveals pathologies, then an additional biochemical test will certainly be needed. It will reveal chemical indicators of the blood, including how transport proteins move, whether there is enough iron in the blood, and whether the necessary compounds are present. Biochemistry is not always prescribed; it is usually required if serious pathologies are suspected.

If diseases of the respiratory system, including the lungs, are suspected, an x-ray will be prescribed. With its help, you can determine existing dark spots on organs, and with the help of other methods, identify their nature, degree of danger, and the like.

Magnetic resonance or computer tomography is prescribed if previous studies have not revealed a clearly defined pathology. These studies are not always cheap, so ordinary public clinics try to do without them.