Acetone taste in the mouth is an unpleasant chemical taste in the mouth. The symptom is often combined with nausea and vomiting, a progressive deterioration in well-being. Acetone taste occurs due to fasting or long-term adherence to a strict diet, with diabetes and non-diabetic ketoacidosis, liver and kidney diseases. To establish the causes of the sensation of acetone, blood tests, ultrasound, CT, and a neurological examination are prescribed. To eliminate a specific taste in the mouth, infusions of saline solutions, hormonal preparations, and antibiotics are used.
With a long-term restriction in carbohydrates, which are the main "fuel material", the body begins to use reserves of proteins and fats to obtain energy. Massive breakdown of fats is accompanied by the formation of ketone bodies (hydroxybutyric, acetoacetic acids), which determine the characteristic taste. These substances penetrate into saliva, so a person is constantly worried about an irritating chemical aftertaste.
The symptom is detected in women who follow the Kremlin, French and other low-calorie diets. Acetone in the mouth is most felt in the morning, after breakfast and brushing the teeth, the intensity of taste discomfort decreases. In severe cases, the urine also acquires the smell of acetone, the sour aroma of “soaked apples” comes from the breath and is noticeable by others at a distance of up to 1 m. The accumulation of ketone bodies is toxic to the brain, so you should immediately consult a doctor.
Ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages changes the normal course of biochemical reactions, activates catabolic processes and the synthesis of ketone compounds. An unpleasant aftertaste occurs in the mouth the next morning after a heavy feast, combined with alcohol intoxication, while the taste of acetone is mixed with bitterness or a sour aftertaste, so a person does not always highlight a specific chemical aftertaste. The disorder resolves on its own within 1 day.
In people suffering from alcoholism, the taste of acetone is observed regularly, more often in the morning. Its appearance is caused by severe disorders of the liver and digestive system, lack of vitamins. The condition is exacerbated by drinking large amounts of alcohol on an empty stomach. In this case, in addition to the acetone taste, there may be a sharp chemical smell from the mouth, frequent and noisy breathing, impaired consciousness.
An increase in ketone bodies is possible in professional athletes, men involved in bodybuilding, during the drying period. With the restriction of carbohydrates, the body begins to actively consume fats in order to cover the increasing energy needs. Unpleasant taste can appear at any time of the day. The symptom is short, disappears after rinsing the mouth with water or eating. A constant strong taste of acetone is an indication for a visit to a specialist.
The condition is typical for childhood, most often its symptoms are determined in children 5-6 years old. The child becomes lethargic, complains of nausea, older children notice an unusual taste in the mouth, which they cannot clearly describe. Against the background of these symptoms, repeated vomiting opens, the vomit has a specific acetone smell. If the taste of acetone and episodes of vomiting appear periodically for no apparent reason, they speak of an idiopathic variant of the syndrome.
Often there is a secondary acetonemic syndrome, which is caused by somatic or infectious diseases. In this case, against the background of general malaise, children complain of an unpleasant taste of acetone in the mouth, severe nausea, and patients refuse to eat. Vomiting begins, after which the child becomes even worse. The disorder is sometimes observed in high fever, after the removal of the tonsils.
Hormonal changes in the body of a pregnant woman are common causes of the taste of acetone in the mouth. Sometimes a symptom is observed during normal gestation, more often in the first trimester, when various changes in taste sensations occur. Pregnant women note that the taste appears after eating certain foods, coffee or tea. The symptom does not require treatment and usually disappears on its own in the second half of the gestational age.
As a rule, pathological causes lead to the sensation in the mouth of acetone taste. Most often it develops with early toxicosis. Pregnant women complain of a strong unpleasant aftertaste that occurs against the background of excruciating nausea and vomiting. Due to forced starvation, proteins and fats are broken down in the body, therefore, with prolonged toxicosis, taste discomfort increases. Sometimes the taste of acetone is formed in the 2-3 trimesters, which is associated with preeclampsia in pregnant women.
The taste of acetone is not typical for the initial period of the disease. More often it occurs with a long course of diabetes mellitus against the background of intercurrent diseases. An unpleasant taste is accompanied by severe dryness in the mouth and excruciating thirst, forcing patients to drink 5-7 liters of water per day. The taste sensation disturbs a person all the time, even brushing your teeth and eating does not get rid of it. The symptom is much more common in young people who have type 1 diabetes.
The accumulation of ketone compounds in the blood in the absence of insulin is the most formidable complication of diabetes mellitus. Predisposing causes: missed insulin injection, hard physical work, fever. The severity of ketoacidosis increases gradually over 1-2 days: first, a slight taste of acetone appears, thirst increases, then general weakness increases, breathing becomes frequent and noisy, an acetone smell is heard from the exhaled air.
Ketoacidosis is often the first manifestation of diabetes in children. Symptoms occur in the midst of complete well-being, the child often cannot describe the unpleasant aftertaste that has appeared. The condition worsens very quickly, over several hours. Parents pay attention to the sharp acetone smell from the mouth. If medical care is not provided, loss of consciousness and the development of a precoma are possible.
An increase in the level of thyroxine in the blood leads to an acceleration of metabolism and an intensive breakdown of protein compounds. Patients with hyperthyroidism report an unpleasant acetone taste that appears without any reason. The symptom is observed periodically, the taste of acetone decreases after brushing your teeth. The severity of uncomfortable taste sensations increases with dehydration, prolonged exposure to the sun in the hot season.
With the failure of the hepatic parenchyma in the body, the neutralization of toxic compounds is disrupted, and incompletely oxidized metabolic products accumulate in the blood. Chemical compounds penetrate the salivary glands and are released into the oral cavity, causing an unpleasant aftertaste, described by patients as the taste of acetone, a solvent. Chronic liver damage is characterized by the periodic appearance of a symptom, often against the background of errors in the diet.
In acute liver failure, symptoms occur within hours. Unpleasant sensations in the mouth are accompanied by severe weakness and impaired consciousness, yellowing of the skin. The patient's breath acquires a typical sweetish "liver" chemical odor. The main reasons that provoke liver failure and the appearance of an acetone taste in the mouth:
The taste of acetone always appears in violation of the kidneys, because the body cannot remove toxic ketone bodies. The symptom is more often detected in the chronic form of the disease, when there is a gradual intoxication of the body with nitrogen metabolism products. The bad taste persists. The smell of acetone in the exhaled air is felt even at a distance. The bad taste causes nausea and loss of appetite.
Sometimes the presence of acetone taste indicates the development of acute renal failure. Patients feel a strong chemical taste in the mouth, which is combined with repeated vomiting, dryness of the oral mucosa. In addition to atypical taste discomfort, the patient notices a decrease in the amount of urine up to a complete absence of urination during the day.
People with schizophrenia often complain about the chemical taste in their mouths. The symptom is associated with delusional ideas of poisoning, when a person believes that neighbors or loved ones want him dead. This results in an imaginary acetone taste, usually after ingestion of food or water. In elderly patients, unusual taste sensations that appear without an obvious cause can be caused by senile dementia and a progressive disruption of the functioning of all parts of the nervous system.
The primary examination of patients is carried out by a general practitioner who, upon detection of pathognomonic signs of a lesion of a certain organ, gives a referral to a highly specialized specialist. To find out why there was a taste of acetone in the mouth, advanced laboratory tests and modern instrumental studies are prescribed. The most informative in terms of diagnostics are:
To verify the cause of unpleasant taste sensations in case of suspected exogenous intoxication, an extended toxicological blood test is indicative. Virological studies are necessary for the diagnosis of viral hepatitis. For patients with inappropriate behavior, an examination by a neurologist or psychiatrist, an EEG is mandatory. In the diagnosis of renal failure, data on GFR and creatinine clearance are informative.
The taste of acetone, which is caused by conscious dietary restrictions, can be eliminated on your own. To reduce the level of ketone bodies, a sufficient amount of carbohydrates must be added to the diet (at least 45-50% of the daily calorie intake). At the same time, it is important to increase fluid intake to 2.5-3 liters, due to which toxins will be excreted from the body with urine.
Athletes need to clearly control their menu, increase the caloric content of food for a period of intense training or preparation for competitions. To eliminate the nauseating acetone taste, regularly rinse your mouth with water or a special herbal solution for oral care. With a combination of an uncomfortable taste with weakness, severe headaches, impaired consciousness, emergency medical care is needed.
In severe ketoacidosis, accompanied by an acetone taste in the mouth, medical tactics do not depend on the cause of the disorder. First, general measures are taken to detoxify the body and eliminate the immediate threat to health, after stabilization of the condition, etiotropic and pathogenetic medicines are prescribed. Most often, the treatment regimen includes drugs such as: