Mouth symptoms can have tons of causes, and yes, some include cancer.
The mouth can experience a wide range of issues, some benign and others potentially life-threatening.
While many people worry about oral cancer, particularly linked to smoking and heavy drinking, it’s important to recognize that other conditions, like melanoma, can also affect the mouth.
Oral melanoma is extremely rare but shows that this often-deadly form of skin cancer can arise even in the darkets of places.
Melanoma in the mouth can present as unusual spots or lesions, often going unnoticed until they cause significant symptoms.
Dry Mouth
Shutterstock/Tyler Olson
Excessive mouth dryness, not linked to hydration levels, can be uncomfortable and misleading.
Even if someone feels the urge to drink water, they might not be genuinely thirsty, but rather, experiencing a sensation akin to having cotton wads between their teeth and inner cheeks.
This feeling can stem from various causes, including the side effects of certain medications, which can reduce saliva production and lead to a dry, cotton-like sensation.
Another possible cause is a yeast infection in the mouth, which can contribute to dryness and discomfort.
Addressing the underlying cause, whether by adjusting medication or treating an infection, is essential for relief.
If your dry mouth has come on suddenly, here’s information on that: sudden-onset dry mouth.
Metal Taste
Having a persistent taste of coins or nuts and bolts in one’s mouth is a lot more intolerable than the cottony dry feel.
A persistent taste of coins or nuts and bolts can be quite unbearable.
This awful metal taste can significantly impact quality of life, making eating and drinking less enjoyable.
A number of conditions can cause a metal taste in one’s mouth.
Salty Taste
When you eat salty foods, you should not continue to have a salty sensation on your tongue once the food is long-gone eaten.
Whether it’s pretzels, crackers, fries or vegetables that were heavily salted, there should not be a lingering salty taste on your tongue.
But if you’ve been experiencing this, there are causes and solutions.
Coughing
Shutterstock/Aaron Amat
You have no cold, no nasal drip, no flu, so why do you keep coughing — like every few minutes?
Well, ask yourself if you’ve been subjected to much more anxiety than usual. Why stress can cause constant coughing.
Unexplained symptoms involving the mouth or throat should never be dismissed.
These symptoms can indicate underlying health issues that require prompt attention.
Many people are reluctant to see their doctor about a “bad taste” in the mouth or a cotton-like sensation.
But if it’s enough to make you wonder; if it’s enough to distract you or impair the quality of your recreational time — then it’s certainly important enough to bring to your physician’s attention.
Depending on the underlying cause, the treatment could be fairly simple with quick results.
