If you suffer from a foul taste in the back of your throat, read what this ear, nose and throat doctor has to say about this annoying problem.
Have you been suffering from a foul taste in the back of your throat, even though this cannot be explained by anything you’ve eaten or otherwise ingested?
“Foul taste in the throat can be from: chronic sinus problems, acid reflux or tonsil stones,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
Tonsil stones can result, says Dr. Silvers, from the buildup of mucous and old food in the tonsil cavities.
These tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths, are small, calcified formations that develop within the crypts or crevices of the tonsils.
Over time, these materials can become trapped in the tonsil’s natural folds and pockets, where they gradually undergo a process of mineralization.
As the debris continues to collect and the stones increase in size, they can contribute to discomfort, bad breath and a sour or foul taste in the back of your throat.
As gross as this sounds, the good news is that it’s not a serious issue such as cancer.
Sinus Infection
“A chronic sinus infection can have a sour tasting mucous that can drip in the throat; more severe foul taste is noted with an acute infection,” contiues Dr. Silvers.
Acid Reflux
“Acid reflux causes stomach acid to come up, causing many patients to experience a sour taste and bad breath.”
Acid Reflux. Image: BruceBlaus
Another cause of a foul taste in the back of the throat can be stress and anxiety.
Dr. Silvers says that stress is a major contributing factor to the issue of acid reflux.
When you get stressed out, this triggers a cascade of responses in your body.
One of these responses includes an increase in stomach acid production.
The body’s stress response can lead to elevated levels of hormones such as cortisol, which in turn can stimulate the stomach to produce more acid than usual.
As the production of stomach acid increases, the likelihood of acid reflux also rises.
When the acid levels become too high, the lower muscle at the bottom of the esophagus, that adjoins the stomach, may not be able to hold back the acid.
The result? This acid gets past the muscle and into the esophagus.
But the refluxed acid can also get up into the throat, leading to that foul taste in the back and even in the mouth itself.
When acid travels up to the throat and causes symptoms (including a lump feeling, cough and burning sensation), this is called laryngeal-pharyngeal reflux (LPR).
Hiatal Hernia
The annoying symptom of a bad taste in the throat can also be caused by a hiatal hernia, which can cause or aggravate GERD and LPR.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/puhhha
