What is the reason for sour mouth

If there are some problems with our body organs, we will actually notice it through the body's reactions. Many friends experience sour taste in their mouth when eating. In fact, this is caused by problems with organs. So, what causes a sour taste in the mouth? In fact, to understand what these reasons are, we need to look at what traditional Chinese medicine says.

Sour mouth refers to the perception of a sour taste in the mouth. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "liver heat causes sour mouth" and "weak spleen and stomach qi, wood takes over the earth position and causes sour mouth". Therefore, sour mouth is mostly caused by spleen deficiency and excessive liver fire. The heat of the liver and gallbladder takes over the spleen, causing stomach fire to rise and stomach qi to rise. Symptoms can be seen such as nausea, vomiting of sour, bitter and yellow water, chest tightness and flank pain, abdominal distension after eating, thin yellow tongue coating, and stringy pulse. "Nineteen Articles on the Causes of Disease" in the "Inner Canon of Medicine": All vomiting of acid and sudden diarrhea are caused by heat. The stomach governs the six internal organs, and the function of the six internal organs is to be unobstructed. The smoothness of the stomach qi lies in its descending. Now the heat evil and the old food are combined and accumulated in the stomach. The stomach qi does not descend but instead rises upward, causing vomiting and acid reflux.

Etiology and pathogenesis

1. Liver heat

There is excess heat in the Liver meridian, or emotional distress, which turns into heat, or evil heat is contained in the liver and gallbladder. The liver belongs to the wood element, and its flavor is sour, so the liver heat rises and causes sourness in the mouth.

2. Improper diet

Overeating or excessive consumption of fatty, sweet and greasy foods will affect the functioning of the spleen and stomach, causing indigestion, stomach reflux and sour mouth.

3. Spleen deficiency and liver dysfunction

The spleen is usually weak, the liver meridian has excessive fire, the wood is weak and the earth is dominant, the disease is in the spleen, and it is a mixed syndrome of deficiency and excess.

Treating symptoms according to syndrome differentiation

1. Liver heat

Clinical manifestations: sour and bitter taste in the mouth, or even ulcers in the mouth and tongue, fullness and pain in the chest and flanks, impatience and irritability, or flushed face and dizziness, annoyance, dry stool, yellow urine, thin yellow tongue coating, red tongue, and slightly rapid and stringy pulse.

Treatment method: Soothe the liver and clear away heat.

Prescription: Chaihu Qinggan Yin or Danggui Longhui Wan.

2. Dietary restriction

Clinical manifestations: sour feeling in the mouth, or sour and rotten belching, poor appetite, abdominal distension and fullness, hard or loose and foul stools, or uncomfortable defecation, thick and greasy or yellow tongue coating, and slippery and strong pulse.

Treatment method: Digest food, relieve stagnation, harmonize the stomach and reduce qi.

Prescription: Baohe Pills or Muxiang Binglang Pills.

3. Spleen deficiency and liver dysfunction

Clinical manifestations: sour taste in the mouth, or vomiting of sour and bitter foods, or belching and sighing, loss of appetite, abdominal distension after eating, fatigue, loose stools, white tongue coating, and thin and stringy or slow and stringy pulse.

Treatment method: Strengthen the spleen and stomach, and calm the liver.

Prescription: Liujunzi Decoction combined with Zuojin Pills with modifications.

Preventive Care

The inducing factors should be eliminated, such as thoroughly treating chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, etc., and inhibiting gastric acid secretion. Avoid strong tea, coffee, spicy, hard and irritating foods and medicines, eat regularly, avoid overeating, and actively treat chronic infections in the mouth and throat.

People with excessive stomach acid should avoid acidic foods, large amounts of protein, sweets, etc. to avoid increased stomach acid secretion. It is advisable to eat fresh fruits, milk, eggs, soy milk, vegetable puree, porridge and other easily digestible foods.

Although sour taste in the mouth is related to the heat in the liver meridian, remember not to eat too much cold food to avoid further damage to the spleen and stomach.