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Salty taste

salty taste started after surgery to replace my eardurm. It has been 5 months and driving me crazy. The surgeon that did it has washed his hands of me and told me to go to an ENT specialist- that is what he is!! Any help?
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Avatar universal
What were the symptoms of your perilymph fistula and how did the doctor know? I have a strange saltly fluid coming from eustachian tube on left side, just had graft tympanoplasty, but the saltly taste is nothing new. I suspect the fistula but you know I dare not give my "diagnosis" to the doctor. I am also nauseated from time to time, dizzy, and extremely fatigued. I cannot do much, if I get a good day and do a little, then I am down for weeks. It is gradually getting worse.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

The sensation could be due to an ear infection. There are tubes called 'Eustachian  tubes' which connect the middle ear to the throat, this balances the air pressure in the ears. The collected secretions can drain through these tubes, causing the altered sensation in the mouth. The cause needs to be dealt with for cure. So, don't worry and discuss these options with your doctor.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
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152264 tn?1280354657
I had the salty taste on one side after perilymph fistula surgery (in which they have to cut open the eardrum in order to get to the middle ear). Doc never warned me about it.

The salty taste is caused by irritation of the chorda tympani nerve, which runs across the eardrum and is involved in taste sensation.

Don't worry, mine lasted for many months or maybe it was even closer to a year; I don't remember. But I DO know that it went away ENTIRELY. Yours undoubtedly will too. It just takes months and months for nerves to heal completely.

I remember that the salty taste was often triggered by eating something cold, sweet, and milky, such as ice cream or sweetened cereal with milk. But it would happen on its own, too. Sometimes it was so strong I was sure something was bleeding in my mouth; I'd take a piece of white paper and stick into my mouth on that side, but of course there was never any blood! Just the phantom salty taste.

Surgeons won't care about this because it's just a sensory problem (doesn't affect function) and they know it will go away with time. I wish they'd warn patients ahead of time, though. I wouldn't even bother asking your doctor. There is nothing they can do about it anyway. Time will take care of it. Sorry!

Nancy
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