DR ELLIE CANNON: What a strange taste in your mouth can tell you about your health By Dr Ellie Cannon For The Mail On Sunday Published: 11:40, 16 June 2024 | Updated: 11:41, 16 June 2024 e-mail View comments Q: I regularly have a perfumed, flowery taste in my mouth. I have recently been treated for anaemia but my levels are now apparently back to normal. Could the problems be connected or is something else the cause? Dr Ellie Cannon replies: It is entirely feasible that this strange taste could be caused by anaemia – but it's important to explore other possibilities.
Anaemia, an iron deficiency, occurs when the body does not produce enough red blood cells due to a lack of iron. This often causes tiredness, shortness of breath or heart palpitations. An altered sense of taste is an uncommon side effect of anaemia, but it can also be down to a virus or medications, for example One uncommon side effect is an altered sense of taste – such as a flowery flavour.
When a patient has anaemia, their GP will usually check their haemoglobin and ferritin levels. Haemoglobin is a protein found in the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body and gives blood its red colour. Ferritin is another blood protein which stores iron.
Anaemia patients usually have low levels of both. They will be encouraged to eat a more iron-rich diet: leafy vegetables; pulses and beans; nuts and seeds; and meat, fish and tofu – or take iron supplements to boost levels. If, as you mentioned, your haemo.
