What Causes Blood in Saliva in the Morning?

It may be scary to have blood in your saliva in the morning. When blood is present in saliva, the reason does not have to be always the bleeding mouth cavity but may hint at something else too. It is important to consider the causes of blood in saliva in the morning.

When we try to understand why you have blood in your saliva in the morning, it is necessary to understand about the surrounding structures and other influencing factors.

Nose, larynx and esophagus are connected with mouth so when you have blood in saliva in the morning, it can be related to these structures. When there are issues in the nasal cavity, saliva may carry that blood out as well. Blood in saliva in the morning may result from stomach ulcer as the mouth communicates with stomach and bleeding stomach ulcers can also cause blood in saliva.

Having blood in your saliva in the morning could be a life threatening sign. The color of the blood, the thickness and also the frequency of blood spit should be considered. The color could be pink, red or bright red or crimson, full of froth or mucus mixed. Blood spit may result from coughing, or may be just present in the saliva in the morning or blood may come out every now and then. It may be associated with pain in the mouth, cough, stomach pain or other symptoms depending on the underlying cause of blood in saliva in the morning. Hence, this condition needs a thorough understanding of the possible causes of having blood in saliva.

There are several reasons why saliva turns blood smeared. Here are few possible reasons of why you have blood in your saliva in the morning.

• Improper Brushing – If brushing is not done properly or if you vigorously brush your teeth, it can cause blood in saliva in the morning. It hurts the gum, injures it, so naturally blood comes out and changes the color of the saliva.
• Ill-fitting Dentures – Ill-fitting dentures are often a reason why you have blood in your saliva in the morning. When improper fitting dentures are worn or when dentures are worn at night, there are high chances that the artificial dentures can cause injury to the gums, which results in bleeding.
• Dryness – Throat, nose and the lining of the mouth usually remains moist but during winter or during other health conditions, these areas tend to dry. Such dry areas may ooze out blood and mix with saliva especially when you are sleeping. This too is another common cause of having blood in your saliva in the morning.
• Drugs – Consumption of certain drugs taken for shaping up their body, increasing strength or enhancing sexual oomph, can harm the body and can sometimes cause blood in your saliva in the morning.

Apart from the common causes, there are few medical conditions that can be a cause of having blood in saliva in the morning.

When there is gum problem, for example gingivitis, there may be blood in your saliva. Due to gingivitis, gums become weaker and while sleeping it oozes out blood which in morning comes out with saliva. With morning brushing, the gum bleed and that is why you have blood in your saliva in the morning.

Apthous ulcers, is a common condition, which causes soreness in the mouth. When mouth is having this ulcers, mouth and tongue may bleed especially when food is chewed or the ulcerous area is bitten. The ulcers often become sore and are painful. This is one of the commonest causes of having blood in your saliva in the morning.

Certain infections can cause bleeding in the mouth and can be a reason why you have blood in your saliva in the morning. Some of the common infections are acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG), periodontitis, Gonorrhea, tooth cavity (decay) and syphilis. Viral infections in immunocompromised patients, diabetic and HIV patients and infections like Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) can be some of the causes.

If you have nutritional deficiencies, bleeding from gums or bleeding in the mouth is common, because of which you can have blood in saliva in the morning. For e.g. nutritional deficiencies like scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), pellagra (vitamin B3 deficiency) and iron-deficiency anemia (iron deficiency).

Cancer is one of the leading causes of bleeding in the mouth, which can result in blood in saliva in the morning. In oral cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, blood tends to ooze in mouth and may have blood in saliva in the morning. Also, in bleeding disorders like thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, Von Willebrand’s disease, thrombocytopenia and hemophilia there may be blood in saliva.

It is often seen that smoking can sometimes cause having blood in saliva in the morning. As smoking can affect the gums and even increase the risk of respiratory problems including cancer, the chances of bleeding are high, which can result in blood in saliva.

It is important to know the underlying cause of blood in saliva to get the right treatment. Seeking medical advice can help, depending on the severity of the condition and associated symptoms. If blood in saliva in the morning is due to gum or tooth problems, they need to be fixed. If it is associated with nasal congestion or coughing, taking cold and cough relieving medications and syrups can help.

It is important to seek immediate medical attention, if there is continuous blood in saliva, which does not stop. Also, if there is an injury or blood in saliva, which has resulted after consumption of a particular substance or certain drugs, immediate medical care is required.

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Also Read:

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• What Causes Excess Saliva When Sick & How to Stop it?
• What Causes Excess Salivation While Talking & How to Reduce it?
• Can Genital Herpes Be Transmitted Through Saliva?