s such as Herpes and the HPV virus
may contribute to bad breath.
Have you also noticed that you wouldn’t want to talk to anyone when you wake up in the morning because of your morning dragon breath?
When your mouth is exposed to less oxygen, like when you are sleeping, the mouth becomes moist, making it a perfect place for bacteria to grow and replicate, causing the foul odor.
When you are sleeping, the body produces less saliva to wash away food and odors.This results to a dryer mouth, making dead cells adhere to your tongue and other places in the mouth.
Can certain foods cause bad breath?
Garlic, onions, fish, cheese and meat are notorious for giving your mouth the foul smell. Smoking and alcohol are major culprits as well, but taking great care in properly brushing and flossing of your teeth using a special mouthwash can stop halitosis on its tracks.
Some people swear by this product, by the way
Other Causes of Halitosis
Halitosis isn’t life threatening and can be cured, don’t worry.
Regular dental visits and regular cleaning stops cavities and gum disease.
Dentists can also help you address dry mouth and infections which can cause bad breath.
Having a medical check-up when you have a sore or inflamed throat, sinusitis, acid reflux and respiratory infections should also be done.
And oh, don’t ignore it when the foam from your toothpaste turns pink when you are brushing!
Pink foam is caused by red or swollen gums that bleed after flossing or brushing. You may have gingivitis or a gum infection.
Sometimes, a pocket of pus or abscess forms at the gum line or in between your teeth. This may be a bacterial infection. Open sores on the gum or tongue can also cause bad breath.
Stress can also cause dry mouth.
You have dry mouth if you have difficulty speaking, swallowing foods, you feel burning in your mouth area and you have dry eyes.
A simple way to keep your mouth hydrated is to drink lots of water. You can also use sugar-free gums and mints to stimulate the salivary glands.
And oh, sometimes, we don’t know our mouth stinks, but it does!
That’s because the odor detectors in our nose can get used to the smell.
Have a family member or close friend confirm that your mouth stinks so that you can fix your embarrassing problem.
More Symptoms and Causes of Halitosis
Halitosis sometimes happen because of some medical conditions such as:
- liver or lung disease,
- acid reflux,
- sinus problems, and
- kidney disease or kidney failure.
Sore throat, fever, swollen glands in the neck area, runny or stuffy nose with yellow or green discharge, or a cough with mucus can also cause halitosis.
A doctor or a dentist can also determine your medical issues by the nature of your breath odor.
For instance, if your breath smells like urine, you may need to be tested for kidney disease or kidney failure.
If your breath is sort of fruity, it could be a sign of diabetes.
Acid reflux does not commonly cause halitosis, but when the contents of your stomach are brought up into the esophagus, it produces a flow of gas and odors from substances within the stomach, causing bad breath.
Chronic caseous tonsillitis is emitted from the tonsils in the form of a cheese-like substance causing inflammation and sometimes abscesses and causing the resulting halitosis.
Systemic diseases such as diabetes, carcinoma, respiratory (bronchial and lung) infections, liver failure, renal failure, trimethylaminuria (fish odor) syndrome, diabetes and certain types of metabolic conditions could cause bad breath, but are rare occurrences in the general population.
Only a small section of the adult population may suffer from a condition called delusional halitosis. This is a condition where the person affected thinks he has bad breath and may even seek professional advice for it.
It’s a much exaggerated condition where the person is positive he has halitosis and his life becomes affected by it, even though those around him do not notice any sign of foul smelling breath.
Testing and Seeking Help for Halitosis
A visit to the dentist should be your first option for seeking testin