Bad Breath- What May be Causing It?
Putrid! Awful smell, Hell rising from your mouth. It must be halitosis, or simply bad breath.
Many people are put off by halitosis. If you’re lucky the person you are talking to may not say anything but at any rate, halitosis is embarrassing. But what may be causing it?
Poor dental hygiene
Among the most common causes of bad breathe, poor dental hygiene takes the primary position. Failure to cleanse and remove food debris from the mouth could instantly cause bad breath. Ingredients from tooth paste and mouthwashes are specifically manufactured to improve breath and to cover any traces of unwanted smell.
Hunger
One of the most common causes of bad breath is hunger. For most people, hunger only leads to grumbling sounds from the stomach but for some, bad breath is an obvious symptom of bad smelling breath.
Dry mouth
One of the most mundane reasons why bad breath develops is dry mouth. If the mouth fails to receive substantial moisture for an extended period of time, chances are the mouth will develop a smell. This often happens in the morning right after you wake up but it could also happen when you don’t open your mouth for a few hours. Dry mouth or xerostomia is a condition of lowered production of saliva. On the average, your mouth produces 4 to 6 cups of saliva per day. A slightly lower rate could lead to xerostomia. This condition is characterized by excessive dryness of the mouth but under aggravated condition, xerostomia could lead to burning sensation in the mouth. The leading cause of mouth dryness is insufficient supply of water and other fluids in the body and the use of certain medications. Up to date, there are some 400 identified prescription and non-prescription drugs that could cause mouth dryness.
Xerostomia leads to bad breath because it causes concentration of odor-producing bacteria. Due to insufficient production of saliva, there is lesser fluid to flush and cleanse the bacteria in the mouth. This leads to the accumulation of bacteria in the oral cavity. A dry mouth readies the condition in the mouth for the Volatile Sulfur Compounds to be sent to the air.
Something you just ate. Some foods like garlic, cabbage and onion, AND beverages like coffee, alcohol and tea could instantly cause bad breath after consumption.
Smoking
Smoking residues such as nicotine and tar could add smell to the mouth. These residues would coat the tongue, the teeth and even the lungs which can further inhibit the circulation of good smelling breath.
Systematic diseases
Several diseases could cause and contribute to bad breath. Such conditions include liver failure, renal failure and infections, infections in the lower respiratory tract, metabolic dysfunctions, carcinoma, and diabetes milletus.
Knowing the cause alone may not be helpful though if further actions are not taken. Before you go to the doctor, perform self-examination first. Apart from giving you an idea of how serious your oral problem is, self-diagnosis could also help you start a conscious preventive practice towards better smelling breath.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
what could be the problem with my gastrointestional tract that could cause bad breath and body odor?
has good oral hygiene and wash every day with excellent soap. i have had a very bad case of bad breath and also a bad taste in mouth that wont go away. even after washing the body odor doesn’t ease up some. they say that sometimes bad breath can come from a problem with the stomach what could this be. please help in that my social life is gone. a few mints and even chewing gum doesnt help. and also no dental problems either-
ANSWER:
Empty stomach, digestive disorders like infection of the digestive tract, constipation and infection of the stomach are some digestion related problems that make up the second most common list of causes of halitosis or bad breath.Garlic and curry, and other similarly spiced up foods which basically contain onion, hot peppers and other spices. Spices tend to stay and re-circulate through essential oils they leave in your mouth.
Cheese – It gets a hold on your breath and doesn’t let it go. Sometimes, other dairy products too are responsible for bad breath.
Fish like tuna and anchovies, and spicy deli meats like salami and pepperoni also leave their respective peculiar smell long after you have had them.
While there are plenty of short-term products such as gums and fresheners on the market, most do not last more than a couple of hours and tend to only mask the bad breath rather than address underlying causes.
For this reason, many people are now turning to natural herbal and homeopathic ingredients such as Kali. Phos, Silica and Sweet Fennel to successfully help them with halitosis. Kali. Phos is well known for its antiseptic and cleansing properties and is effective at addressing putrefactive conditions such as halitosis, foul smelling flatulence and stools.
Silica works by cleansing the cells of toxins and ridding the body of bad odors, while addressing some of the underlying causes of bad breath such as gum disease, sinus infections and mouth abscess. Lastly, sweet fennel has a long history of use for treating digestion problems and is a popular aid to sweeten the breath.
You may get additional details here http://www.healthherbsandnutrition.com/remedies/h/halitosis.htm
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QUESTION:
What are the things that can cause bad breath?? 10 points!!?
Please give me a very informative answer.Is breathing through your mouth can cause bad breath?
Is eating menthol candy can cause bad breath?
Is eating too much meat can cause bad breath?
Is being not the talkative can cause bad breath?
Is having a bad posture can cause bad breath?
Is having lack of exercise can cause bad breath?
Please tell me. I really need this
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ANSWER:
The main reasons for bad breath is that people don’t brush their tongue which is where a lot the bacteria resides causing them to have bad breath.-amy
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QUESTION:
Does a tongue need be cleaned with a tongue cleaner, and do tongues cause bad breath?
Such as those new toothbrushes with the tongue and cheek cleaner on the end of them, and do human tongues contain a lot of bacteria (bad bacteria) on them?I don’t see what difference it makes, cleaning your tongue and even the inside of your cheeks.
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ANSWER:
use a tongue scraper & scrape the stuff from your tongue & smell it & see if you like it. If you do like it then dont clean yout tongue, keep it safe & store it for as long as you want.
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QUESTION:
What is the major major cause of bad breath?
In my opinion bad digestion leads to bad breath.
Can you tell me what is the best remedy for bad breath without taking any prescription drug?
I already tried high fiber diet, a lot of vegetables, fruits and green salad.-
ANSWER:
gum disease
stomach issues
poor hygene
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QUESTION:
does too much acidity in stomach cause bad breath?
my classmate has very severe bad breath, it stinks even from a meter away… and i am so shy to tell her so better research first on what could be its cause… she has mentioned me that she was confined to the hospital because of too much acidity in stomach.. so i’m wondering if that would be its cause.. so that i can approach her confidently and in a way that i’m really concern regarding her breath.. please help me.. your answers will be highly appreciated.. thank you…-
ANSWER:
Any instability in the stomach can cause bad breath. A lot of GP’s verify acid stomach and don’t look further because the patient has failed to mention that they have had sinus problems or bad teeth. Not only will these also cause bad breath but will also cause hyperacidity.
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