Bad breath (halitosis) can “poison” a person’s normal life. It often becomes a problem in communication (especially intimate ones) and affects overall well-being (due to depression of mood associated with the problem). This phenomenon can be easily eliminated using simple methods if you know exactly the cause of the symptom. Considering that halitosis is rarely an independent manifestation (when consuming certain foods), but occurs as a syndrome of various diseases, elimination is possible only after determining the true cause. Masking a bad odor without eliminating the cause is ineffective and only works for a certain period of time.
If, with proper care, you are bothered by bad breath, you should pay attention to your health. An unpleasant odor can be a manifestation of many pathologies of internal organs and systems.
Causes of bad breath
Bad breath can have different causes, physiological or pathological.
Physiological can occur when:
- violation of hygiene measures;
- fasting or strict diets;
- bad habits (especially drinking alcohol and smoking);
- taking certain medications.
Eliminating bad breath of this nature is not difficult. It is enough to strengthen your oral hygiene and use camouflage products.
However, this symptom is not always harmless; there are diseases of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory and endocrine systems that manifest themselves as halitosis.
Each disease has its own reflection; halitosis can have the following character:
- putrid (rotting);
- feces;
- acetone;
- sour;
- rotten eggs;
- ammonia;
- sweet.
Taking into account the assessment of the unpleasant odor, the doctor can determine the direction in which to look for the problem.
Types of halitosis
There are situations when an unpleasant odor is present only in the patient’s consciousness. Before you start looking for treatment options, you should make sure that the unpleasant syndrome is true. In medicine, the following types of halitosis are distinguished:
- true - perceptible to others;
- pseudohalitosis - insignificant, noticeable by strangers only upon close contact;
- halitophobia - people around do not notice the problems, and the patient is convinced of bad breath.
For pseudohalitosis, it is enough to clean the oral cavity more thoroughly or additionally add mouthwash to your daily care.
Putrefactive
A putrid odor from the mouth may indicate pathological processes in the oral cavity:
- stomatitis;
- caries;
- pathologies of the salivary glands;
- dental plaque;
- periodontal disease.
Respiratory system diseases:
- sinusitis;
- angina;
- inflammatory processes of the lungs;
- allergic rhinitis;
- bronchitis.
An equally common cause of putrid breath is diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including the body’s reaction to alcohol intake and tobacco abuse.
Halitosis is a serious symptom that requires rapid elimination
Stool smell
The smell of feces will be caused by intestinal pathology: obstruction, constipation, impaired motor function. Anorexia is accompanied by processes of rotting and fermentation and is manifested by the smell of feces. Respiratory infections rarely produce a fecal odor.
Acetone
The most harmless process that causes the smell of acetone is indigestion, but other causes are a very alarming signal and often reflect damage to the pancreas (diabetes mellitus). Breathing acetone can also cause liver or kidney damage.
Diabetes
When there is a significant excess of blood sugar, a large number of ketone bodies (which have an odor similar to acetone) are formed in the body. The kidneys cannot cope with the load of removing excess sugar breakdown products and the lungs are involved in the process. Bad breath is caused by the release of ketone bodies through the respiratory system.
Advice. If you smell acetone from your family and friends, you should immediately hospitalize such people. The smell of acetone is a harbinger of diabetic coma.
Hyperthyroid crisis
In severe cases of hyperthyroidism (a condition accompanied by excess thyroid hormones), a serious complication may occur - a crisis. The smell of acetone from the mouth and urine, muscle weakness and tremors, a sharp drop in blood pressure accompanied by tachycardia, vomiting, and high body temperature are detected. All these signs require emergency hospitalization. Self-medication is impossible.
Kidney diseases
Violation of the excretory ability of the kidneys (acute renal failure, renal dystrophy, nephrosis) also has an acetone odor.
Important. When detecting an acetone tint in the breath, this is the basis for urgently seeking medical help. This symptom is not harmless and precedes serious conditions.
Sweet
Sweetish breath usually accompanies people suffering from diabetes or a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients in the body. Careful oral hygiene cannot eliminate the cause. Here you cannot do without full-fledged treatment.
Masking bad breath does not solve the problem in case of serious pathology; the use of odor-eliminating agents has a short-term effect
Sour
Sour breath is caused by increased stomach acidity and diseases accompanied by excess hydrochloric acid secretion: gastritis, ulcers, esophageal diverticulitis, pancreatitis. In addition to the smell, heartburn with nausea is often expressed.
Rotten eggs
The smell of rotten eggs in the mouth often occurs due to stomach pathologies, namely poisoning or gastritis with low acidity.
Ammoniacal
Ammonia breathing occurs when kidney function is impaired.
Stomach diseases
Stomach diseases, which most often manifest as unpleasant breathing, are infectious in nature. The main cause of this symptom is Helicobacter infection.
Important. When one family member becomes infected, the infection spreads among all residents of the apartment. However, not everyone gets the disease. Carrying the bacteria does not cause significant harm as long as the immune system remains normal. When the body's defenses are weakened, the harmful agent begins to multiply, releasing toxins, which cause gastritis, ulcers, polyposis and the formation of malignant tumors. The listed diseases often manifest themselves as unpleasant breathing.
Bad breath with gastritis occurs in forms with low acidity. In addition to inflammation of the mucous membrane, another condition is necessary for the sensation of bad breath - a violation of the closure of the alimentary sphincter. This pathology allows odor to penetrate into the oral cavity through the esophagus. If the sphincter is working normally, there will be no smell.
Important. Stomach diseases are not always accompanied by pain at the initial level. Symptoms such as bad breath, heartburn, nausea, and the formation of a white coating on the tongue should be a signal to visit a gastroenterologist. Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of gastrointestinal diseases will allow you to count on a quick resolution of the disease. Lack of timely correction of impaired functions can lead to the development of ulcers and cancer, which are prone to unfavorable outcomes.
Treatment for stomach diseases
After making a diagnosis and identifying concomitant diseases, the doctor selects the required volume of treatment measures, which includes nutrition, drug therapy and traditional medicine.
Stomach diseases are a common cause of unpleasant amber.
When the formation of bad breath due to the stomach is confirmed, drug treatment is usually prescribed, followed by a transition to traditional methods of therapy and a maintenance regimen.
Most used medications:
- Almagel is prescribed for gastritis and stomach ulcers. Has an analgesic and protective effect on the stomach;
- Omez helps improve the breakdown of food, which prevents rotting. Thereby eliminating the unpleasant odor;
- Antibacterial drugs are prescribed when inflammation is confirmed. The drug and course of treatment are selected depending on the stage of the disease and the form of the inflammatory process;
- Creon, Pancreotin, Festal - enzymatic preparations allow you to get rid of unpleasant odors by accelerating the process of breaking down food. Helps improve digestion and activate intestinal motor function. In addition to malicious amber, it relieves pain in the gastrointestinal tract.
Advice. Treatment with drugs should be prescribed by a specialist, based on the results of the study. Self-medication is not acceptable, even if the problem reoccurs after a certain time, previously prescribed therapy may not only be ineffective, but also aggravate the process.
How to determine if you have bad breath
You can find out if you have bad breath at home by performing one of the tests:
- fold your palms into a handful and exhale sharply, the lack of freshness will be immediately felt;
- spoon test. Swipe your tongue several times and identify the smell, so you will know what your breath smells like;
- By licking your wrist you can recognize the presence of the smell at the front of the tongue, but it should be borne in mind that what is caught from the wrist does not have a clearly defined pattern; the smell is stronger from the root of the tongue. If there is unpleasant breathing, the pathology should already be determined.
Bad breath can be indicated by unpleasant sensations in the mouth (discomfort, dryness, burning, pain or taste). Any violation must be noticed and eliminated - this will be the best prevention of problems.
Who to contact
To find out the reasons that can cause bad breath, you should visit a specialist:
- dentist;
- therapist (gastroenterologist, pulmonologist);
- surgeon.
Halitosis due to oral diseases carries more weight among other causes, the first thing you should do is visit a dentist
The list of specialists is presented in descending order according to the percentage of diseases accompanied by an unpleasant symptom. Most often, the cause lies in damage to the oral cavity, which is determined and eliminated when visiting a dentist and ENT (80%). However, in the absence of oral pathology, it is necessary to continue to search for the cause, and after identifying it, undergo a course of treatment. During treatment, strengthening hygiene procedures will improve the respiratory condition. In the absence of proper care, the unpleasant aroma only intensifies.
General principles of treatment of halitosis
Eliminating the cause of the symptom is the main principle of treating bad breath.
Each disease requires a special approach, however, with any manifestation, it is important to strengthen control over the condition of the oral cavity and use means that eliminate the unpleasant symptom (brushing your teeth, mouthwash, rinsing with herbs, using chewing gum and lozenges). Methods for eliminating bad breath will depend on the diagnosis:
- in case of inflammation - the use of antibacterial therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- for chronic tonsillitis - removal of tonsils;
- sinusitis - puncture and rinsing of the sinuses;
- caries - sanitation of the oral cavity and treatment of affected teeth;
- hyperthyroidism – hormonal therapy;
- If the mucous membranes of the mouth are dry and salivation is impaired, drink plenty of fluids.
Dealing with unpleasant odors is not difficult with the right approach. Independent attempts to get rid of the disease may not be effective only because of the wrong approach. An unpleasant odor always acts as a symptom of some disease, and it is simply impossible to determine the cause without certain knowledge and the results of a diagnostic study.
The problem of bad breath is quite common and reaches 80-90% of the adult population, but only in 25% of cases the bad breath is persistent and its cause is the presence of a chronic pathological process in the human body. Bad breath is usually caused by diseases of the digestive organs (stomach, liver, intestines, teeth and oral cavity). In most cases, it occurs due to the accumulation in a person’s mouth - on the tongue, around the teeth and between the teeth - of a large number of anaerobic bacteria.
This condition is also known as “halitosis” or “halitosis”, “ozostomia”, “stomatodysody”. The problem of bad breath is by no means insoluble. Methods for its treatment are usually very simple and effective - you just need to correctly recognize the main cause of the unpleasant odor.
Do you have bad breath?
Of course, under certain circumstances, each of us may experience bad breath, and we ourselves can often find out about this only by the reaction of the people around us. Determining whether you have bad breath can often be difficult, primarily because the mouth, the source of all these odors, is connected to the nose through an opening at the back of the mouth, in the area of the soft palate. And since the nose “filters” odors that arise in the back of the mouth, it also filters this most unpleasant odor. That is, it is quite possible that you have this bad breath - but you yourself don’t know about it.
If even our own noses can't help us determine with certainty what our breath smells like, can we still know? One way is to get an opinion on this matter from one of your closest relatives. You can also make the same request to a close friend, or to your dentist during your next visit to him. If this question seems too personal to you and you are afraid to “entrust” it to adults, do not be embarrassed and ask your children about it. As we well know, it is through their mouths that the truth often speaks.
Is it possible to independently determine what your breath smells like?
Such methods are also known. For example, lick your wrist, let the saliva dry for about five seconds, and then smell the area. So how? That's pretty much what you smell like. Or, to be precise, this is what the front of your tongue smells like.
Now try to figure out what the back of your tongue smells like. Take a spoon, turn it over, and scrape the farthest part of your tongue with it. (Don't be surprised if you start choking when you do this.) Look at the remaining substance on the spoon that you scraped off your tongue - it is usually thick and whitish. Now smell it. This is the smell of your breath (as opposed to the smell of the front of your tongue) that others are likely to smell.
The main cause of unpleasant odor
Now you know that in most cases, the source of bad breath is the white substance that covers the back of the tongue. Or, to be more precise, the bacteria that live in this white substance.
There is another, also very common cause of unpleasant odor - bacteria that accumulate in other areas of the mouth.
What conditions or circumstances can cause or increase an unpleasant odor? Many of these factors are somehow related to:
Oral bacteria.
- Conditions that stimulate the growth of these bacteria.
- Poor cleaning of areas where bacteria accumulate.
Can food cause an unpleasant odor?
Some foods have a long-standing reputation for causing unpleasant odors, such as onions or garlic. When food is digested, the molecules that make it up are absorbed by our body and then removed from it through the bloodstream.
Some of these molecules, which have very characteristic and unpleasant odors, enter our lungs along with the bloodstream. They are removed from the lungs when you exhale - hence the unpleasant odor. Although this kind of unpleasant odor is a rather annoying problem, we will not discuss it in detail on these pages. The unpleasant odor caused by the consumption of certain foods usually disappears on its own after a day or two - as soon as the body eliminates all the “bad-smelling” molecules. And getting rid of such a smell is quite simple - you just need to exclude such foods from your diet or reduce their consumption to a minimum.
Does smoking cause bad odor?
You've probably met people who smoke heavily and whose breath has a specific smell. Although many factors influence the formation of the unpleasant odor associated with smoking, the main ones are nicotine, tar and other foul-smelling substances contained in tobacco smoke. These substances accumulate on the teeth and soft tissues of a smoker's mouth - gums, cheek tissue, tongue. And let's make a reservation again - we will not discuss this type of unpleasant odor in detail on these pages either. The only way to completely get rid of this odor is to quit smoking (although if you improve your oral hygiene, this odor can be reduced somewhat). Note also that smoking itself dehydrates the tissues of the mouth. This weakens the moisturizing and disinfecting effect of saliva, which washes away bacteria and their metabolic products. Dry mouth is discussed in more detail below. It is known that people who smoke are more likely to experience problems associated with periodontal disease (“gum disease”).
Periodontal diseases also occur due to bacterial activity. Gum disease and its connection to bad odor is discussed in more detail below.
Does xerostomia (dry mouth) contribute to bad breath?
Even if you don’t have any particular problems with unpleasant odor, you’ve probably noticed that in the morning when you just woke up, your breath is much less fresh. This happens because our mouth “dries out” at night - because during sleep our body produces less saliva. The result of this drying out is “morning breath”. A similar “drying effect” is often noticed by, for example, teachers or lawyers who have to talk for several hours - this also causes their mouths to dry out. Some people suffer from chronic dry mouth, a condition called xerostomia. It is even more difficult for them to solve problems with fresh breath. Moisture in our mouths helps cleanse. We constantly swallow saliva - and with each swallow, millions of bacteria are washed out of our mouth, as well as the food particles that these bacteria feed on. In addition, saliva dissolves and washes away the waste products of bacteria living in the mouth.
Saliva is a special form of liquid that moisturizes the mouth, a kind of natural cleanser for the mouth. Any moisture can have a cleansing and dissolving effect; saliva, in addition, contains special components that kill bacteria and neutralize their waste products. When your mouth dries out, the beneficial effects of saliva are greatly reduced. Neutralization of bacteria slows down and conditions for their growth improve.
Chronic dry mouth - xerostomia - can also be a side effect of taking certain medications. Xerostomia can be caused by antihistamines (allergy and cold medications), antidepressants, medications that regulate blood pressure, diuretics, tranquilizers, and narcotics. Dry mouth can get worse as you age. Over time, our salivary glands stop working with the same efficiency, and the composition of saliva also changes. This leads to the fact that the cleansing properties of saliva weaken. People who suffer from xerostomia for a long time are more likely to develop periodontal disease (gum disease). Gum disease can also cause bad breath.
Can periodontal disease cause bad odor?
Periodontal disease, commonly referred to simply as “gum disease,” can also cause bad breath. Ask any dentist - the smell of gum disease is very specific, and an experienced doctor can determine the presence of such a disease even before examining the patient.
Oral diseases are the second most common cause of bad breath (the first, as you remember, is the accumulation of bacteria).
They occur more often in people over 35 years of age - that is, the older a person is, the more likely it is that problems with fresh breath are caused by the condition of his gums. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth. If such a disease is neglected, it can lead to serious damage to the bone into which our teeth are “inserted.” Often, as this disease progresses, gaps (dentists call them “periodontal pockets”) form between the teeth and gums, where large amounts of bacteria accumulate. These pockets can be so deep that they are difficult to clean properly; bacteria and their metabolic products that accumulate in them also cause an unpleasant odor.
Can a respiratory disease cause an unpleasant odor?
Of course it can. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract, allergies - all these diseases lead to the fact that mucous secretions begin to flow from the nasal cavity into the oral cavity, through the opening in the soft palate. The accumulation of these secretions in the mouth can also cause an unpleasant odor.
People with sinus disease often have a stuffy nose, forcing them to breathe through their mouth. Breathing through the mouth causes it to dry out, which, as we already know, also causes an unpleasant odor. For sinus disease, antihistamines (anti-allergic) medications are often taken, which also contribute to dry mouth.
What dental diseases can cause an unpleasant odor?
In most cases, the occurrence of unpleasant odor in the mouth is associated with various diseases of the oral cavity itself. Any active infection in the mouth, such as an abscessed tooth or partially erupted wisdom tooth, can cause an unpleasant odor. Extensive, untreated cavities on teeth can accumulate large amounts of bacteria and food debris, which also cause an unpleasant odor. If you have such diseases, during your examination your dentist will definitely identify them and offer effective treatment methods.
Can other untreated diseases cause bad odor?
Some diseases of the internal organs can also cause an unpleasant odor. If the patient has tried all the usual methods for eliminating an unpleasant odor in such cases, but they have led nowhere, then a visit to a therapist will not hurt. Your doctor, of course, knows which diseases are most likely in your case; but, for general information, bad breath can occur with diseases of the respiratory tract, liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal diseases.
Can dentures cause bad odor?
Dentures (full, partial, removable, etc.) can have a significant impact on the freshness of your breath. If you wear any dentures, there is a simple test you can do to see if your dentures are causing bad odor:
Remove your dentures and place them in a closed container, such as a plastic lunch box. Close it tightly and leave it like that for five minutes. Then open it sharply and immediately smell it. This is roughly what the people you talk to smell like from your mouth.
Although most cases of bad breath are caused by the buildup of bacteria on the tongue, on or around the teeth (periodontal disease), bacteria can also accumulate on the surface of dentures and cause bad breath.
What is actually the main cause of unpleasant odor?
In most cases, the occurrence of bad breath is associated with the condition of the oral cavity. Namely, an unpleasant odor is usually caused by bacteria living in it. Bacteria, like humans, consume food and excrete waste throughout their lives. The waste products of some types of bacteria are sulfur compounds, and they are the cause of the unpleasant odor. Remember what a rotten egg smells like? This smell is also caused by the formation of a sulfur compound in the egg - hydrogen sulfide. The characteristic smell of compost heaps or barnyards also owes its “fragrance” to the presence of a sulfur compound - methyl mercaptan. And both of these compounds are released by bacteria that live in our mouths. These substances are collectively called "volatile sulfur compounds" (VSCs). The term "volatile" means that these substances evaporate quickly, even at normal temperatures. The “volatility” of these compounds explains their ability to quickly penetrate, so to speak, into the noses of the people around us. Although these substances mainly create bad breath, bacteria. living in the oral cavity, they also secrete other products that have a very unpleasant aroma. Here are some of them:
Cadavrine is a substance that produces a characteristic cadaverous odor.
- Putrescine - forms a stench when meat rots.
- Skatole is the main component of the odor of human feces.
You will probably be quite surprised to learn that in an ordinary human mouth there can be such a “bouquet” of unpleasant odors - but this is so, and, unfortunately, there are no exceptions. Every person, to one degree or another, has these, so to speak, aromas in his breath. Fortunately, the human sense of smell does not detect these odors if their concentration in the breath is low. Only when it rises does that characteristic unpleasant odor form.
What types of bacteria cause bad odor?
Most of the chemical compounds that cause an unpleasant odor (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, cadavrine, putrescine, skatole) are secreted by anaerobic bacteria (their more accurate name is gram-negative anaerobes). The term "anaerobic" means that they live and reproduce best in places where there is no oxygen. In our mouths, there is a constant struggle for living space between bacteria that produce products that create an unpleasant odor, and other bacteria that do not. The freshness of our breath is determined, strictly speaking, by the degree of balance in the presence of both bacteria. Accumulation of plaque (the white film that forms on the tongue and teeth - at the gum line and below) can tip this balance in favor of odor-producing bacteria. Imagine - a layer of plaque only one or two tenths of a millimeter thick (that is, approximately the thickness of a banknote) no longer contains oxygen at all - that is, there is no better place for bacteria. Therefore, as plaque accumulates, it is inhabited by more and more bacteria that create an unpleasant odor - which means that each of our exhalations contains more and more compounds released by these bacteria.
What do anaerobic bacteria that produce an unpleasant odor feed on?
Most of the foul-smelling substances that cause bad breath are released by bacteria after consuming proteins. That is, when we eat foods such as meat or fish, the bacteria living in our mouth also receive their share of food. And what they secrete after eating are those same compounds. which cause an unpleasant odor. Anaerobic bacteria will find proteins - their favorite food - in anything, even the cheeseburger you eat. In addition, in our mouths there is always “natural” protein food for them - for example, dead skin cells, or numerous protein components contained in saliva. If you do not regularly use a toothbrush and floss, a real feast for bacteria will form in your mouth - leftover food from today's breakfast, yesterday's dinner, the day before yesterday's lunch...
Which foods contain the most protein?
Meat, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products (milk, cheeses and yoghurts) - all these products contain a lot of protein. Most people get about two-thirds of their protein needs from them. Other sources of protein are cereals and products made from them, nuts, leguminous plants (peas, beans and lentils). The ingredients found in many of our favorite desserts (like cakes and pies) make these delicious foods protein pantries.
Where do the bacteria that cause bad odor live?
In most cases, these bacteria accumulate on the tongue, but they have many other “habitats.”
Language
Remember the "experiment" we recommended you do at the beginning of this section. Although the odor produced in the front area of our tongue may not be the most pleasant, it is usually not the main source of problems with fresh breath. The main “component” of the unpleasant odor is formed in the back of the tongue. Go to the mirror, stick out your tongue and look at it carefully. You will probably see a whitish coating on its surface. Closer to the back of the tongue, this coating becomes denser. The amount of bacteria that accumulates on the human tongue depends on the texture of its surface. People whose tongue surface has more folds, grooves and indentations will have more of this amount than people with a smoother tongue surface. In order to create a favorable environment for the life of bacteria in the white layer of the tongue - i.e. deprived of oxygen - this layer can have a thickness of only one or two tenths of a millimeter. This “oxygen-free” environment is also called “anaerobic”; This is where bacteria live and multiply best. Studies have shown that the number of bacteria on the human tongue directly depends on the thickness of the white layer covering it. And as you can guess, the freshness of your breath depends on the number of bacteria: the fewer there are, the fresher it is.
Periodontal sources
Bacteria that cause an unpleasant odor also feel quite comfortable in areas of the oral cavity other than the tongue. Perhaps you have noticed that while flossing your teeth, an unpleasant odor sometimes also appears. And perhaps this smell becomes more noticeable when you start brushing between your back teeth. In the spaces between the teeth, bacteria that create an unpleasant odor also find refuge. Dentists call these areas “periodontal” (“paro” means “about” and “dont” means “tooth”). Even in a more or less healthy mouth, bacteria can find an oxygen-deprived (anaerobic) environment - for example, under the gum line, around and between teeth. And in people suffering from periodontal disease (“gum disease”), the number of such anaerobic “corners” increases many times over. Periodontal disease often damages the bone that surrounds the teeth. This, in turn, leads to the formation of depressions between the teeth and gums (dentists call them “periodontal pockets”). These pockets are usually very difficult or impossible to clean, and they become an ideal anaerobic environment in which odor-causing bacteria live and thrive.
How to get rid of an unpleasant odor?
Since the main source of bad breath is foul-smelling bacterial secretions (volatile sulfur compounds), the main way to get rid of them is to cleanse the oral cavity in such a way as to:
Deprive bacteria of nutrients.
- Reduce the amount of bacteria already accumulated in the mouth.
- Reduce the anaerobic environment in which bacteria live and multiply.
- Prevent the formation of new breeding grounds for bacteria.
You can also use cleaners that reduce the activity of odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds.
How to deprive bacteria of nutrients?
As you remember, the main source of bad breath is the foul-smelling waste bacteria produce when digesting proteins. Therefore, people who eat a vegetarian diet (consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables) are less likely to have problems with fresh breath than those who consume a lot of protein foods, such as meat. In addition, it is very important to clean the oral cavity in a timely and proper manner - especially after consuming protein-rich foods. After finishing breakfast, lunch or dinner, tiny particles of food remain in our mouths, which get stuck between the teeth and also settle in a white coating on the back of the tongue. And since it is in these places that anaerobic bacteria accumulate, causing an unpleasant odor, then, without properly cleaning your mouth after eating, you will thereby provide them with a sufficient amount of nutrients for a long time.
To get rid of unpleasant odor, you need to brush your teeth and gums. The bacteria that produce products that cause bad breath also live in the plaque that accumulates on the teeth and gum line. In order to reduce this plaque, prevent its further accumulation and remove food debris that “lingers” in the mouth and serves as food for bacteria, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the teeth and gums with a toothbrush and dental floss. Let us remind you about dental floss once again. If you do not thoroughly and daily clean the spaces between your teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach, you will be unlikely to get rid of bad breath.
Diagnosis of the causes of bad breath
Particular attention must be paid to diagnostic methods. First of all, you need to inform your doctor about the presence of chronic diseases. It has been established that the occurrence of bad breath is significantly influenced by nutritional and hygienic factors, therefore patients are advised to refrain from eating, drinking, rinsing the mouth and smoking for at least two hours before diagnostic measures.
The first is a hedonic research method, carried out by a doctor who evaluates the quality and strength of the unpleasant odor, and gives a rating on the Rosenberg scale from 0 to 5 points. The main drawback of the method is subjectivity.
The next step is to measure the amount of sulfur compounds in the exhaled air using a special sulfide monitoring device “Halimeter”. Hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide account for 90% of all volatile sulfur compounds in the oral cavity, so measuring the concentration of these gases is the main way to determine the severity of halitosis.
The next stage is a microbiological study. The diagnostic stage is very important, since depending on the source of the unpleasant odor and the reasons that caused it, the treatment tactics will depend.
Visit your dentist
If, after all the measures taken, the bad breath does not disappear, call and make an appointment with your dentist, where you can not only discuss the problem in detail, but also carry out the necessary procedures to clean your mouth. This may be the best option because:
1) Not all people know how to use dental floss and dental floss most effectively. After examining your mouth, your doctor will teach you the necessary techniques.
2) Effective cleaning of teeth can be hindered by tartar built up on them. Your dentist will remove it.
3) If you have signs of periodontal disease (“gum disease”), your doctor will identify them and provide you with appropriate treatment. Periodontal disease can seriously damage your teeth and the surrounding bone. This creates deep “pockets” between the teeth and gums in which bacteria accumulate, so deep that they are difficult or even impossible to clean.
4) During the examination, your doctor will identify - if any - other untreated diseases that may increase the unpleasant odor.
5) If your doctor seems unlikely that these diseases are the cause of the unpleasant odor, he will suggest that you make an appointment with a therapist and will provide appropriate explanations.
You need to clean your tongue thoroughly
Since most people tend to ignore this procedure, try making it part of your daily oral care routine. Very often, using this method alone - without additional measures - helps eliminate unpleasant odors. Think back again to the “experiment” we recommended you do at the beginning of this section. Then we found that the front of the tongue has a less unpleasant odor than the back. This happens because the front area of the tongue constantly cleans itself - and therefore fewer anaerobic bacteria accumulate on it. As the tongue moves, its front part constantly rubs against the hard palate - this is how cleansing occurs. preventing the accumulation of bacteria. Unlike the front, the back of the tongue during its movement comes into contact only with the soft palate. In this case, effective cleaning is not possible. Therefore, odor-causing bacteria accumulate mainly on the back of the tongue, which is why it is this area that needs periodic cleaning.
How to properly clean your tongue? There are several ways to clean the back of the tongue, but they all have the same goal - to remove bacteria and food debris that accumulate in this area. When cleaning your tongue - no matter what method you use - you should try to reach as far as possible to clean as much of its surface area as possible. If you start choking, don't be surprised. This is a natural reaction, but over time this reflex should weaken.
How to clean your tongue using a toothbrush or a special brush.
You can use a toothbrush or a special tongue brush to clean the surface of your tongue. Start brushing with the furthest areas you can reach, then gradually move the brush strokes (directed anteriorly) towards the front of the tongue. The movements should be made with some pressure on the surface of the tongue - but, of course, not too strong so as not to cause irritation. To clean your tongue more effectively, you can use toothpaste, since it contains the same ingredients as mouth cleansers. You can learn more about this on the page dedicated to oral cleaners. Pastes that neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. Since VSCs are what cause bad odor, toothpastes containing neutralizing VSCs - such as chlorine dioxide or zinc - improve the freshness of your breath.
Pastes with antibacterial properties
If the toothpaste you use contains antibacterial agents - such as chlorine dioxide or cetylpyridone chloride - you can both "expel" and destroy anaerobic bacteria when cleaning your tongue.
Although brushing your tongue with a toothbrush can provide quite satisfactory results, many people prefer to use a special tongue scraping spoon, believing this method is more effective. Some patients claim that they choke less when scraping their tongue with a spoon than when cleaning it with a toothbrush or special brush. In order to test your reaction to this method, you can conduct a simple experiment. Take a regular spoon from the kitchen (better a teaspoon than a table spoon), turn it over and try to scrape your tongue with it. To do this, touch the back of your tongue with a spoon, press it lightly and pull it forward. Do this carefully, but without effort. Don't scrub too hard as this may irritate the surface of your tongue. If scraping as a method is not objectionable to you, buy a special spoon designed for this purpose at the pharmacy. It is quite possible that it will clean the tongue more effectively than a teaspoon.
What types of liquid mouth cleaners can help get rid of bad breath?
Liquid mouth rinses, when used along with regular and effective tongue cleaning, brushing and flossing, can also help a lot in getting rid of bad odor. You should not just rely on rinse aids and neglect the other measures listed. The ability of a liquid mouthwash to effectively combat bad breath is associated with some of its properties, namely:
A) Antibacterial properties. If the mouthwash has the ability to kill bacteria, it can help reduce the amount of anaerobic bacteria in your mouth. Since it is these bacteria that emit volatile sulfur compounds, which in turn form bad breath, the fewer of these bacteria there are in the mouth, the better.
C) The ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. Rinse aids contain components that have the ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds and the substances that form them. As you remember, volatile sulfur compounds are foul-smelling substances that create an unpleasant odor. If a purifier is able to reduce their content in your breath, then it will naturally be fresher.
Listed below are some substances that have the ability to effectively neutralize unpleasant odors. These substances are usually included in mouthwashes sold in pharmacies.
A) Rinse aids containing chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite (Antibacterial / Neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds)
Many dentists believe that rinses containing chlorine dioxide or its constituent sodium chlorite play a critical role in neutralizing bad breath. Research data suggests that chlorine dioxide has a dual effect:
Chlorine dioxide is an oxidizing substance (meaning it releases oxygen). Since most odor-causing bacteria are anaerobic (that is, they prefer to live in places where there is no oxygen), exposure to an oxidizing agent helps reduce their numbers, which consequently reduces the unpleasant odor.
Chlorine dioxide also affects the level of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. It neutralizes those compounds that bacteria have already released, and at the same time destroys those substances from which these compounds are subsequently formed. The result is that the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth decreases sharply, and the breath, of course, becomes cleaner.
B) Rinse aids containing zinc (Neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds)
Research has shown that rinse aids containing zinc ions can also reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds. It is believed that this is due to the ability of zinc ions to destroy those substances from which bacteria “make” sulfur compounds.
B) “Antiseptic” type rinses (Antibacterial)
"Antiseptic" cleaners (such as Listerine and its equivalents) are also considered suitable odor neutralizers. The effectiveness of these products is related to their ability to kill bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds. However, “antiseptic” rinses themselves cannot destroy these compounds. Many dentists believe that “antiseptic” rinses are not the best choice. These claims are also due to the fact that “antiseptic” mouthwashes have a high alcohol content (often around 25 percent). Alcohol is a strong desiccant (dehydrating agent) and therefore dries out the soft tissues of the mouth. And if you remember our section on xerostomia, dry mouth can be one of the causes of unpleasant odor.
D) Rinse aids containing cetylpyridone chloride (Antibacterial)
Cetylpyridinium chloride is a component that is sometimes included in liquid mouthwashes. Having an antibacterial effect, it helps reduce the number of anaerobic bacteria.
Do mint tablets, lozenges, drops, sprays and chewing gum help get rid of unpleasant odor?
So are liquid rinses, mints, lozenges, drops, sprays, chewing gum, etc. By themselves, they are not the most effective means of eliminating unpleasant odors. However, when used in conjunction with careful and regular tongue cleaning, brushing and flossing, these products can have very positive effects - especially if they contain substances (such as chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite and zinc) that can neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. In addition, mints, lozenges, and chewing gum stimulate saliva production. And we already know that saliva cleanses the oral cavity of bacteria and their secretions, which means it helps get rid of unpleasant odor.
How to use liquid mouthwash to achieve the greatest effect?
Bacteria that create an unpleasant odor live both on the surface and in the depths of the white plaque that accumulates on and around the teeth, gums, tongue. An antibacterial rinse by itself cannot penetrate into the depths of this plaque, and therefore, before using such a cleaner, it is better to remove as much plaque as possible using your usual methods - scraping the tongue, brushing and flossing. Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash after these procedures will help remove any remaining bacteria. You don’t just need to put the mouthwash in your mouth, but rinse it properly. Before rinsing, say “a-a-a” - this will allow you to stick out your tongue so that the rinse gets to the back of it, where bacteria accumulate. After rinsing, the rinse aid should be immediately spit out. This is why children should not be allowed to use mouthwash - they may accidentally swallow it.
How to clean dentures
If your dentist has installed dentures in your mouth, he or she must explain to you how to properly clean them. Because bacteria accumulates on your dentures just as it does on your natural teeth, tongue, and gums, your doctor will advise you to clean your dentures with a regular toothbrush or a special brush, both the outside and inside of them. After cleaning the dentures, they need to be placed in a container with an antiseptic liquid (your dentist will also advise you which one).
What measures can you take on your own to get rid of an unpleasant odor?
Drink more water
Oddly enough, drinking plenty of water throughout the day will also help you reduce bad odor. If there is a lack of water, your body will try to retain it, which will reduce the production of saliva, and it will be less effective at dissolving and washing away bacteria and their secretions, which create an unpleasant odor. Drinking enough water every day is especially important for those suffering from xerostomia (chronic dry mouth).
Rinse your mouth with water
Rinsing your mouth with plain water will also help relieve bad odor for a short period of time. Rinsing also dissolves and washes away bacterial secretions that harm the freshness of your breath.
Stimulate saliva production
This will also help you reduce bad odor. You remember that saliva cleanses the mouth, dissolving and washing away bacteria and their secretions. The easiest way to stimulate saliva production is to chew something. When you chew—anything—your body thinks you're eating food, so it signals it to increase saliva production. (Saliva is a very important component in digesting food). You can, for example, chew clove seeds, dill, mint or parsley. Peppermint tablets, chewing gum and mint candies help salivation. But: if you prefer these products, make sure they do not contain sugar. Sugar promotes the growth of bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
Maintain your oral hygiene especially carefully after consuming protein foods.
Anaerobic bacteria produce volatile sulfur compounds - the cause of unpleasant odors - as a result of consuming proteins. After you eat meat, fish or any other protein-rich food, thoroughly clean your mouth so that the smallest particles of protein food do not serve as a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria.
Treatment of helminthiases helps eliminate bad breath in children
Scientists note that parents often notice bad breath in children with intestinal helminthiases (especially enterobiasis), which goes away after the helminths are eradicated. Scientists suggest that the cause of the unpleasant odor may be stagnation of intestinal contents due to the presence of worms.
What diseases cause bad breath?
- Diseases of the teeth and gums (caries) Pathology of the respiratory system (any infectious and inflammatory diseases, tumors)
- Trimethylaminuria and lactase deficiency
Taking many medications can also have a detrimental effect on the freshness of your breath.
Treatment for bad breath
First of all, you should contact your dentist for diagnosis and treatment. The doctor will determine whether there is caries or gum disease, carry out sanitation (disinfection) of the oral cavity, and remove tartar if present. As a rule, after this the smell ceases to bother most patients.
If the dentist concludes that the odor does not originate in the oral cavity, but in the deeper structures of the body, he will refer you to a therapist.
The therapist will prescribe an examination to determine the cause of your concerns and will treat the disease that he identifies. Many will be disappointed that they didn't find the name of a bad breath pill here, but smart people will realize that the treatment will vary depending on your personal cause of the bad breath. A whole range of drugs may be needed, including antibiotics, which, as is known, cannot be used without identifying the pathogenic microorganism, and this can only be done through medical tests.
Which doctors should you contact if you have bad breath?
- Dentist
- Gastroenterologist
- Therapist (general practitioner)
Bad breath is not only a barrier to communication and a cause of self-doubt, but can also signal a serious pathology. We turned to a therapist to find out about the causes and ways to deal with an uncomfortable problem.
Ardeeva Irina Mikhailovna,
therapist of the highest qualification category,
Medical Center "Horizon"
Almost every person experiences halitosis - that's what bad breath is called - sooner or later. The question is whether this is temporary or whether the problem is permanent. Sometimes the person himself may not notice the unpleasant odor. There are the following self-diagnosis methods:
- Take a cotton pad or napkin and place it on the back third of your tongue, then take it out and smell it.
- Smell the floss or toothpick a minute after use.
- Exhale into your palm and smell.
- Put a gauze bandage on your face and walk around in it for about 5 minutes. The odor accumulated on the bandage corresponds to the smell of your mouth.
- You can use a special pocket device that determines the concentration of hydrogen sulfide during breathing - a halimeter, with a scale from 0 to 4 points.
The causes of temporary occurrence of bad breath may be::
- Long-term use of certain medications - hormonal, antihistamines, antidepressants, diuretics, antibacterials, which reduce saliva production and lead to halitosis.
- Breathing through the mouth during intense physical activity: dry mouth appears, and consequently halitosis occurs.
- Stress and prolonged nervous overload negatively affect the entire body. This may include dry mouth.
In 80% of cases, the cause of halitosis is diseases of the oral cavity: carious teeth, periodontitis, gingivitis, stomatitis of various etiologies, diseases of the salivary glands of the tongue, etc.
Therefore, before you run to the doctor, answer yourself the question: do you pay enough attention to oral hygiene? It includes:
- thorough brushing of teeth, dental spaces using dental floss, cheeks, using special brushes or a scraper, 2 times a day,
- rinsing your mouth with warm water after every meal or snack,
- use of rinses (not antibacterial),
- Carrying out professional cleaning of the oral cavity by a dentist 2 times a year.
If you pay due attention to the prevention of oral diseases, but the smell is still present, you should contact dentist and undergo appropriate treatment.
If treatment by a dentist is ineffective, the next specialist should be ENT doctor. The cause of the unpleasant odor may be chronic tonsillitis. Enlarged, loose palatine tonsils with wide lacunae, in which tiny food particles and dying epithelial cells accumulate, are a suitable place for numerous bacteria. If chronic tonsillitis is detected, it will be necessary to undergo a course of conservative treatment: washing the lacunae of the tonsils with antiseptic solutions, physiotherapeutic procedures. Also, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis are often accompanied by the formation of thick, foul-smelling mucus, which, when it enters the nasopharynx and then the pharynx, can cause bad breath.
If the otorhinolaryngologist has not identified any pathology, then you need to undergo an examination with therapist or gastroenterologist, since halitosis can also be caused by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, and metabolic problems (diabetes mellitus).
A preliminary “problem” place in the body can be identified by the nature of the smell .
- Sour breath can be caused by ulcers of the stomach, duodenum, gastritis with increased acid-forming function, or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Halitosis also occurs with cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, intestinal dysbiosis, and diseases of the esophagus.
- If there is a smell reminiscent of rotten meat or eggs, you need to undergo an examination to rule out decompensated cirrhosis of the liver with the presence of liver failure.
- Putrid odor from the mouth can also occur in some lung diseases, accompanied by the release of purulent sputum.
- The sweetish smell of ripe apples or the smell of acetone may be a sign of decompensated diabetes mellitus; emergency assistance required.
- If your breath smells like urine, emergency medical attention is also required, as there is a high risk of kidney failure.
From all of the above, it becomes clear that if you have halitosis, you need to consult a doctor to diagnose the disease and treat it.
Recommendations for reducing discomfort and discomfort during halitosis
- You can urgently get rid of bad breath by chewing coffee beans: they neutralize it.
- You can use rinses, toothpastes, gels containing carbamide peroxide, triclosan, cetylpyridine.
- It helps with halitosis by rinsing the mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water) or soda solution (4-5 times a day).
- A good effect is achieved by daily rinsing the mouth with infusions of herbs: chamomile, mint, alfalfa, dill, yarrow, and propolis.
- The intensity of the smell is reduced by the use of essential oils (sage, tea tree, cloves).
But it is better not to deal with the consequences of the problem, but to deal with the problem itself. Don’t complicate your life and don’t trigger the disease - go to the doctor.
Bad breath is a problem that is familiar to most of the population. To effectively combat this phenomenon, you need to determine what causes it. This is not always poor hygiene or a product eaten with a characteristic taste and aroma. A quarter of all sufferers have problems with the digestive system, diseases kidney or liver.
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How to determine if there is a problem
Most often, we learn about bad breath from people around us, loved ones, friends, and relatives.
If a person is not sure about the freshness of his breath, then he can ask family members about it. They will tell you about the character, it could be a sour smell from the mouth of an adult, rotten or rotten.
If you are shy about adults, ask your children, they will not deceive you.
You can detect the presence of “aroma” without the participation of strangers.
Eat several ways:
- Using a spoon, collect the plaque on the back of your tongue and smell it after a minute. You can use a cotton pad instead of a spoon.
- Dental equipment that provides accurate readings of hydrogen sulfide in breath.
- Smell the toothpick a couple of minutes after use.
- Lick your wrist and smell the skin once dry.
If a problem is discovered and simple hygiene does not help, then you need to go to the doctor, find out the cause, and begin treating the problem. The closest scent to your breath that others can smell is: back of the tongue.
Causes
Chronic bad breath will not go away without treatment and care. Don't believe the advertising and try to overpower it with the scent of chewing gum or buy an expensive spray.
The reasons can be very different:
- soft and hard plaque is one of the most common causes;
- inflammation of the gums;
- advanced caries;
- stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer, increased acidity;
- cystitis, pyelonephritis, renal failure;
- pathologies of the respiratory system, for example, nasal polyps, adenoids or tonsillitis.
When identifying the cause, it is important not only the presence of staleness, but also the characteristics.
For example, the smell of ammonia from the mouth of an adult indicates problems with the kidneys; a putrid smell from the mouth indicates either problems with teeth and gums, or the presence of a tumor in the esophagus.
Then the food gets stuck in a separate pouch and creates a stale feeling.
Rotten breath indicates problems with the lungs, tuberculosis, advanced disease. Bad breath worse in the morning, because the mucous membrane dries out and bacteria multiply more intensely. In a healthy person, morning staleness disappears after brushing his teeth.
A sour smell in the mouth of an adult occurs with pathologies such as gastritis and stomach ulcers, which are accompanied by increased acidity. If you have problems with the liver, a person may smell like rotten eggs, there will also be a bitterness in the mouth, and a yellow tint will appear on the skin. Your breath smells like acetone - you need to check the amount of glucose in your blood, this is a sign of diabetes.
All of the above reasons relate to diseases of internal organs and affect the occurrence of constant bad breath. There are factors, which cause oral odor in adults for a short time. These include certain types of food, poor hygiene, as well as alcohol and smoking.
Then the problem is corrected with the help of a healthy lifestyle and giving up bad habits. Tar and nicotine provoke a characteristic smoker's aroma, which cannot be eliminated without quitting smoking.
Bacteria that contribute to the emergence unpleasant breath, eat protein foods.
What kind of food is this: protein that we eat in the form of meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products. With poor quality dental care, the remains of such food provoke a massive proliferation of microorganisms.
Important! The less often you brush your teeth, the more microorganisms accumulate on the tongue, between the teeth, and on the mucous membrane.
In the oral cavity of every person there are microorganisms that can emit a cadaverous, rotten odor, as well as "aroma" of feces. Whether people around you feel it depends on the number of such bacteria.
Diagnostics
Halitosis is the official name of the pathology, regardless of the cause. To diagnose the cause and further treatment, you must consult a dentist. He will use the machine to assess the intensity of halitosis and also check for dental causes. The dentist will measure the level of plaque on your teeth and tongue.
The specialist conducts an examination and interviews the patient. It is necessary to remember when the bad breath appeared, the reasons for the patients, for what diseases, its intensity, whether there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract or excretory organs. Specialists have instruments to measure the amount of sulfur secretions in the exhalation. General tests and examinations of the digestive organs, examination of the larynx, nasopharynx are carried out, and the level of kidney and liver enzymes is detected. As a result, you may need to consult not only a dentist, but also a gastroenterologist, ENT specialist and urologist.
Important! Before undergoing diagnostics, it is prohibited to use sprays or cosmetics for breathing.
The entire diagnostic process comes down to identifying the cause of this phenomenon. Treatment directly depends on this.
In chronic diseases, bad breath may indicate an exacerbation. In this case, you should adjust treatment.
Often a person focuses too much on bad breath. There is halitophobia, which in adults is characterized by a fear of staleness. The disease causes panic and provokes a person to constantly use refreshing products. In this case, the diagnosis does not reveal the cause of the pathology; in very advanced cases, treatment by a psychologist is necessary.
Treatment
Halitosis should be treated by a doctor whose specialty is the symptoms of poor breathing. The dentist will remove periodontitis, tell you how to use dental floss, and teach you how to care for dentures, which can be another factor in the problem. The dentist will remove plaque from the tongue and gums and recommend an antibacterial paste to destroy odors from the mouth of adults.
How to treat unpleasant breathing from a person if it is a symptom of more complex diseases, a highly specialized specialist will tell you. For example, the smell of ammonia from the breath of an adult prompts you to consult a urologist and have your kidneys checked. As soon as the functioning of the internal organs is normalized, the aroma of the oral cavity will also return to normal.
Traditional methods
You can try to solve the problem using traditional methods:
- Chew natural coffee beans, eat ½ spoon of instant coffee granules.
- Always use natural mouthwashes.
- Rinse your mouth daily with decoctions of chamomile, oak, dill and propolis.
- Essential oils of clove, tea tree and sage will help a lot for a couple of hours.
TO unconventional methods The fight also includes the use of refreshing chewing gum. It is recommended to use them no more than 15 minutes. In the presence of complex pathologies, it will not have an effect.
Important! If the main cause of the disease is not eliminated, then folk and cosmetic methods will give a temporary effect, and the problem will periodically return.
Prevention
To prevent the growth of bacteria that cause putrid breath, be sure to use dental floss, brush your teeth regularly, and also get rid of plaque on your tongue.
Be sure to visit the dentist for preventive care. You should brush your teeth for at least 3 minutes, be sure to floss and carry out the brushing procedure at least 2 times a day.
After every meal, especially protein, you need to rinse and cleanse the mouth.
It is better to give up bad habits, balance your diet so that you have enough vitamins and microelements. Use mouth rinses regularly. Consult your dentist about how to moisturize the mucous membrane if dryness occurs.
If you have chronic gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory organs, kidneys and liver, it is important to monitor the normal state of health and prevent exacerbations. A sour odor from the mouth of an adult may indicate increased acidity. At the first manifestations of the acute form, you need to contact a specialist. If an adult smells of ammonia from the mouth, immediately contact a urologist, especially if you have recently become hypothermic and have problems with urination.
It is useful to lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor your blood sugar levels so that the acetone aroma does not appear. It is imperative to treat all inflammatory and infectious diseases in a timely manner so as not to trigger pathology. In contact with
Bad breath is quite common. But in only one out of four cases does it manifest itself over a long period of time.
In most cases, this is the presence of a chronic disease in the human body.
An unpleasant odor may appear due to disturbances in the digestive organs.
In this case, a person develops an abundant accumulation of bacteria, which the body is not able to cope with in a timely manner.
In medicine, this disease has an official name - “halitosis”. But this disorder can be eliminated with systematic treatment.
The main thing is to determine the cause of this condition and take the necessary measures. If you only eliminate bad breath, there are consequences - it will help, but only temporarily.
How to determine the presence of an unpleasant odor
You can independently determine whether there is an unpleasant odor in only one case - by the reaction of people around you.
The problem is that the mouth and nose are connected to each other by a very thin septum - the upper soft palate.
In order to identify odors that are outside the body, the subconscious mind perceives only other odors. Most often, a person does not even suspect that there is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
In this case, to determine whether you specifically have an unpleasant odor, you need to contact another person. Your loved one or the dentist you contact will be suitable.
You can also cup your palms and exhale sharply. The smell remains on your hands for several seconds.
Causes of bad breath
The reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant odor can be different: pathological and physiological.
In most cases, the cause of bad breath is a white substance that is found on the back of the tongue. This is where the bacteria are located.
Physiological reasons may be the following:
- Very cruel diets and fasting.
- Use of medications.
- Having bad habits.
- Failure to comply with natural hygiene rules.
In such cases, unpleasant odor can be eliminated easily and simply by changing your usual lifestyle.
For example, give up bad habits and strengthen hygiene procedures. For example, in Korea it is customary to brush your teeth after every meal.
But additional reasons may be hidden in the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, as well as the endocrine and bronchopulmonary systems.
The smell from your mouth can be varied. For example, acetone, rotten eggs, ammonia, sweet, sour, putrefactive, feces.
In this case, it is advisable to consult a doctor so that he can determine what causes this condition and manifestation. There are examples in which it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.
How to independently determine the presence of an unpleasant odor?
This can be done only in one case. You need to lick your wrist and wait a few seconds until the saliva dries. Smell the area and you will be able to determine if you have bad breath.
To determine whether there is an odor from the base of the tongue, you need to take a teaspoon and rub this part of the tongue. Pay attention to the color of the plaque and the smell.
Food as a cause of unpleasant odor
What else could cause this problem? There are a number of products that have an unpleasant taste and aroma. For example, herring, garlic and onions.
When these products are processed, their components enter the bloodstream and are distributed throughout the body. Some of these molecules have a very unpleasant odor and enter the lungs along with the bloodstream.
They are removed from the lungs of the respiratory system and enter the oral cavity.
You can eliminate this unpleasant symptom easily and simply - to do this you need to exclude these dishes from your diet.
Can gum disease cause bad breath?
Gum diseases have a more professional name - periodontitis and periodontal disease. They can cause bad breath.
In most cases, it appears in the morning, before the person brushes his teeth. This condition can also occur after eating food. The dentist will be able to identify this condition very quickly.
An inflammatory process occurs in the gums in people over 35 years of age. It may be a consequence of the presence of caries.
Bacteria penetrate the gums and the inflammatory process begins. Gradually, this disease can lead to an inflammatory process in the jaw.
The inflammatory process in the gums causes the gums to gradually begin to recede, exposing the roots of the teeth. At an advanced stage, it may be that a person bites off solid food and the teeth fall out.
Bad habits
People who smoke have a specific unpleasant odor. Because of which? Several factors influence this. For example, this is tar, nicotine, and other components.
They remain on soft tissues and teeth. Negative consequences can be eliminated using various hygiene products.
But a significant disadvantage of these drugs and medications is that the effects of saliva are weakened. It gets worse and worse at eliminating unnecessary bacteria.
People who smoke develop gum disease much faster.
Respiratory diseases and bad breath
Many people who suffer from diseases of the bronchopulmonary system and bad breath are interested in whether there is a connection between these diseases.
For example, when you have a runny nose or sinusitis, nasal discharge enters the oral cavity and can cause an unpleasant odor.
Also, with diseases of the nasopharynx, a person needs to breathe through the mouth. In this regard, dryness appears in the oral cavity, and this discomfort appears.
In addition, medications that are used to treat this disease can cause dryness and only worsen the situation.
Dentures
Despite the fact that a person eats food every day throughout his life, teeth are the only component in the body that is not prone to self-healing.
Therefore, sooner or later, to one degree or another, people are able to use prostheses. They can partially or completely replace teeth. But can they cause bad breath?
You can do a completely simple test at home. To do this, you need to remove the dentures and place them in a closed container.
Leave them for a few minutes. Then open the box and determine if they have a bad odor.
Bacteria can accumulate on teeth and tongue, as well as dentures. To eliminate this unpleasant condition, dentures must be cleaned in a timely manner.
Dry mouth as a cause of unpleasant odor
Even if a person does not have any particularly dangerous diseases for the body, he may notice bad breath in the morning.
This is due to the fact that his mouth dries out during the night. At this time of day, the body produces much less saliva.
This condition is also observed in people who talk a lot throughout the day. This disease has an official name - “xerostomia”.
Natural hydration is necessary for timely cleansing of the oral cavity from unnecessary bacteria. Saliva helps eliminate unnecessary bacteria and prevent their reappearance.
It also eliminates food particles that can cause new bacteria to appear.
Saliva can also be called a natural cleanser. It helps destroy bacteria. If the oral cavity dries out due to any diseases, then the neutralization of the bacteria slows down.
Gum diseases, caries and even gastrointestinal disorders occur.
Additionally, xerostomia may occur due to medications. Why does this happen?
For example, these could be medications taken to treat allergies, to normalize blood pressure, drugs, tranquilizers, and antidepressants.
The older a person gets, the more prone they become to dry mouth.
They work at a much lower speed, and its quality also changes. At the same time, periodontal disease occurs, which further aggravates the condition of the gums.
The main reason for the appearance of unpleasant odor
The main cause of bad breath is diseases and disorders in the oral cavity. More precisely, the bacteria that are there are to blame for everything.
They, like any other microorganisms, feed and excrete waste. It is the waste that causes the unpleasant odor.
These compounds are easily eliminated and spread. There are several options for the formation of compounds that can cause this condition. For example, Skatol.
This is the main component of the smell of feces. Cadavrine is a substance that causes a cadaverous odor. And also Putrecin. It appears when meat products rot.
It is quite difficult to imagine the presence of these odors and compounds. But it all depends on their number.
A type of halitosis
There are cases when a person “invents” the presence of an unpleasant odor. First, it is necessary to determine whether a person actually has the disease.
In medicine, there are several types of halitosis:
- Pseudohalitosis. Bad breath appears only with very close contact.
- Halitophobia. This is a person’s obsessive thought that he has bad breath. In fact, there is no reason to worry at all.
- True.
With pseudohalitosis, you just need to monitor the oral cavity in a timely manner, but with true, you need to take measures to eliminate the cause of this disorder.
Stool odor
If there is a smell of feces from the mouth, it is necessary to examine the intestines. Frequent constipation and intestinal obstruction are possible. This symptom can also be observed in the presence of anorexia.
In diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, such a smell is extremely rare.
Putrid odor from the mouth
Occurs when there are disorders in the oral cavity. It can appear due to caries, pathology of the salivary glands, untimely removal of plaque, stomatitis, and periodontal disease.
As well as diseases of the bronchopulmonary system: bronchitis, allergies, sore throat, sinusitis and pneumonia.
This may be a consequence of bad habits or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, gastritis with high acidity.
Smell of acetone
In most cases, it indicates the presence of acute and serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Kidney diseases. It is this organism that cleanses the body. With diseases such as kidney dystrophy, acute renal failure, an unpleasant odor appears.
Diabetes. This is a disease of the pancreas that does not produce enough insulin to break down food, particularly glucose.
Due to increased blood sugar levels, the number of ketone bodies may increase.
At the same time, the load on the kidneys increases. This organ of the excretory system cannot cope with removing sugar breakdown products from the blood and uses the lungs for this. Because of this, this symptom appears.
If you know that one of your loved ones has diabetes and you smell acetone from them, then urgent hospitalization is necessary. This may be a harbinger of diabetic coma.
Hyperthyroid crisis. If there are problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland, there may be complications of the disease, which has another name: crisis.
Additionally, muscle tremors, intense decrease in blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, sharp increase in body temperature, and vomiting occur. In this case, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.
Rotten eggs
Occurs when the stomach stops working normally. This can occur with gastritis with high acidity, as well as poisoning with low-quality products.
Sweet
This aroma appears in people whose bodies have insufficient amounts of microelements and diabetes mellitus. Even after natural hygiene procedures, the smell appears very quickly.
This is because the cause of the disease has not been eliminated. In this case, complete restoration of the body is necessary.
Sour
Evidence for this “aroma” may appear in the presence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
For example, with pancreatitis, gastritis with high acidity and heartburn with the appearance of nausea. Also, this symptom is the presence of a disease of the esophageal opening.
Which doctors should you contact?
In order to determine what disease caused these manifestations, you need to contact the following doctors:
- Dentist.
- Therapist.
- Gastroenterologist.
- Surgeon.
It all depends on what disease caused the unpleasant odor. In most cases, either a dentist or an ENT specialist can handle it.
But if the disease is more serious, then it is necessary to undergo a complete examination of the whole body.
But if you only eliminate the consequences of the disease, then the cause will only intensify over time.
Prevention
Even if you do not experience this symptom, you need to pay attention to prevention.
It consists in the timely destruction of bacteria that are in the oral cavity and the prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
It is necessary to visit your dentist regularly to determine the presence of oral diseases. He will additionally recommend how to properly brush not only your teeth, but also your mouth.
It is necessary to eliminate bacteria that are located in periodontal pockets - the space between the teeth. This is done using dental floss.
It is also necessary to clean the inner surface of the cheeks and tongue with a special brush. They also accumulate a large amount of bacteria.
Most people ignore such manifestations, but this must be learned. Sometimes this is all it takes to eliminate bad breath.
It must be remembered that the front part of the tongue cleans itself throughout the day on its own when the back part does not have such functions.
There are several options for deep tongue cleaning. At first, a gag reflex may occur, but over time it will decrease.
Sometimes tartar can interfere with the normal cleaning of tooth enamel. It is the doctor who can remove it in a timely manner.
If an inflammatory process occurs in the gums, the doctor can recommend the necessary treatment. Periodontal disease can gradually affect your dental health.
Principles of therapeutic therapy
Eliminating bad odor is a very important therapy for many people.
The most important thing is to determine the cause of this violation. Afterwards, it is necessary to take measures that will be aimed at eliminating the cause and defeating diseases in the oral cavity.
- If you have sinusitis, you will need to pierce and rinse your sinuses.
- For caries. Repair damaged teeth.
- During the inflammatory process. Application of measures to eliminate the inflammatory process.
How to eliminate bad breath during the day
It is necessary to rinse the mouth thoroughly after each meal. This will help eliminate some of the pathogenic bacteria.
You can use not only water, but also special liquids. They can be purchased at the pharmacy.
Keep an eye on your mouth, especially after eating protein foods. It is the bacteria contained in meat that can cause this unpleasant symptom.
You need to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Sometimes bad breath can be a signal of sludge in the body due to insufficient water.
In children, this disease occurs in the presence of dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
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