Bad Breath Overview

There is nothing to wonder about the never ending supply of mints, gums and mouthwashes at stores. Medically termed as halitosis, bad breath is a common condition, usually combated by intake of these drugstore remedies. You may suffer from bad breath due to poor dental care and unhygienic lifestyle habits. Men and women around the globe have been found to be dealing with the issue of halitosis. Suffering from bad breath can be awkward and upsetting, leading to anxiety. Bad breath is not a serious condition on its own but may be an indication of a medical disorder, such as lung infection or diabetes. Chronic bad breath has been found to be a warning sign of periodontal disease caused by the increased accumulation of plaque on teeth. Bad breath may also indicate yeast infection in your mouth or even dental caries. Another health condition associated with bad breath is xerostomia, generally known as the condition of dry mouth. This condition may result from problems related to your salivary glands or due to constant breathing through your mouth. Bad breath may be consequential to many other diseases including respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis, postnasal drip, chronic sinus infections and chronic acid reflux. Those suffering from bowel obstruction give out bad odor that smells like feces followed with continuous vomiting. The breath of people with kidney failure may smell fishy or urine-like. Sometimes, people give out breath with a fruity smell when the body tries to divest itself of excess acetone while breathing. This may indicate a condition of ketoacidosis, which is a complication of diabetes.

Failure to regularly brush and floss your teeth leads to deposition of food particles in your mouth, which gives rise to bacterial growth in and around the teeth. This promotes bad breath. Moreover, those who habitually smoke or chew tobacco also suffer from this condition. Besides resulting from poor dental care and damaging lifestyle routines, bad breath gets worse even from the kind of food consumed. Bad breath resulting from consumption of foods with strong odor will go away completely only when the food has passed through your body. Bad breath can be easily diagnosed. Formation of a yellow or white film on your tongue is a strong and common indication of bad breath. Patients suffering from halitosis also complain of bitter, sour or even metallic tastes. Besides self diagnosis, professional diagnosis techniques include the BANA test, gas chromatography and using a halimeter to test for sulfur emission levels.

You may reduce or prevent bad breath by practicing good dental health habits, which include brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day. A regular visit to the dentist for a professional cleaning of your teeth will help detect a prevailing periodontal disease or a dry mouth condition. Kick the habit of smoking or chewing tobacco based products. Keep your mouth moist by drinking plenty of water. Chewing gum will help you salivate which will fight the bacteria in your mouth. Begin to keep a log of your food intake. The symptom of persistant bad mouth odor can be diagnosed by your dentist. You may approach a periodontist for treatment of gum disease. Regular use of mouthwashes is advisable to help cover your bad breath. However, following a consultation with your dentist, you may also use antiseptic mouth rinse products which help fight the germs that cause bad breath.