According to research, between 22% and 50% of people worldwide suffer from halitosis. Bad breath is an unpleasant affliction that can negatively affect self-esteem and our relationships.The bad news is that persistent bad breath can be a sign of more serious issues. The good news is that it’s almost always treatable.
What Can Cause Bad Breath?
Temporary halitosis may stem from eating foods like garlic, excessive alcohol consumption, or a dry mouth after sleep.It’s usually easy to remedy this type of halitosis by brushing and flossing your teeth and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash. Be warned that strong-smelling foods like garlic can affect your breath for up to three days while they make their way through your digestive system.
Ongoing bad breath may stem from any of the following conditions:
Unhealthy Habits
Good dental hygiene is the first step toward fresh breath. If you don’t brush your teeth and floss at least twice a day, food particles become stuck in between your teeth and start to decay.
This creates ideal conditions for foul-smelling bacteria to thrive on your teeth, tongue, and gums.
Smoking and chewing tobacco also causes bad breath, stains your teeth, and irritates your gums.
Starvation diets are another culprit when it comes to bad breath. When your body starts to break down fat, it releases an unpleasant odor that can cause smelly breath.
Dry Mouth
A dry mouth is responsible for morning breath, especially if you sleep with your mouth open.
Saliva is essential for keeping the mouth moist, neutralizing acids from plaque, and washing away dead cells that accumulate in the mouth. While you’re asleep, saliva production slows down, and these agents of bad breath accumulate.
Certain medications, like anti-depressants or antihistamines, may also cause dry mouth. Others cause chemical reactions that may lead to bad breath.
Salivary gland problems may also cause dry mouth. Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that leads to dry mouth along with muscle pain, dry skin, and dry eyes.
Illness
Numerous medical conditions may cause bad breath. These include:
Diabetes
Diabetes creates an increased risk of gum disease which causes bad breath. In turn, gum disease can increase blood sugar and worsen diabetes.
Diabetes isn’t the only issue that can cause gum problems. Find out all about gum disease and gingivitis if you want to avoid this irreversible condition.
Chronic Acid Reflux
This digestive disorder causes unpleasant smelling stomach acid or fluid to leak back into your esophagus. From there, the odor filters out through your mouth.
Pneumonia or Bronchitis
These lung conditions result from bacteria or viruses creating pus and phlegm in your lungs’ air sacs. When you cough up this foul-smelling pus, it sticks to the inside of your mouth, causing bad breath.
Some Cancers
In some cases, bad breath may indicate oropharyngeal cancer. Other symptoms of this affliction include:
- oral sores that don’t heal
- difficulty swallowing
- mouth pain
- unexplained weight loss
- a lump in your neck
If you have any of these symptoms, visit your doctor urgently. They can prescribe surgery or treatment to stop this cancer in its tracks.
