Bad Breath Remedies

Did you know that chronic bad breath is a sign of other diseases?

Chronic bad breath is an annoying concern that is caused by different factors.  If you have tried all the home remedies for bad breath but to no luck, find out how certain diseases that cause bad breath.

What is bad breath?

Bad breath, medically termed halitosis is a health condition of having an unpleasant odor coming from your mouth.  A major cause is reduced amount of saliva leading to dry mouth.  When there is a decreased flow of saliva, bacteria multiply to produce foul smelling breath.  Other causes of stinky breath are foods with strong odor such as curry, onion, or garlic; smoking or chewing tobacco-based products; gum disease or periodontal disease; oral tumours or mouth cancers; tooth decay; and throat cancers.

Chronic bad breath caused by diseases

An estimated 10% of cases of foul mouth odor are caused by “extra-oral halitosis” or from factors not related to the teeth or mouth.    Some diseases that cause bad breath are cancers and metabolic disorders.  They give off unpleasant breath due to the chemicals they produce.

Diabetes mellitus

Fruity or sweet like breath is strongly linked to diabetes when accompanied by other symptoms such as excessive thirst and urination.  The fruity breath odor is from chemicals called ketones.

The excess glucose levels in the system cause an imbalance resulting to the body’s difficulty in eliminating bacteria.  It’s not surprising to find diabetics to have dry mouth given that they are always thirsty and urinate frequently.  Dry mouth is one of the bad breath causes.

Some tips to avoid having a worsening case of bad breath for diabetics are to avoid using alcohol-based mouthwash, drinking more water, avoiding caffeine-rich drinks, and controlling glucose levels through insulin therapy.

Liver disorder

Fetor hepaticus is a medical term for a sweet, faecel or stool-like smell caused by liver failure.  This condition is due to portal hypertension where the Porto systemic shunting enables mercaptans to pass directly to the lungs.  The unpleasant smell of the breath us because of the presence of ammonia and ketones.

Reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition of chronic reflux of stomach acids.  When these acids wind up back to your throat and mouth, bad breath is soon to follow.

Sinus disease

Sinus infections produce mouth odors due to nasal discharges that drip from your sinuses onto the back of your throat.  Foul mouth odor is traced on the infected nasal drip that passes in to the mouth through the nasal cavity.  Other symptoms of sinus infections are pain in the jaw, fever, headache, swelling, and greenish or yellowish discharges.

These diseases that cause bad breath requires medical attention. Treatment basically depends on the cause of this condition.  A visit to your dentist other doctors is the first step towards recovery.