Surely at least once in a lifetime, any adult has suffered from bad breath. Doctors call this phenomenon halitosis , and it can be of varying severity, therefore, there are quite a lot of manifestations of pathology. This is due to the fact that bad breath can be caused by a variety of reasons - starting with obvious bad habits or interference in the well-established functioning of the body, and ending with the first manifestations of diseases of vital organs.
Determining the problem in an adult
If a person is concerned about bad breath in the morning, then this is a completely normal phenomenon that occurs as a result of the drying of the oral cavity, as well as the processes occurring at the base of the tongue, around it, between the teeth and in the gum pockets. This can be corrected by a thorough cleaning of the mouth or by a check-up with a dentist.
note
The exact opposite is chronic bad breath. This speaks of a pathology that cannot be ignored. We will talk in detail about the symptoms, causes and methods of struggle in this material.
Methods for self-identification of pathology in oneself
Before diagnosing yourself, you should make sure that the problem really exists, and that it bothers you all the time, and not just in the morning. If you are ashamed to ask relatives about such a shame, then there are several ways when you can determine the severity of this pathology yourself. The fact is that exhaling and inhaling it is not always possible to fully feel the purity of your own breath, therefore there is a so-called bad breath test.
How to test your breath:
- The usual sharp exhalation into the palms - almost everyone does this to determine the presence of stale breath;
- Run your tongue across your wrist, wait a few seconds, and sniff your saliva. Often, bad breath will be several times stronger than that of saliva from the tip of the tongue, where the processes that cause the development of bad breath are inhibited by saliva. As mentioned above, problem areas are located under the tongue, at the far walls of the inner side of the cheek, in the gum area and between the teeth;
- Lick a spoon or even put it under your tongue - then by smell it will be possible to more accurately determine the degree of pathology.
To identify signs of halitosis, it is worth looking at more serious manifestations of the disease. They will help to make sure that it is necessary to start fighting the disease.
Symptoms of pathology:
- White or yellow coating in the mouth and on the tongue;
- Dryness in the mouth area;
- Burning sensation in the mouth;
- When rinsing the cavity, a sensation of an unpleasant taste;
- Chronic metallic taste in the mouth (sour, sweet and bitter taste).
Main causes of bad breath
Breathing problems are a concern for many people, but the prerequisites for halitosis can be very different. In some cases, bad breath can signal the presence of a more serious illness.
Can be divided causes of bad breath in adults into two conditional categories:
- Internal factors;
- External factors.
Internal factors include all deviations in the work of the body - that is, disease . External should include direct intervention in the work of the body - that is, bad habits , excessive consumption of harmful products, and sometimes vice versa - a reduction in the use of vital substances. In addition, this category includes violation of hygiene rules . Let's consider these factors in more detail.
Illness as the cause of bad breath
The most serious causes of bad breath are third-party diseases, the result of which is breathing problems. In most cases, halitosis is caused by diseases of the gums and teeth . Less rarely, halitosis can be caused by diseases of the ENT organs. In these cases, the favorable atmosphere for the reproduction and spread of bacteria and microorganisms is to blame. Patients who delay treatment for a long time almost always develop dryness and bad breath.
In other cases, patients come to the doctor whose bad breath is a symptom. diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, respiratory system, thyroid gland .
What diseases can cause bad breath:
- Gingivitis;
- Periodontitis;
- Caries;
- Tartar;
- Glossitis;
- Deviations in the work of the salivary glands;
- Stomatitis;
- Chronic tonsillitis;
- Bronchitis;
- Rhinitis;
- Nephrosis;
- kidney dystrophy;
- sinusitis;
- Tuberculosis;
- Pneumonia;
- Gastritis;
- Ulcer;
- Enteritis;
- Colitis;
- hyperthyroid crisis;
- Diabetes.
Bad breath diseases increase as the general condition worsens, so it is so important not to ignore this symptom, but to immediately get checked for the presence of diseases by professionals.
Causes of halitosis in a healthy person
What can cause bad breath, if we are not talking about diseases? The causes of bad breath in healthy adults are determined by several external factors - that is, interference in the work of the body from the outside.
Medication use
Some medications (antihistamines, diuretics, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and drugs designed to normalize blood pressure) have side effects that cause dehydration of tissues in the oral cavity . Dryness itself causes an unpleasant odor: the less saliva in the mouth, the less the cavity is cleared of food debris, dead cells and plaque. As a result, decomposition processes in the mouth cause halitosis.
tobacco use
As a result of smoking or chewing tobacco products, chemicals eat into the mucous and soft tissues of the oral cavity, remain on the teeth and almost never leave the smoker's breath - that is, they are the cause of chronic halitosis. Among other things, smoking provokes dehydration of the oral cavity - another harbinger of bad breath.
Dentures
If a person with dentures has experienced odor problems, it means that they are not cleaning them well enough, and the bacteria that accumulate on the surface of the dental structure cause a strong odor. You can find out how unpleasant breathing is by doing a little experiment: you need to leave the prosthesis overnight in a closed container. The smell accumulated there during the night will show how much halitosis is running.
Diet, fasting
Strict diets or even fasting have a detrimental effect on the work of the whole organism, and bad breath is just one of the symptoms that its work is disturbed. Doctors advise switching to proper regular nutrition and a balanced diet.
Types of bad odor
What can be bad breath, and what is this or that "aroma" associated with? What you should pay attention to when there is a smell from the mouth is its distinguishing feature. It is the smell that can tell what exactly the problem is with the patient.
Ammonia
If the patient, paying attention to breathing, feels an unpleasant taste of ammonia, perhaps this is a signal from the body indicating kidney problems.
Sour
Breath with a sour taste warns of problems caused by increased acidity of the stomach. If an unpleasant odor is accompanied by bouts of heartburn or nausea, then this symptom of gastritis, pancreatitis, ulcers and many other diseases from this area.
Rotten eggs
This unpleasant smell warns of pathologies of the digestive tract accompanied by low acidity. Sometimes this breath can be a sign food poisoning.
Acetone
Breath with a taste of acetone often indicates serious pathologies of the pancreas, including diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Sometimes this bad breath is a warning of a malfunction. kidneys, liver and stomach.
Putrefactive
Breath with a hint of putrefaction appears when diseases of the teeth, gums, salivary glands, diseases of the respiratory system. Sometimes this smell can be caused by disorders of the digestive system.
Cala
The smell of feces from the mouth often indicates serious violations in the work intestines.
Sweet, metallic
Breathing of this type is observed in patients suffering from diabetes. diabetes or beriberi.
Ways to deal with bad breath
How to get rid of this problem? First of all, any doctor will say that you need to accurately identify the cause, and then deal with the elimination of the effect. It is in our power to deal with the problem comprehensively, without missing any trifles.
What to do to get rid of bad breath?
Having accepted the problem, you should know how you can deal with it on your own. Let's consider in detail how to deal with bad breath.
Care
First of all, special attention should be paid oral hygiene because bacteria and decaying food particles cause bad breath. When cleaning, be sure to pay attention to all surface of the tongue . In addition to regular brushing of teeth, experts advise using dental floss for cleaning hard-to-reach spaces between teeth.
Visit doctor
If such problems are identified, it is imperative to pass general tests and visit dentist, gastroenterologist, ENT, endocrinologist or pulmonologist . But if, in addition to unpleasant breathing, there is also pain, burning, discomfort in a certain area of the body, this is what you should pay attention to first of all.
How to deal with the disease at home
An adult suffering from halitosis faces a lot of difficulties in everyday life related to communication, work, personal life. In addition to the methods listed above, there are emergency, but proven ways to eliminate bad breath, which will be useful to those who have just begun to deal with pathology.
Halitosis will help to remove simple remedies that can be found in every home.
Herbal infusions
Methods of combating halitosis proven by our ancestors - rinsing the mouth with infusions of medicinal herbs. For these purposes, cumin, peppermint, bitter wormwood and a string are suitable.
Vegetable oil
Take a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and rinse your mouth for 10 minutes. After that, the liquid must be spit out. In the process of rinsing, decomposition products will dissolve and be washed out of hard-to-reach places. If after the procedure the oil becomes cloudy, then it has completed its task.
Special solution
Bad breath can be removed with a solution of hydrogen peroxide (3%) and drinking water in a 1:1 ratio. Experts advise using this method after meals.
Cosmetic concealers
More obvious, but short-lived remedies are air fresheners, rinses, and mouth sprays. Many people use lozenges and chewing gum, but these remedies help for a very short time.
Rotten breath can be very different. It may resemble rotten eggs or rotten meat. But in any case, it brings a lot of inconvenience. That is why it is important to quickly understand what led to the appearance of bad breath and eliminate this problem.
ICD-10 code
R19.6 Bad breath [bad breath]
Causes of rotten breath
If a person develops a rotten smell when he talks or simply breathes through his mouth, this may mean that air containing hydrogen sulfide is coming out of the digestive tract. It is formed during the breakdown of products with a large amount of proteins.
Most scientists believe that rotten breath in 90% of cases is a dental problem.
Also, such a smell appears when the patient has too little gastric juice. Then the food lingers for a long time in the esophagus and the process of suppuration begins. Often the banal reason for such an unpleasant aroma is constant overeating. Eaten food does not have time to be digested and decomposes right in the stomach.
- Stenosis of the pylorus of the stomach (when the outlet in the stomach narrows).
- Atony of the stomach due to decreased motor activity (lazy stomach syndrome).
These problems can indicate a number of other diseases, some of which can be quite serious (gastric ulcers, benign or malignant neoplasms). Common causes of rotten breath are also:
- Liver diseases (chronic hepatitis of various etiologies, cirrhosis of the liver).
- Diverticula in the wall of the esophagus.
- Problems with the gallbladder (chronic cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia, cholangitis).
That is why it is so important to visit a gastroenterologist in time at the first appearance of a rotten smell. If there is a smell of rotten meat, this usually indicates a problem with the liver.
Risk factors
As a rule, rotten breath appears in people who are forced to breathe through the mouth for a long time, and not through the nose (for example, with sinusitis). As a result, the oral cavity dries up, which causes an unpleasant odor.
If you don't take good care of your mouth and overeat often, it can also lead to bad breath. As a result, microorganisms that emit gases that smell bad accumulate in the mouth, and the food that remains in the stomach and begins to rot only enhances the effect.
People who are constantly on diets, as well as those who suffer from anorexia, often have a rotten breath because they do not eat properly.
Symptoms of rotten breath
If you or a loved one has a rotten-meat breath, it usually indicates a liver problem. Very often, other symptoms also occur:
- The patient's urine begins to darken.
- The sclera are stained yellowish.
- Feces, on the contrary, become colorless.
With a rotten smell of eggs, patients often have pain in the abdomen, diarrhea appears, or, conversely, constipation.
The smell of rotten eggs from the mouth
Such an unpleasant problem appears when air filled with hydrogen sulfide begins to rise from the stomach. In this case, there may also be an eructation with a clear unpleasant "aroma". As a rule, a similar smell appears if a person constantly eats fried or boiled eggs.
Of course, if a similar smell is felt not from time to time, but constantly, then this may indicate quite serious health problems. Usually, the smell of rotten eggs can appear if the patient has stagnation of food in the stomach (for all sorts of reasons). That is, the stomach simply cannot digest food, which after a while begins to ferment.
For example, the smell of rotten eggs from the mouth appears in chronic atrophic gastritis with low acidity, when food is digested for too long, which leads to the appearance of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which is released from the stomach. Usually the smell intensifies at times of exacerbation of the disease. At the same time, there are other symptoms such as:
- Bloating.
- Vomiting or nausea.
- Stomach ache.
The reason for the smell of rotten eggs may be an insufficient amount of enzymes (which take part in digestion) and hydrochloric acid.
To combat the problem, it is necessary, first of all, to treat the disease that caused it. If you notice the first signs of gastritis or other similar illness, you should immediately contact a specialist.
Rotten breath in a child
A rotten smell can appear not only in adults, but also in children. This is usually the cause of poor oral hygiene, but there are also a number of fairly serious diseases in which this symptom appears.
The causes of rotten breath in a child can be divided into several types:
- Extraoral.
- Oral.
- Psychogenic.
Extraoral causes of bad breath:
- Diseases associated with the duodenum, esophagus or stomach.
- Mucus with a lot of bacteria that is found in the sinuses.
- Decomposition of food debris that gets stuck in the recesses of the tonsils.
- Liver failure.
Mouth causes of a rotten smell:
- Poor oral hygiene, which leads to the accumulation of food debris between the teeth.
- Frequent runny nose, which causes dry mouth.
- Fungal diseases of the mouth.
- Gum problems: periodontitis, periodontal disease, gingivitis.
Sometimes parents, after reading some medical articles, begin to think that their child has rotten breath. This is the main psychogenic cause.
To prevent the child from developing an unpleasant odor, it is necessary to teach him to brush his tongue and teeth properly every day. If your mouth gets dry too often, you can drink more water. Try to take your child to the dentist more often.
The smell of rotten meat from the mouth
Most often, the smell of rotten meat from the mouth appears if a person has problems with the liver. It is also worth paying attention to other symptoms and the first signs of diseases. Acute liver damage, which often causes an unpleasant odor, usually occurs after a viral infection, due to the frequent use of alcoholic beverages or certain medications.
If you notice that you have a rotten smell of meat in your mouth, you should immediately contact a gastroenterologist.
Diagnosis of rotten breath
During the diagnosis, the specialist should analyze the patient's complaints, prescribe several important examinations to the patient that will help find out the cause of the rotten smell. Some of the most popular surveys include:
- Blood tests.
- Ultrasound of the liver and pancreas.
- Fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
After all the necessary studies have been carried out, the doctor prescribes the optimal treatment.
Analyzes
Usually, doctors recommend a general and biochemical blood test, which will help determine the presence of certain diseases. A general analysis of feces (coprogram) is also performed. It will help you see if there are undigested food fragments in your stool. Other analyzes include:
- Biochemical analysis of blood with liver tests.
- Fecal analysis.
- Analysis of gastric contents.
Instrumental diagnostics
The most popular methods of instrumental diagnosis of rotten breath are:
- Irrigoscopy.
- EGDS (gastroscopy) - the walls of the esophagus, duodenum and stomach are visible. During the procedure, a special apparatus (gastroscope) is inserted into the stomach.
- Ultrasound - helps to see if there are tumors in the abdominal region.
- Radioisotope diagnostics.
- Radiography.
Rotten breath treatment
If the patient has low acidity, then he will be prescribed medications that increase the acidity of the stomach. In addition, in such cases, you will have to revise your daily diet by adding foods that help juice secretion to it: lemon, chicken broth, nuts, apples, pickles.
If the cause of rotten breath is a banal overeating, you just need to normalize your diet. If you follow a special diet for at least two months, the problem should disappear.
With the infrequent appearance of an unpleasant odor, you can try to take various drugs (Smecta, Mezim, Pancreatin, Festal, activated charcoal).
There are also special measures that must be observed at all times:
- Chew during the day such greens as parsley, mint.
- Drink as much water as possible.
- Try to rinse your mouth with water as often as possible.
- You should always brush not only your teeth, but also your tongue.
- Breakfast is better to start with oatmeal.
- Follow the correct diet.
- Add vegetables and fruits to your diet.
Medications
Phosphalugel. An antacid agent, the active ingredient of which is aluminum phosphate. Helps to neutralize hydrochloric acid, also has an adsorbing and enveloping effect. It is taken to treat gastritis, chronic gastritis, and also helps eliminate rotten breath if it occurs due to this disease.
The standard dosage is as follows: one to two sachets three times a day. If it is necessary to treat infants (up to six months), then the recommended dose is 4 g (1 teaspoon) after each feeding, but at least 6 times a day.
Before use, the contents of the package must be well mashed (through a closed bag) so that the powder takes the form of a gel. Make an incision in a special place and carefully pour the gel through the hole. The drug can be diluted in a glass of water.
Among the side effects, only possible constipation is distinguished. The tool is contraindicated in case of intolerance to the components, disorders in the liver.
Mezim Forte. Enzyme agent, which includes pancreatin with minimal activity of enzymes (amylase, lipase and protease). The drug is taken to facilitate the digestion of food. The dose is determined individually. It depends on how disturbed digestion is. One to two tablets are usually recommended before meals.
The main side effects from taking the remedy: constipation, nausea, allergies. The drug is contraindicated in pancreatitis, especially chronic.
Parodontocide. A drug with analgesic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Available as a mouthwash solution for gum inflammation (which can cause rotten breath). Rinse your mouth twice a day (morning and evening). To do this, add 15 drops of the solution to a third of a glass of water. You can't swallow.
The main side effects of the remedy can be called: contact eczema, allergies. The drug is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.
Asepta. A modern remedy that is used to treat inflammation of the gums. Available in the form of napkins, which have the shape of a fingertip. To use, you need to open one sachet, put a napkin on your finger, remove a special protective film from it, carefully wipe your tongue, gums, teeth, cheeks (inside). Fingertips are disposable. Active active ingredients are plant extracts.
Alternative treatment and herbal treatment
Please note that traditional medicine only helps to reduce or mask rotten breath, not to cure the underlying problem.
- You can chew aromatic spices (parsley, cloves, fennel seeds, bay leaves, juniper berries).
- You can clean your teeth and reduce odor by eating an apple. It will also help improve intestinal motility.
- With the help of weak decoctions of medicinal plants: sage, chamomile, lemon balm, strawberry leaves, thyme.
Homeopathy
In our country, homeopathic remedies have become popular quite recently, therefore they cause mixed feelings in patients. But with bad breath, such drugs can help.
If the rotten smell appeared due to a disease of the pharynx, you can use Aconite, Belladonna, Argentum nitricum, Bryonia, Mercurius solubilis, Capsicum.
With tonsillitis, you can get rid of a rotten smell with the help of: Baryta carbonica, Kali mureaticum, Gepara sulfur, Phytolacca.
Prevention
So that you never encounter the problem of rotten breath, you must carefully monitor oral hygiene. Brush your teeth and tongue every morning and evening. You also need to review your daily diet and add fresh vegetables and fruits to the menu. Try not to drink water during meals, chew food thoroughly and slowly, and do not overeat. Don't sit at the table if you don't have an appetite.
And others. In addition, fillings with a porous structure are able to accumulate bacteria on the surface, which multiply and create bad breath. Amalgam fillings can irritate the gums, which leads to an increased growth of bacteria in the damaged areas, which also leads to an unpleasant odor. A poor-quality crown can also cause this symptom. In addition to diseases of the teeth and gums, bad breath can cause pathologies of the kidneys, liver, organs of the gastrointestinal tract and upper respiratory tract.
Naturally, in order to get rid of an unpleasant odor, the underlying disease that caused it should be treated. However, with persistent bad breath, additional measures are needed to get rid of bad breath. To understand how to get rid of persistent bad breath, you need to know what triggers are involved in the process of its occurrence. It is by acting on the triggering factors for the appearance of bad breath that this symptom can be eliminated.
Regardless of the specific cause, the trigger for persistent bad breath is a lack of saliva. The fact is that a huge number of bacteria live in the oral cavity, which use food debris and dead body tissues for their nutrition. In the process of life, bacteria emit fetid gases, which give the stench to the breath. These bacteria are adapted to live in an oxygen-free environment, and in its presence they simply die. Normally, saliva leads to the death of these bacteria, since it contains oxygen. Thus, when there is a lack of saliva, the oral mucosa dries up and the person begins to smell badly from the mouth all the time.
In fact, there are many reasons for the appearance of persistent bad breath, in addition to various diseases. In the life of a modern person, there are a huge number of situations that lead to overdrying of the oral mucosa, and, consequently, to the appearance of an unpleasant odor. For example, breathing through the mouth, excitement, stress, hunger, long conversation, etc.
So, in order to get rid of the ever-present bad breath, it is necessary to prevent overdrying of the mucous membrane and stimulate the production of saliva. To maintain salivation at the proper level, you need to drink as much water as possible and rinse your mouth with it. Various chewing gums, lollipops, sweets, etc. stimulate the formation of saliva. However, any refreshing candies and chewing gum should not contain sugar.
Be sure to keep your mouth clean. First, brush your teeth, tongue and gums at least twice a day - morning and evening, with a toothbrush and floss. Secondly, if possible, brush your teeth after every meal. If you can’t brush your teeth every time after eating, then you need to use rinses. In this case, you should use toothpastes and rinses containing antibacterial components. Pastes and rinses containing chlorine dioxide or zinc have an excellent effect, which have a detrimental effect on the bacteria that are the source of bad breath. After using these products, the bacteria that emit fetid gases die, and for some time they are not able to multiply and poison the breath.
With hygiene measures in the oral cavity, it should be remembered that it is necessary to clean not only the teeth, but also the tongue and the inner surface of the cheeks, on which a large number of dead cells accumulate, which are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria that emit fetid gases. The tongue and cheeks are cleaned with a brush or special spoons. If tartar is present, it must be removed by a dentist.
Today there are professional mouthguards filled with oxygen gel, which easily penetrates the gums, tongue and teeth, effectively cleaning them, destroying bacteria and their metabolic products that have a fetid odor. Wearing such mouthguards for 2 weeks allows you to completely cope with bad breath. Moreover, the effect of wearing mouthguards will be long-term.
In addition to mouth guards, another affordable and easy way to get rid of persistent bad breath is by killing the bacteria that produce bad breath. To do this, you should regularly, several times a day, rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide. The fact is that hydrogen peroxide releases active oxygen, which destroys bacteria that create bad breath. For rinsing, they take the usual 3% hydrogen peroxide, sold in a pharmacy. 4-5 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide are added to a glass of water, and the mouth is thoroughly rinsed with this solution. Rinsing is carried out 3-4 times a day. The use of hydrogen peroxide helps to permanently eliminate bad breath. However, after the unpleasant smell ceases to disturb the person, it is necessary to continue the use of hydrogen peroxide, because otherwise the bacteria may again begin to multiply rapidly and release fetid gases that poison the breath.
Among all kinds of human shortcomings, imaginary or obvious, stale breath is not striking and imperceptible in photographs, but it not only interferes with communication, but may also indicate serious problems with the body. In some cases, the situation is aggravated so much that we are talking not just about dubious freshness of breath, but we have to admit that it really stinks from the mouth. What to do with this problem, and what to pay attention to first of all?
Halitosis - bad breath
The medical name for this symptom is halitosis. In this case, the smell can be different: sour, sweetish or even putrid. Mild halitosis can appear from time to time even in a healthy person for completely natural reasons. For example, in the morning, soft plaque accumulates on the teeth, gums and tongue, which smells specifically.
There is a common misconception that people began to pay attention to breath odor under the pressure of treacherous dental corporations, and before that, everyone was indifferent to questionable aromas. In fact, even in the last millennium, when singing about loved ones, poets mentioned fresh and fragrant breath as one of the elements of beauty. It is difficult to think about the sublime when the counterpart stinks from the mouth. What to do, and in what order to solve problems? For starters, it’s worth putting aside the panic and understanding the possible causes.
Why does mouth smell
It must be admitted that the human body smells, and not at all of roses. What causes odors? The sense of smell perceives the molecules of various substances in the air, and it depends on the type of these substances how pleasant or unpleasant the aroma you feel. For example, the contents of the intestines smell unpleasant due to hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide and some other gases, which are the waste products of bacteria that inhabit different parts of the digestive tract. Microorganisms that are “responsible” for halitosis also live in the oral cavity.
But if your breath really stinks, what should you do? An odor is a symptom that occurs for any of these reasons:
- dental problems;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- endocrine disorders (diabetes);
- diseases of ENT organs;
- pulmonological problems (for example, bronchiectasis).
It is more difficult to get rid of halitosis if it manifests itself due to a combination of heterogeneous causes. Dental problems can go in combination with a stomach ulcer or other diseases of the digestive system.
The state of the oral cavity
Dentists claim that they do not even guarantee the absence of bad breath. Many people simply brush their teeth poorly, do not get to the farthest corners, a soft coating remains on the enamel, in which bacteria actively develop. Wisdom teeth and those adjacent to them suffer the most from this.
Over time, soft plaque hardens, transforms into tartar, which presses on the gums, provoking an inflammatory process. Inflammation of the gums inevitably stinks from the mouth. What to do? First of all, you need to remember that the absence of caries is not everything. It is necessary to thoroughly brush your teeth and regularly visit a dental hygienist, to remove tartar.
Any inflammatory process in the oral cavity, diseased gums, problematic teeth - all this for the time being can proceed almost imperceptibly, without critical pain. Halitosis, as the main symptom, is the first to give out the presence of inflammation.
Problems of the gastrointestinal tract
If there is a suspicious smell from the mouth, then the stomach may be the culprit. For example, if you eat garlic and then brush your teeth, you will still smell. Depending on the type of problem, an unpleasant odor can appear on an empty stomach, after certain types of food, only in the evenings or in the middle of the night.
If the problem is in the digestive system, what should I do to avoid bad breath? You need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist to conduct an examination and clarify the diagnosis. If the smell appears on an empty stomach, then it will be enough to eat something light and neutral - perhaps this is increased acidity.
halitosis as a symptom
By itself, bad breath is not a disease, but an expressive symptom that signals problems in the body. There are cases when it was halitosis that made it possible to make a diagnosis in time and recognize a serious disease before it turned into a serious condition. Difficulties begin due to attempts to quickly cure the symptom in order to get rid of awkwardness when communicating if it stinks very much from the mouth. What to do in such a situation?
The most common causes are, of course, dentistry, followed by the digestive system. Much less often, halitosis appears due to advanced sinusitis, and is possible as a concomitant symptom in diabetes and other diseases.
How to determine if there is a problem?
The most unpleasant feature of halitosis is that the person suffering from this does not always smell and is blissfully unaware of the suffering of those around him. It becomes difficult to communicate with him, especially if the interlocutor prefers to lean too close to the face. It is even more difficult for subordinates if the boss has a strong stink from the mouth. What to do and how to check the freshness of your breath?
The simplest technique is to lick your wrist and sniff the skin after a couple of minutes. You can catch a rather unpleasant smell. As a control test, take a tongue scraping. With a regular teaspoon, swipe over the tongue, preferably closer to the throat. Slightly dried plaque has a characteristic smell, which is what the interlocutor feels during a confidential conversation. A similar test is performed using unscented dental floss - just clean the gaps between the teeth and smell the floss. Finally, you can ask a direct question to a loved one, especially if he does not suffer from excessive delicacy and does not hush up problems.
Oral hygiene
Dental hygienists claim that more than half of their patients have no idea how to brush their teeth. That is why the chain of transformation of soft plaque into tartar begins, caries appears, the gums become inflamed, and the mouth stinks in the morning. What to do with this, we are taught from childhood - you need to brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, while the movements of the brush should not only be left and right. The gaps between the teeth are better cleaned by “sweeping” movements from top to bottom, and the gums are massaged in circles along the way.
Soft plaque is formed not only on the surface of the teeth, but also on the gums, on the tongue, and even on the inner surface of the cheeks. Of course, you should not “scrape” your mouth too vigorously from the inside, as this can injure soft tissues, accidentally infect an infection, and only provoke the development of inflammatory processes. After eating, it is enough to use dental floss and rinse your mouth, it is not necessary to grab a toothbrush.
Ancient folk methods
All sorts of herbs, syrups, lozenges were previously used to freshen the breath. Folk remedies included violet flowers, mint, rosemary, clove oil, anise, cardamom, extracts from berries and fruits. Apothecaries made author's fees, kept the proportions of ingredients secret in order to attract buyers who want to give their breath an exciting aroma. Now it is enough to buy a pack of chewing gum to achieve the same effect. The problem was only the short duration of the fragrance.
Even for a medieval beauty, the question of what to do if your breath constantly stinks did not become some kind of unknown mystery. Sick teeth were treated with varying success by various healers, and inflammatory processes were treated with decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs. These recipes still work.
You can rinse your mouth for medicinal purposes with infusion of sage, chamomile. If the gums become inflamed and bleed, a decoction of oak bark, pine needles, nettle helps well.
Power correction
If the smell appears after eating or on an empty stomach, then the diet may be the culprit. Diseases of the digestive system also require a special diet, so dietary changes will not only improve the condition of the stomach, but also eliminate unpleasant odors. If after eating the breath stinks very much, what to do with the diet? To begin with, it is worth excluding all foods with extreme tastes: salty, spicy, sour, smoked. It is worth being more careful with raw garlic and onions, the essential oils of these vegetables can aggravate the painful condition, and halitosis becomes a side effect.
You can switch to a healthy and sparing diet even without a doctor's recommendation - you should replace your morning smoked sausage sandwich with a plate of tender oatmeal, and observe how your stomach feels and whether bad breath appears after such a breakfast. A visit to a gastroenterologist and a complete examination will help to make more reasonable adjustments to nutrition.
Halitophobia
Commercial corporations somewhat differently understand the postulate that everything in a person should be perfect, and successfully manipulate the consumer's mind. The natural color of the teeth is not really a shining white, and the breath does not have to be fragrant with a bouquet of alpine herbs with a hint of menthol. The fear of not conforming to the replicated template can turn into a real phobia, it seems to a person that he stinks of rot from his mouth, what should I do? Fear appears, aggravated by panic attacks. A person suffering from halitophobia masks his breathing with all his might, brushes his teeth not only in the morning and evening, but also after eating, and in between meals he continuously consumes chewing gum, aromatic sweets and candies.
Such a bouquet of chemistry sooner or later leads to the fact that instead of an apparent problem, a very real and real one appears. Phobias need to be fought, they do not go away on their own - on the contrary, the condition can worsen, related fears appear. Fresh breath is great, but to avoid bad breath, quite reasonable efforts are enough, without excessive zeal.
Various terms. Dentistry, ozostomy, halitosis, fetor oris are all names for the same phenomenon, which turns into a real problem. And if we are talking about an important meeting, then the situation can become generally catastrophic.
Many are trying to find ways to cope with this scourge. However, chewing gum and spray do not always look appropriate and decent, and besides, they do not solve the problem. To combat the smell, you need to find out the cause.
The reasons
In the first place in the list of reasons - insufficient hydration of the mouth. If you are not drinking enough fluids, then your body cannot produce the normal amount of saliva. Because of this, the cells of the tongue die, which become food for bacteria. The result is a disgusting smell.
In general, halitosis can be caused by any processes of decay that occur in the mouth.
So, if pieces of food are stuck between your teeth, they will become a delicacy for bacteria, which will be no less delighted that you have not given enough time to hygiene.
It is well known that it is also on the list of the main causes of bad breath, as well as eating garlic and onions. But the diet can also be the cause of such a stench. For example, following strict diets that border on starvation can cause your body to start consuming the fat it has stored up for such a case. This process produces ketones, the presence of which will not be pleasant to smell. Many diseases, and of various types, can cause halitosis. For example, damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and diabetes. The latter is indicated by the smell of acetone.
By the way, by the smell you can determine what diseases are. So, if your breath smells like rotten eggs, this is the smell of hydrogen sulfide, indicating rotting proteins. If abdominal pain, belching and nausea appear along with it, this may indicate an ulcer or gastritis. A metallic smell indicates periodontal disease, in which the gums can bleed. The smell of iodine indicates that it has become too much in the body and you should immediately consult an endocrinologist.
In the presence of a putrid odor, one should think about possible diseases of the stomach with low acidity. In the case of dysbacteriosis, intestinal dyskinesia and its obstruction, there will be a smell of feces. A bitter smell hints at trouble with the kidneys. Sour indicates hyperacid gastritis or an ulcer.
Caries, tartar, periodontitis, gingivitis, pulpitis lead to an unpleasant odor. Even dentures can affect the freshness of breath, because without proper care they become a breeding ground for bacteria that produce waste products - sulfur compounds. Hence the nasty smell.
Bacteria are also very comfortable on the tongue, in the areas between the teeth and along the gum line. In the presence of diseases, depressions can occur at the transition of the gums to the teeth, the so-called periodontal pockets, where anaerobic bacteria live and multiply with pleasure. Only a dentist can clean them.
Diseases of the nasopharyngeal mucosa are also a common cause of odor, as well as all diseases associated with the ENT organs, as a result of which pus is formed. With such diseases, a person is often forced to breathe through the mouth, which leads to increased dryness in it.
Often bad breath occurs in the morning. The reason is simple: less saliva is produced during sleep, resulting in dry mouth. The less saliva, the more bacteria in the mouth, the more unpleasant the smell. In some people, this phenomenon, which is called xerostomia, becomes chronic.
How to know about smell
There are many ways to find out that bad breath is coming from your mouth. The worst option would be a message about it from another person. However, there are ways to determine this yourself, but not everything is so simple. After all, a person usually does not perceive his own smell. The problem lies in the peculiarities of the structure of the human body. When a person does not want to feel something unpleasant in the air around him, he, as a rule, begins to breathe through his mouth, which makes it impossible to smell from it. However, there are proven options.
Covering your mouth with your palms and breathing into them will not help: you will not smell any. Better look in the mirror at your tongue. It should not have a white coating. You can lick your own wrist and sniff it. Run the spoon over your tongue so that saliva remains on it, wait for it to dry, and see if the smell remains.
Solutions
Remember that there is no way to completely and permanently eliminate bad breath. You will have to constantly monitor yourself and take appropriate measures.
- Consume.
- Buy a tongue scraper. Considering that it is the tongue that is the habitat of a huge number of bacteria and this is the most common cause of a bad smell, it is recommended to use a scraper regularly.
- Use dental floss. A considerable amount of bacteria collects between the teeth, on stuck pieces of food.
- Eat the right food. Apples, berries, cinnamon, oranges, green tea, and celery are at the top of the list of foods to help eliminate bad breath. Bacteria are very fond of protein and it is after eating it that they emit a particularly unpleasant odor. Therefore, vegetarians have almost no problems with bad breath.
- Use mouthwash. Rinse your mouth every day for 30 seconds, after which you should not smoke or eat for half an hour.
- There is nothing more pointless than chewing gum when you have bad breath. If there is a need to chew something, then you can choose dill, cardamom, parsley, cinnamon stick or anise for this. This is an essential aid for the production of saliva.
- Use herbal infusions. Since ancient times, people have been using natural remedies in order not to exude an unpleasant odor. So, in Iraq, cloves were used for this purpose, in the East - anise seeds, in Brazil - cinnamon. If we talk about our country, then this is St. John's wort, wormwood, dill, chamomile.
- To reduce bad breath, you can drink a cup, rinse your mouth with water, and the taste in your mouth will decrease if you chew on a coffee bean.
- Have breakfast with oatmeal porridge, which promotes salivation, because saliva is a natural means of cleaning and disinfecting the mouth.
- If you don't have a toothbrush handy, at least rub your teeth and gums with your finger. At the same time, you will not only reduce the unpleasant odor, but also massage the gums.
- Rub your gums with a walnut. From this, your breath will acquire a nutty flavor, and the oral cavity will receive the vitamins contained in the nut.
Prevention
At least twice a year you need to visit a dentist for prevention and diagnosis. As in the case of other diseases, diseases of the teeth and oral cavity are best prevented or treated at an early stage, when they are almost invisible and an experienced eye of a specialist is required to recognize them and take timely action.
But the most important thing is to carefully monitor the oral cavity. Dentists say that by the way a person looks after his teeth and mouth, we can talk about how attentive he is to his own health.
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