Bad Breath, Your Worst Enemy

It is not you; almost everyone suffers from bad breath problems.  There are a lot of products swamping the market to treat the bad breath problems.  They do help, but temporarily.  It is important for us to understand as to what causes bad breath.  Because understanding it closely can help us prevent developing this problem in the first place.

Most of the bad breath issues are related to improper dental hygiene, food, dental problems, dry mouth, medical illnesses, conditions related to mouth, nose and throat, smoking, alcohol, and dieting.  All these different causes are linked to bad breath.  The severity of the problem directly relates to the severity of the condition.  In the following paragraphs, we are going to learn more about the causes and how they cause bad breath.

Residues of food around your teeth can cause foul odor.  So it is imperative that you brush your teeth so as to ensure that there are no food residues left around your teeth, which can cause foul smell.  Ingestion of volatile oils can also cause bad smell.  The foods such as onion, garlic and other spices when ingested are absorbed into the blood stream and are then carried to the lungs, which are exhaled as bad breath, also known as halitosis.

If you have eaten garlic or onion, you can have bad breath for about 72 hours.  Dry mouth is also one of the major causes of bad breath.  Saliva functions to cleanse the mouth and moistens it, thus preventing the development of bad smell.  Dry mouth allows the accumulation of dead cells on tongue, teeth, gums, which then decompose and cause bad breath.  Sleeping with the mouth open also causes dry mouth, which in turn leads to bad breath problems.

Smoking as well as medications can also cause bad breath problems, which can lead to bad mouth odor.  There are diseases that can cause bad breath, which are lung abscesses, lung infections, etc.  Fishy bad breath is caused by liver failure; fruity odor is caused by diabetes, other diseases such as reflux is also associated with bad breath.  If you are suffering from sinus infections, nasal drainage or throat infections, then you can suffer from bad breath problems.

As mentioned above, smoking causes dry mouth, which is not only a source of bad breath but also causes a lot of periodontal diseases.  Another major cause of bad breath among women is severe dieting.  The serious dieters develop ketoacidosis, which occurs due to the utilization of fats in place of carbohydrates, the fruity bad odor occurs due to the formation of ketoacidosis.

Once it is confirmed that you have a bad breath, it is now important that you get it checked by a dentist as soon as possible so that it can be determined as to what is the cause of this problem.  But the steps that you can take before you get it checked by a will be to take extra care of your teeth by brushing and flossing after meals.  Try to either reduce or quit smoking or drinking, which might help to eliminate the problem once and for all.