But bad breath can be a sign of something more than poor hygiene. It may be trying to warn you that you have a serious disease brewing in your body, one that requires medical attention beyond the dentist.
Many Americans have halitosis, the clinical name for bad breath. Even though the mouth is located underneath the nose, many can have it and be unaware of their atrocious breath. That’s when a good friend or loved one has to pull them aside and deliver the bad news or merely leave a bottle of gift-wrapped mouthwash on their desk while they are out of the office.
The Washtenaw Dental Society estimates that some 65 percent of Americans have bad breath. For 40 million of them, it has become a chronic issue.
If your bad breath is related to the falafel you had for lunch, it’s easy to solve the problem. Regular brushing, rinsing your mouth, using mouthwash, flossing and using breath mints, sprays or gum can improve the odor immediately. Get in the habit of frequent maintenance on your teeth and gums, and the benefits will pay off in reduced instances of bad breath.
Underlying Conditions
But in some cases, there’s more at work than poor hygiene habits. Bad breath can be a side effect of certain medical treatments or can be a sign that something is going terribly wrong in the body.
There are other things that can cause bad breath, some of them under your control, others a by-product of treatments for other conditions. Here are a few things to consider.
Medication: Dry mouth is a leading cause of bad breath, and many medications have the unpleasant side effect of drying out your saliva glands. These can include aspirin, antidepressants, diuretics and more, both prescribed and over-the-counter. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about any side effects and their duration when you first get the medication.
Your tongue: It’s not just your teeth and gums that can cause problems. Your tongue can capture and retain bacteria that loves to foul your breath, particularly if you breathe through your nose while sleeping and awaken with the dreaded “morning breath.” A good scraping now and then can help reduce the potential for bacteria output.
Respiratory issues: If you have chronic bronchitis or are prone to colds, you may develop more mucus than the average person. This never-ending cycle can create unwanted bacteria that may affect your breath.
Diet: Are you always on the go and grabbing whatever you can get your hands on to eat or drink? That’s a bad habit, but it has the side effect of creating bad breath. If you burn enough calories and don’t take in enough, you may develop bad breath as your body burns fat.
Breath Alert! Are You Sick?
While there are relatively minor causes of bad breath, continuous and lingering odors from the mouth may indicate some major trouble brewing elsewhere in the body. Here are a few things that bad breath may indicate:
1) Cancer – It's the most serious disease your bad breath may indicate, but the good news is you may catch it in time before it spreads. There are cancers of the mouth, but bad breath also may indicate conditions such as lung cancer. Cancer patients who are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy may have trouble producing enough saliva, which, in turn, can affect the quality of their breath.
2) Gum Disease – The gum disease called gingivitis and other gum diseases produce unwanted bacteria that, in turn, can lead to breath that can slay dragons. It usually goes hand in hand with good hygiene, but be forewarned that your teeth can be fine, but your gums may develop problems if you don’t take care of them. Gum disease can lead to other complications in the body, so it’s important to massage them and pay attention to changes.
3) Diabetes – A growing problem in America and other countries, diabetes is a disease that causes ketoacidosis, which can lead to an increase in ketones. These are eliminated through the lungs and can cause your breath to turn fruity or give off an odor that has been described as the solvent acetone. In any case, it’s not normal, and if you’ve been having breath problems, you’ll also notice such classic diabetes symptoms as tiredness and blurry vision.
4) Allergies – It's particularly good to pay attention if you notice the bad breath complaints happening at certain times of the year. Sore throats, runny noses and other byproducts of allergies can start a post-nasal drip that can turn the sweetest breath sour. Ask your doctor to test you to determine your susceptibility.
5) Liver problems – If your liver is starting to give out, you may develop a condition known as fetor hepaticas, a bad, musty-smelling breath condition. This is definitely an early warning sign, so getting medical attention promptly is essential.
6) Kidney failure – Similarly, kidney problems often cause issues with your breath. Metabolic changes wrought by the kidney problems can lead to issues with your saliva, in turn creating breath problems. It’s essential that you talk to your doctor before things get worse.
7) Indigestion and acid reflux – If you’re constantly burping and regurgitating after a meal, it may be more than simple gas or indigestion. The condition, known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), is a major cause of bad breath because the fermentation process is disturbed, creating a partially digested material odor in the mouth.
8) Candida – It’s not the George Bernard Shaw play. This is a yeast that develops in the mouth, usually because of ill-fitting dentures or unclean retainers. It also can affect those trendy people who have had their tongues pierced and hardware installed. Whatever the case, it’s a nasty condition that emits a foul-smelling odor.
9) Sjogren’s Syndrome – When your autoimmune system goes haywire, one of the potential effects is developing what’s known as Sjogren’s syndrome. This is an autoimmune attack on the salivary glands and can cause dry mouth, leading to attendant problems and potential infections.
10) Helicobacter pylori – This an infection of the gastrointestinal tract and can often exhibit itself in bad breath. Curing the infection can cure bad breath.
Whatever your issue, it’s important to keep your mouth and gums clean and disease-free. That will be your biggest proactive step toward warding off the social stigma of bad breath – and who knows? It could save more than your breath.