If you see your colleagues and friends trying to avoid a close encounter with you and you seem to be clueless about the reason, then you might want to check on that breath of yours. And if that’s the case, you are indeed in a very embarrassing situation. What’s worse? Many a times the person suffering from it does not even know about it.
Bad breath is not a regular problem and must never be treated like one. It is important to understand that the air you inhale comes out after travelling through many organs in the body and a problem in any of these organs could be the cause behind your bad breath. It may be hinting at an underlying health condition that may range from bad bacteria to major problems in your respiratory system.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Acid Reflux
Dr. Ritika Malhotra, consultant, dental sciences, Fortis Memorial Research Institute says, “Majority of bad breath problems in people arise out of acid reflux. Acid reflux in the longer run can cause heartburn and indigestion. She further states that most people start taking anti-bacterial mouth washes without consulting with a doctor. This can do more harm than good. Initially the bad odour may go away but the cause of the problem will only intensify with time.”
Bad Bacteria
Improper oral hygiene can lead to development of harmful bacteria in the mouth. The bacteria will not only make your breath foul but may also affect your digestion abilities, thereby harming your whole body.
Dehydration
Drinking plenty of water is a must for people of all ages. The severe the dehydration is, the more foul your breath will be. It is also important to avoid drinks that include coffee, cold drinks and sodas. These dehydrate the body and caffeine present in them makes the problem worse by adding to the acid problem.
If you are experiencing less saliva production, try chewing a sugar free gum. It will help in saliva production and also assist in fighting the foul smell.
Uncontrolled acid production
Too much acid production in the stomach can also be a reason behind bad breath. Cancer thrives in bodies that are acidic in nature. Moreover, as cancer starts to grow, the body produces more acid. Diet and lack of exercise play vital roles in deciding the amount of acid produced in your body.
Diabetes
Human body tries to make up for the insufficient insulin by burning body fat. The whole process leads to production of ketones, which are pushed out of the body through lungs and urine. The effort that your body puts in this process makes your breath smell like acetone. Bet you didn’t know that.
Problems in Kidney
When human kidneys struggle to keep up with task of filtering liquids in the body, certain metabolic changes take place that lead to drying of mouth. In such cases, halitosis ends up as bad breath because saliva is not able to cleanse the mouth.
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Tips for oral hygiene
– Brush teeth twice a day – Flush and rinse teeth after every meal – Clean tongue regularly with a neat tongue cleaner – Use anti bacterial mouth wash either half an hour before or after brushing.
Dr. Malhotra advises not to use anti bacterial mouth wash for more than 21 days in a stretch. At least a seven day gap must be maintained before starting the mouth wash again.