Bad breath is an unpleasant odor of the breath and is a consequence of poor hygiene or inflammation in the mouth and throat. Thereby, bad breath is not a disease but mostly a symptom, which, however, does not necessarily have to occur as a result of a disease.
What is bad breath?
Bad breath is defined as a bad taste or unpleasant smelling breath, caused by bacteria that are on the tongue. Bad breath is a symptom, not a disease in its own right, that can occur either because of poor hygiene or because of inflammation or disease. For the most part, halitosis is a taboo subject that the afflicted patient is reluctant to talk about. Even other people, out of embarrassment or embarrassment, rather rarely address the affected person, who is rather rarely aware of his own bad breath. Bad breath is a symptom that is relatively common. Almost 25% of people in Germany suffer consciously or unconsciously from bad breath.
Causes
As already noted, the annoying bad breath is mostly caused by poor hygiene of the mouth and throat, as well as the teeth and gums. However, bad breath can also occur as a result of inflammation inside the mouth or due to other diseases. In this case, bad breath itself is mostly caused by putrefaction processes, which are caused by bacteria. Especially the sulfur-containing metabolic products lead to the well-known unpleasant odor. Furthermore, short-term bad breath also occurs after the consumption of certain foods or beverages. Well known are garlic (garlic has a lot of sulfur, which is excreted through the mouth and skin and can lead to unpleasant odors), onions and alcohol. Likewise, an empty or empty stomach, too much coffee and smoking can lead to unpleasant bad breath. Organically caused bad breath often occurs after belching, bloating and heartburn. Diseases of the digestive system and metabolism also often lead to unpleasant bad breath. Bad breath is equally common in diseases of the teeth and gums. These are mostly caused by a lack of care, so that bacterial decay occurs especially in the interdental spaces and gum pockets, which then cause disgusting odors. This also includes food residues and dental plaque. Furthermore, the tongue itself can also be affected by putrefactive bacteria. Unpleasant bad breath is due to a wide variety of causes. In order to eliminate it, it is necessary to first determine the cause in question, and this usually requires medical or dental advice. By no means should one be content with indiscriminately applying one of the mouthwashes advertised. In very many cases, bad breath is caused by a damaged, neglected set of teeth. Destroyed and decayed teeth, root residues, usually loosened and inflamed with pus and afflicted with fistulas, poorly fitting crowns, bridges and inlays, to which food residues can adhere, play a role in this. If the teeth are then not even thoroughly cleaned with toothpaste and toothbrush, the bad breath is not surprising. But where dental and oral care are so grossly neglected, tartar and plaque will also form to an unusually high extent. Under certain circumstances, this alone may be enough to have an unfavorable effect on the respiratory air. If oral hygiene is neglected in this way, chronic gum disease often develops as well. The progressive tissue decay of the loosened and bleeding gums produces protein waste products which, in conjunction with the decomposition of the leaked blood, result in bad taste and odor. In an unclean oral cavity characterized by a destroyed dentition and the adherence of food debris, abnormal fermentation and putrefaction occur. Another cause of bad breath may be diseased tonsils (pharyngeal and palatine tonsils), which often contain pus and decay products of dead mucosal tissue in deep fissures. The nausea may also be caused by diseases of the trachea, esophagus, stomach and intestinal system, metabolic diseases and diseases of the urinary system. A distinctly typical and unpleasant bad breath is usually found in anemia (chlorosis), which persists even with the most scrupulous oral hygiene.The same is true for diabetics, where it is difficult to eliminate a certain, but not unpleasant, odor of the respiratory air, reminiscent of fermenting fruit. To complete the list of causes, we should mention a few others: inflammation of the nasal mucosa, narrowing of the esophagus, stomach cancer and colon cancer, etc.
More rare causes of bad breath are tumors of the pharynx, mouth and nose. Low salivary flow also promotes halitosis. Medication, fasting and snoring are also causes of unpleasant odor from the mouth. Similarly, colds, sinusitis, tonsillitis and sore throat can cause temporary bad breath.
Diseases with this symptom
- Angina tonsillaris
- Periodontitis
- Oral thrush
- Diphtheria
- Gum inflammation
- Tonsillitis
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Hyperacidity
- Reflux disease
Course
Bad breath can become an enormous burden for those affected or those around them. Short-term bad breath, caused by poor oral hygiene or the consumption of certain foods such as garlic or onions, etc., is distinguished from permanent bad breath. Bad breath is defined as a bad taste or unpleasant smelling breath, triggered by bacteria located on the tongue. Bad breath is divided into two forms in the course. Foetor ex ore is spoken of when the bad breath is due to a disease in the mouth, throat or nose and occurs when breathing out of the mouth. If the unpleasant odor arises when exhaling from the nose with the mouth closed is spoken of halitosis.
Complications
The complications of halitosis are mainly related to social problems. Bad breath leads to very unpleasant situations when dealing with other people. Due to shame or social etiquette, this issue is often avoided. At the same time, people close to them try to carefully turn away in conversations and build up a physical distance. This behavior leads to misunderstandings and is usually misinterpreted. Seeking a physical distance is considered a sign of lack of sympathy. In bad cases, bad breath can cause another person to retch. This happens when the bad breath smells like acetone or nail polish remover. The pungent odor indicates undiagnosed diabetes, but is rarely openly communicated in social interactions. Bad breath is an indication of an imbalance in oral flora or it indicates organic problems. The lack of knowledge about halitosis prevents a timely visit to a doctor. This reduces the possibility of early detection of diseases. Treatment of the cause of bad breath in some cases leads to a temporary intensification of the odor. In order for bad breath to be eliminated, the underlying disease must be completely cured beforehand. Often, it is only after the completion of a therapy that it becomes apparent whether the bad breath persists and thus has another or different cause.
When should you go to the doctor?
If bad breath becomes noticeable, going to the dentist is the most sensible step. After all, the smell may indicate a disease of the teeth or gums. In frequent cases, a professional dental cleaning already helps. Odor particles that cannot be removed with home oral hygiene are eliminated here. Education by the dentist regarding the proper performance of home dental cleaning can also help the patient. If the dentist is unable to diagnose anything, the next visit to the family doctor is unavoidable. He will inquire about the symptoms. Finally, an organic cause cannot be ruled out. The first target of the family doctor is also the oral cavity. It is examined whether possible fungal infections are present. For this purpose, a swab of the oral mucosa is taken. A laboratory examination can then determine whether an infection is present. If nothing is found in this context, the doctor examines the remaining organs of the body. In particular, a detailed examination of the liver can provide him with information about a possible cause of the bad breath. But also a listening to the lungs to exclude possible fluid formation and a palpation of the throat and abdomen takes place.
Treatment and therapy
As a rule, bad breath can be well fought or treated.Talk to your doctor, even if you are embarrassed about this topic. Bad breath is a symptom and should be treated as such. In most cases, better oral and dental hygiene is sufficient. If the teeth themselves are rotten or affected by gum disease, the dentist can provide a remedy, even if this treatment is usually not quite cheap. It should be carried out nevertheless, because otherwise serious illnesses can appear by the rottenness in the mouth. Otherwise, bad breath should always be treated or fought according to its cause. Here, your family doctor, dentist or ear, nose and throat doctor can give you more information, because the possibilities or the causes of bad breath can be so diverse. If diseases are the cause, these are to be treated first. If diseased teeth or diseases of the oral cavity are the cause, it is usually very soon possible to eliminate the bad taste and smell by proper oral and dental hygiene, by eliminating existing damage. Apart from the treatment of the underlying condition by the doctor, in most cases for local and symptomatic treatment gargling with a two percent alcoholic vanillin solution is sufficient when using 20 drops on a glass of water.
Outlook and prognosis
In most cases, halitosis can be treated relatively well and quickly. It occurs in many people and can be a relatively heavy burden on everyday life. Treatment by a doctor is not always necessary. Often bad breath is related to poor oral hygiene and can be well limited by brushing the teeth more often and using a mouthwash. However, bad breath can also come from the stomach itself and cannot simply be treated in the mouth. This unpleasant odor can occur either due to food, which smells relatively strong, or due to diseases such as heartburn or other stomach disorders. Therefore, if the bad breath is permanent and cannot be removed even with improved oral hygiene, a doctor should be consulted. There are many medications that can be taken against bad breath, most of which can be purchased without a prescription at the pharmacy. Since in most cases a specific treatment by the doctor is not possible, the success in eliminating bad breath depends strongly on the will of the patient. In most cases, however, bad breath can be removed with simple means, so that an ordinary everyday life can be taken.
Prevention
The be-all and end-all for the prevention of bad breath is regular and careful oral hygiene or oral care. Furthermore, the dentist should be visited regularly to treat any decay or inflammation at an early stage. Avoid smoking, alcohol, too much coffee and foods that are known for their odors (e.g. garlic). Drink enough to keep their saliva flow moist. Home remedies, such as chewing parsley and ginger, are thought to prevent it. Chewing gum, oral sprays and fruit can provide short-term relief, but do not address the cause.
Home remedies and herbs against bad breath
- Garlic bad breath is neutralized when you chew anise seeds.
What you can do yourself
Bad breath can usually be treated relatively well by home remedies. In many cases, bad breath is caused by poor oral hygiene. Here it helps to brush your teeth regularly and also use a mouthwash. A tongue brush or tongue cleaner will help remove unpleasant smelling plaque on the tongue, thus eliminating another possible cause of bad breath. It is also advisable to perform these procedures after every meal. Chewing a gum also prevents the development of bad breath and can eliminate it. In the pharmacy there are various means, which smell relatively strongly of mint or menthol and thus can limit the bad breath as well. If you want to avoid bad breath, you should not eat spicy foods or foods with a lot of onions or a lot of garlic. Often these foods accumulate in the stomach and it takes a few hours for the stomach to digest them. Within this time, bad breath rises from the stomach. To cover this bad breath, something else should be eaten or drunk after eating these smelly foods. Here, especially fruits and vegetables are suitable to cover the bad breath.However, bad breath can also be caused by bad teeth and problems with the gums. Therefore, if the patient has toothache or suffers from bleeding gums, a dentist should be consulted to correct these problems.
