What are the causes of bad breath?
Bad breath (Foreter ex ore) can have many different causes. In most cases they are harmless, but especially when symptoms of the disease occur simultaneously, the cause should be clarified more precisely. The problem usually lies in the mouth and throat area, more rarely the gastrointestinal tract or systemic diseases are involved in the development. Possible causes are:
- Foods like garlic, alcohol or nicotine
- Certain drugs, especially if they contain sulfur
- Reduced salivation (xerostomia, can also be caused by certain drugs)
- A lack of oral or dental care (leftovers of food that are not removed by regular brushing of teeth begin to rot and emit malodorous gases. In addition, poor oral hygiene can cause tooth decay, which can also cause bad breath)
- Inflammations in the mouth and throat area
- A colonization of the mouth with fungi (mostly Candida Albicans), also called thrush
- Almond stones (tonsil stones)
- Malignant tumors
- Bagging of the wall of the esophagus (esophageal diverticulum)
- A hyperglycaemia in a known diabetes disease (sweetish smell of nail polish remover)
- Impaired kidney or liver function
Causes of enlarged palatal tonsils
There are many different causes of enlarged tonsils. Especially in small children, the palatine tonsils often grow beyond the normal size (hyperplasia). This is usually only a sign that the immune system is dealing with as yet unknown pathogens.
These enlargements often recede with increasing age. However, they should be treated if they cause problems for the child, such as difficulty swallowing or sleep apnea. Since the palatine tonsils serve the immune system, they often enlarge during infections.
The pathogens are very different. Even a simple cold can lead to such an enlargement. But flu viruses, glandular fever, scarlet fever or HIV infection can also lead to this reaction.
An acute or chronic inflammation of the palatal tonsils (tonsillitis) is usually accompanied by swelling, which also makes the tonsils appear enlarged. An accumulation of pus around the tonsils (peritonsillar abscess) also causes the tonsils and the tissue surrounding them to swell. In addition, both benign (benign) and malignant (malignant) tumors of the palatine tonsils can lead to an enlargement. Since swelling of the palatine tonsils can have so many different causes, it should be clarified by a doctor.
All articles in this series:
