Busting Your Bad Breath – The Top Causes for Halitosis

When it comes to busting your bad breath, a little knowledge can go a long way. There are many causes for halitosis, or bad breath. These can range from that spicy bowl of garlic noodles that you had for lunch to the presence of a serious underlying medical condition. Let us go through the most common possibilities in order to pinpoint exactly what is causing that case of bad breath.

Food Culprits - Your Breath is What You Eat

You know that old saying about you are what you eat? This is particularly true of your breath. That is, your breath smells like what you have recently eaten. There are the common culprits, including garlic, onions, as well as foods heavy on protein, such as fish and beef. All of these types of foods can contribute to objectionable breath. How is this so? This is because once food has been absorbed into your bloodstream, it moves to the lungs, where it is then expelled. That means that the air you regularly exhaled is marked by the kinds of foods you eat. Moreover, did you know that people on diets are more

likely to expel bad breath? This is because infrequent eating, and low-carb diets in particular, produces chemicals called ketones that are released as bad breath. To counter these food effects, you will want to make sure to brush and floss properly each and every day. The point of brushing and flossing is to remove food particles and debris from the mouth. When these collect between teeth and around the gums and on the tongue, it will result in rot and bad breath, not to mention tooth decay. Moreover, bad oral habits often results in periodontal disease (gum disease), which is known to cause chronic halitosis.

Dry Mouth - A Common Cause of Halitosis

Dry mouth is another common culprit of bad breath. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a condition that occurs when the mouth is not producing enough saliva. Saliva is an important part of good oral health because saliva is necessary in order to keep the mouth healthy and clean. Saliva helps remove food debris and particles from the mouth. There are many potential causes for dry mouth. These include salivary gland problems, nasal problems (which lead to excessive mouth breathing, and thus dry mouth), medications, and some medical treatments have also been known to cause halitosis. If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, there is a very good chance that you will suffer from some kind of halitosis issue.

Dry Mouth Warning Signs – What You Should Look For

What should you look for when you think you may have dry mouth? It is usually not too hard to detect if you have dry mouth. You will frequently feel a dry and sticky feeling in your mouth. You may detect a frequent thirsty feeling. You may even experience sores in your mouth. Many times, you will also feel that your throat is dry or burning. You may even experience a raw or extra red tongue.

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All articles on this site are for information only and should not be treated as medical advice.
If you experience any symptoms, consult a medical professional.