Causes and Cures for Bad Breath

You are not alone if you suspect you have bad breath. 90 million Americans found out they have chronic bad breath. Bad breath can make you feel embarrassed, can make it difficult to get close to others and can put barriers up at work and with your personal relationships.

Did you know that most of the bad mouth odors are occurring because of dirty mouth? Mouth odor like most body odors is the result of not keeping surfaces clean and microbes living in your body are giving off byproducts, which smell. Bacteria in your mouth will interact with food particles, blood and cell tissue to create bad breath.

When your mouth is out of whack by gum disease or dry mouth pesky bacteria can grow, causing bad breath. Dry mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. Keep your mouth in good balance by keeping it well hydrated with plenty of water. Allergy medications can dry you out so be careful to drink plenty of water while taking these medications.

Foods that stink like onions, garlic, and foods that contain plant oils can make your breath stink.

High-protein, low-carb diets can cause your body to burn stored fats up for fuel instead of the carbs its used to and this can lead to a condition called ketosis. Ketones do not smell very good, the result? Bad breath...yuck!

Another thing that makes your breath stink is when you are ill. Systemic diseases like GERD, diabetes, lung disease, kidney disease and stomach ailments can all cause toxins from the organs involved and these toxins are excreted through the lungs, causing you to have bad breath.

How to tame these causes of bad breath?

First of all, keep your mouth clean by proper brushing, flossing, using alcohol-free mouthwash, and by brushing your tongue. A commercial tongue scraper can be purchased at most drug stores. It is a good habit to get into (scraping, flossing and brushing at least twice a day).

Keep your mouth moist by drinking water, chewing gum and using a humidifier. If you snore or suffer from postnasal drip, it may help you to use a saline nasal spray to help keep hte nasal passages moist.

Try to avoid the main causes of bad breath: alcohol, coffee, garlic, onions and tobacco. Believe it or not, if you drink at least two cups of tea a day, you may avoid bad breath. Chewing parsley can also help lessen the smells of some foods. Cranberries will also eliminate some of the really bad smells and make the bacteria less sticky. Certain sugarless gums actually contain xylotol that is known to kill some bacteria, which may reduce plaque and therefore reduce the occurrence of bad breath.

When dieting remember to eat some carbs like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Do not let bad breath stick around. If doing home remedies doesn't do the trick, then make an appointment to see your doctor or dentist to see what the cause of your bad breath can be.