The Most Common Causes of Bad Breath
If you have ever been standing around friends, visiting family or in a social setting but worry you have bad breath you are not alone. Bad breath is a problem for millions of people a condition that can be caused by a variety of things. A common reason that people develop bad breath has to do with the type of food consumed. For instance, after eating, little pieces of food remain behind stuck in between teeth.
Obviously, the more offensive the food being consumed the worse the bad breath would be. Onions, garlic, bell peppers, and various other foods are the worse. Keep in mind that some foods to include onions and garlic have foul smelling odors so even when the food has been digested, these oils get into the bloodstream, which then goes to the lungs. Therefore, along with bad breath from food chewed, some foods also cause bad breath from air exhaled from the lungs. Certain oils can take up to three days to create bad breath, which most people find surprising.
Another common cause of bad breath has to do with dental problems. Unless you brush your teeth and floss several times a day, especially after eating, those small food particles will continue to be trapped, which then leads to the development of bacteria. When this happens, hydrogen sulfide vapors are emitted. For this reason, good dental hygiene is essential to eliminate the problem of bad breath but also for the health of your mouth overall.
Poor dental hygiene will also lead to the development of plaque. Since plaque is a byproduct of bacteria and it is an extremely hard substance, it can easily cause irritation to the gums. For Gingivitis, plaque buildup is the primary problem. In fact, plaque can lead to tooth decay. For someone who wears dentures, plaque buildup can cause them to fit poorly. However, a person with dentures also needs to clean them regularly to avoid bad breath.
Next, even having a dry mouth could be the culprit for bad breath. In this case, saliva serves a number of purposes, one being to moisten and cleanse the inside of the mouth. Therefore, when the mouth becomes dry, due to illness, not drinking enough fluids, or medication, dead cells will begin to accumulate in the cheeks and gums, and on the tongue. When that happens, bad breath is expected. Think of when you first wake up in the morning and your mouth is dry – breath is at its worst.
Even a sinus infection can be the cause of bad breath. For this, sinus drainage will trickle down the throat and onto the tongue, causing bad breath. Other causes of bad breath would include bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, or any type of infection of the throat or mouth. Typically, getting the infection or illness under control is all it takes along with good hygiene to eliminate the problem.
However, poor living habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption are also contributors to bad breath. With smoking, along with a foul odor, tobacco can cause periodontal disease. Then for someone that diets often or restricts calories too much would also have trouble. In this case, a condition known as ketoacidosis develops, which involves chemicals during fasting to breakdown. When this happens, a foul odor is produced.
Keep in mind that bad breath is not only annoying to you but anyone you are around but also, as you can narrow the reason down, you can then take the appropriate action to prevent or eliminate bad breath. For instance, for better dental hygiene, you could take a portable toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as floss with you to work so you can brush more often. You could also see your doctor for a sinus infection, respiratory infection, or problems with your digestive tract, which ultimately would improve bad breath.
