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Bad breath - causes and therapy
An unpleasant smell of breathing air is called halitosis (foetor ex ore). Halitosis is most commonly due to poor hygiene, especially in dental care and cleaning dentures or other dentures. Halitosis, however, may also indicate diseases of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract, as well as signs of digestive or metabolic disorders. People with bad breath perceive their own breathing air hardly or not at all as bad smelling, why they must be made aware of by their fellow humans on it. Since the response of unpleasant body odors can be described as a social taboo, the introduction of countermeasures is often quite late.
contents
- How does bad breath develop??
- Other causes of bad breath
- Irritable stomach, acidity or acid deficiency
- Therapy and self-help with bad breath
- Home remedy for bad breath
How does bad breath develop??
Halitosis occurs mainly in the oral cavity as a concomitant of periodontal disease (periodontal disease), inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and oral mucosa (stomatitis), caries, calculus attachment or tongue coating. It is not unusual for a pronounced dental phobia to be hidden behind the symptom, which prevents proper maintenance of the dentition. If the teeth and oral cavity are not sufficiently cleansed, the dental fillings have loosened and if bridges and crowns are bad or are not maintained, the food particles that settle there provide an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. These decompose the food particles, causing rot with gas formation.
Frequently, periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums, tooth decay or tongue coating are causes of halitosis. (Image: Zsolt Bota Finna / fotolia.com) Other causes of bad breath
Other sources of foul-smelling breath are found in respiratory diseases, e.g. as sore throat (tonsillitis), sinusitis (sinusitis), bronchitis or pneumonia. A strong foul odor with cough and abundant purulent sputum occurs in a lung or bronchiectasis. Sweet odor with sore throat and difficulty in swallowing can occur in patients with diphtheria, Epstein-Barr virus infection or Pfeiffer glandular fever (mononucleosis), Plaut-Vincent angina and agranulocytosis.
Irritable stomach, acidity or acid deficiency
An irritable stomach or gastritis (gastritis) with acid excess or acid deficiency may be the cause. Diabetes mellitus can be associated with acetone-like bad breath, kidney failure with urine odor. If the liver is severely damaged, e.g. in liver cirrhosis, the breath smells of ammonia.
Bad breath is something very unpleasant. But the right treatment can quickly remedy. (Image: kei907 / fotolia.com) Therapy and self-help with bad breath
If a certain illness is the reason for the bad breath, a targeted therapy usually brings a quick improvement. Since dental problems are often the cause, in this case patients should visit their dentist, otherwise it is advisable to first consult the family doctor. If, for example, a disease in the nose and throat, the treatment is usually then taken over by the ear, nose and throat doctor, on the other hand, digestive system disorders are generally cared for by a specialist in internal medicine (gastroenterologist) specializing in gastrointestinal diseases..
In addition, a thorough oral hygiene is indispensable. This relieves the bad breath and helps to prevent the development of new bad odors caused by bacteria and germs in the oropharynx. Important measures include e.g. Daily brushing in the morning and in the evening for at least three minutes as well as the regular change of toothbrushes as soon as the bristles stick out or show permanent discolouration. When brushing it is important to think of the interdental spaces and to clean them daily with an interdental brush or dental floss.
Mouthwashes can be helpful in the case of an accidental inflammation in the mouth - but these should only be used for a short period of time in order to avoid unbalancing the natural oral flora. In order to be able to successfully treat or prevent bad breath, the annual appointment with the dentist should be performed to remove tartar and deposits and to have professional teeth cleaning done if necessary.
Proper teeth cleaning is especially important for bad breath. In addition to regular brushing, it also includes the use of dental floss or interdental brushes. (Image: PhotoSG / fotolia.com) Home remedy for bad breath
For self-treatment, there are a number of natural home remedies for bad breath. Recommended are, for example, mouth rinses with apple cider vinegar or sage tea, as well as myrrh tincture has a very positive effect on the oral mucosa due to its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. A proven home remedy for bad breath originating from the Orient are fresh mint leaves, which are harvested individually and then sucked and chewed in the mouth. The popular peppermint sweets, however, usually help only briefly and often also contain any amount of sugar, which in turn can have a negative effect on the oral flora. More meaningful and helpful, therefore, is e.g. chewing coffee beans, fennel seeds, fresh parsley or thyme.
Even the so-called "oil pulling" is now often used for bad breath. It is a simple and at the same time very effective procedure, which can be used very successfully as a home remedy for toothache, tongue fungus or herpes in the mouth, for example. It is best to use cold-pressed sesame or sunflower oil. This is about a teaspoon before toothbrushing for several minutes in the mouth back and forth and thereby pressed through the teeth. Then the mixture must be spit out so that the toxins bound by the oil do not remain in the body and can lead to further damage there. (jvs, no)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)