Chronic Bad Breath
Chronic bad breath is a definite sign that something is going wrong either in your mouth or in your body. However, if your dentist has given you a clean bill of health concerning your dental hygiene, then your bad breath may be a symptom, a precursor, or a result of something else happening with your health. Chronic bad breath, (more commonly called halitosis), could be a side effect of taking a particular medication or having a specific disease. Before you can treat your bad breath, you must determine the cause.
Causes
Bronchitis, sinusitis, and infections of the nose, throat and the lungs can cause you to have bad breath. In addition, ailments that involve the liver and kidneys can also cause halitosis. For example, if a person's liver is failing it can cause his breath to have a "fishy" odor, and kidney failure can cause his breath to smell like urine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Medications & Diseases
Having a dry mouth will prompt bad breath. The reason is that saliva is needed to clean your mouth. It is responsible for removing debris, food particles, and it also helps the body digest consumed food. However, certain medications, (i.e. pain-killers, antihistamines), will reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth. The medications taken for diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, AIDS, and diabetes can also cause sufferers to have a dry mouth. The condition of having a dry mouth is also referred to as xerostomia. For more information on xerostomia and the conditions that cause it, see Resources.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease can cause bad breath. One of the most common causes of periodontal disease is poor dental hygiene. The disease occurs when plague builds up on teeth, which then create toxins that begin to aggravate the gums in your mouth. The toxins begin to give off a pungent odor that causes bad breath. If periodontal disease is left untreated, the condition can eventually damage the structure that supports your teeth. However, you can improve your dental health by visiting your dentist for a professional teeth cleaning, flossing regularly, and brushing after every meal.
Helicobacter Pylori Infection
Helicobacter pylori (or H. pylori) infection is a bacteria found in the lining of the stomach and it frequently causes ulcers. Stomach ulcers can lead to gastritis or other stomach -related issues. One of the symptoms associated with the H. Pylori infection is halitosis. Physicians may even be able to detect this harmful bacteria sooner if the patient believes this may be the cause of her bad breath.
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