There was an unpleasant odor from the mouth. Bad breath - treatment

Bad breath (halitosis) is a big problem for both the patient and others. Despite the obvious ease of detection, you may not be aware of the problem, since you yourself do not feel the smell, and your loved ones are embarrassed to tell you about it.

Well, let's say they said... What's next? It often takes years to identify the cause and eliminate it! And this already entails emotional suffering and social failures. The prevalence of this problem, which we will further call the medical term halitosis, is extremely high. I don’t have data for Russia, but in the USA, at one time or another in their lives, every fifth person suffered from halitosis.

How to detect your scent

As already mentioned, halitosis is not always obvious to the patient himself. The best diagnosis is a trusting relationship in the family, when a loved one tells you about the problem. But if a loved one has a chronic runny nose or would never want to upset you, what should you do? There are several simple techniques to verify the presence or absence of halitosis yourself:

if there is plaque on the tongue, the likelihood of halitosis is already high, the plaque should be brushed off with a brush without toothpaste and sniffed;
clean the spaces between teeth with dental floss or a toothpick and evaluate the smell from them;
In the morning on an empty stomach, exhale slowly into a glass and then smell it;
press on the tonsils with a spoon, evaluate the smell from them;
If you have a removable denture, put it in a plastic bag for a few minutes, and then evaluate the purity of the smell in it.

How to calculate the cause

In reputable foreign journals, most articles on halitosis are devoted to dental problems. In second place are inflammatory processes in the nose, sinuses and tonsils. The esophagus and stomach, and other organs are rarely mentioned as sources of halitosis. Is this really the case? I don’t think so, rather the point is that these articles were written by dentists, and the patient first of all comes to them with such a problem. This, of course, is correct - you should start your search from top to bottom and from simple to complex.

Dentists have studied in great detail the immediate cause of bad breath - the smell is created by anaerobic (oxygen-free) bacteria living in the folds of the tongue, especially its root, in the tongue plaque, in the gum pockets, and less often in the lacunae of the tonsils. The most important provocateur of halitosis is dentures. An independent source of halitosis can be chronic inflammation in the nose and sinuses (nasohalitosis). These causes account for 99% of cases of bad breath. The remaining percentage will go to rare, advanced forms of diabetes and liver failure these days (they are easily diagnosed by a blood test).

How to get rid of odor

The mechanism associated with the proliferation of bacteria in the mouth is not synonymous with specific diseases. The true causes of halitosis may lie far beyond the oral cavity. In order for an anaerobic bacterium to begin to multiply, it needs a nutrient medium without access to oxygen. Such conditions are created during periodontal disease, periodontitis, caries, pulpitis and other dental diseases.

Therefore, the first task in the fight against halitosis is sanitation of the oral cavity. And if the elimination of fetid cavities in the teeth is usually achieved in a short time, then the treatment of periodontal disease can take time. The teeth have been cured, there is no periodontal disease, but the smell remains. We begin to blame the liver or some mythical “trash”. But in vain! You need to remember what your dentist told you about oral hygiene.

Cleaning your tongue

Sanitation means not only healthy teeth and gums, but also clean, plaque-free throats, tonsils and tongue. Cleaning the tongue, especially its distant part, is a necessary condition for the fight against halitosis, regardless of its cause.

For this purpose, special scrapers and brushes are produced, but a regular toothbrush has proven itself to be excellent; it should be used to clean not only your teeth, but also your tongue every day - just like your teeth, with toothpaste! If this is not enough, your dentist may prescribe antiseptic solutions and gels with an antibacterial component, such as metronidazole. Finally, you have achieved ideal cleanliness in your mouth and the dentist is ready to attach a “exemplary mouth” sign to your teeth. But the smell is still there. What to do now?

Contact an ENT doctor

The dentist will look deeper into the mouth and find postnasal drip - mucus and possibly pus flowing down the wall of the throat from the nose. This is already a job for an otorhinolarygologist. The ENT will perform a rhinoscopy (examine the nasal cavity with a video camera), tomography of the sinuses, find the cause of the inflammation, carry out treatment, and may even require surgery. You have been cured. And the smell... That smell hasn't gone anywhere! No, some were lucky both at the first stage and at the second, but often the plot develops according to the most bizarre scenarios.

For example, a patient came to me who went through all the stages described above many years ago, and his dentist decided that the problem was in the gum pockets, microbes live there. This wealthy patient bought and installed dental equipment at home with a total cost of 30,000 euros. The doctor performed procedures on her once a week for 5 years. Meanwhile, the patient had complaints of belching and heartburn. Gastroscopy showed inflammation of the esophagus, and an ENT specialist invited on this occasion discovered pharyngitis associated with reflux (inflammation of the pharynx).

Contact a gastroenterologist

What is reflux disease? This is a condition when the contents of the stomach are thrown back into the esophagus and even the pharynx, stomach acid burns them, they respond with copious mucus formation, creating conditions for the development of halitosis. That is, with reflux, the source of the smell is also not in the stomach - in the inflamed pharynx, tonsils, and at the root of the tongue. But the cause of suffering is a violation of the relationship between the esophagus and stomach. It should be said that this patient had the classic clues typical of reflux disease: belching and heartburn. But this doesn't always happen. The only manifestation of reflux disease may be halitosis. Sometimes it is accompanied by signs of chronic inflammation of the pharynx and larynx - pain when swallowing, hoarseness, the need to cough up mucus accumulated in the throat. After treatment for reflux disease, the odor problem was resolved and our patient was able to rid his home of medical equipment. Fortunately, now more and more ENT doctors are able to diagnose reflux pharyngitis and laryngitis and refer such patients to a gastroenterologist.

We maintain hygiene

As we can see, the cause of odor is almost always anaerobic bacteria in the mouth and throat, but the conditions for them are created by diseases not only of the oral cavity, but also of the nose, sinuses, pharynx, esophagus and stomach.

However, the basis of the fight against halitosis, regardless of its origin, is oral hygiene. Clean your tongue and especially its root every day, carefully treat the interdental spaces with floss, keep your removable dentures clean - and you will be happy.

Almost every adult faces the problem of bad breath (halitosis) sooner or later. People experiencing such problems begin to feel some discomfort when communicating, which, in turn, leads to isolation, decreased self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and, ultimately, to loneliness.

All this can provoke the occurrence of psychoneurological diseases that develop due to a lack of communication.

Causes of bad breath in adults. Types of halitosis

Sometimes the person himself does not notice or does not want to notice the unpleasant odor emanating from the oral cavity. However, this may be a symptom of quite serious illnesses, therefore, you should not ignore the problem and contact the clinic as soon as possible to find out the cause and make the correct diagnosis.

Types of halitosis

There are two types of halitosis:

Physiological. The appearance of bad breath is caused by dietary errors or poor oral hygiene. This type of halitosis can occur with smoking, fasting, and excessive consumption of alcohol and medications.
Pathological. Caused by dental diseases (oral halitosis) or pathologies of internal organs (extrooral).

In addition, in the scientific world there are such concepts as pseudohalitosis and halitophobia. Both of these conditions are psychological in nature.

Pseudogalitosis is one of the obsessive states in which the patient constantly feels that his breath smells bad. In such cases, the help of a psychotherapist is required.

Overly suspicious people often suffer halitophobia- constant fear of the appearance of a bad odor after an illness.

So, before taking any measures to eliminate bad breath, you should find out the reason his emergence. Perhaps it’s a matter of an incorrect and unbalanced diet, or is everything explained by the poor state of the environment? What if halitosis is caused by pathological changes in internal organs or is it contagious?

Physiological type

There are many reasons that cause bad breath, the main ones being the following.

General oral health. In an adult, as well as in a child, odor can appear due to insufficient oral care. In this case, you should check your teeth and gums.

Dry mouth. In medical circles, this phenomenon is called xerostomia. It usually arises as a result of lengthy conversations. Often, xerostomia affects people whose profession involves constant communication (for example, TV presenters, announcers, etc.).

Wrong diet. Experts have identified a number of products, the consumption of which can provoke halitosis. These are mainly fatty foods that have a negative effect on the walls of the stomach and esophagus.

Bad habits. Habits such as smoking and alcohol can cause bad breath. But if with the second option everything is more or less clear (those who have encountered the problem of hangover syndrome understand well what we are talking about), then with smoking the situation is somewhat different. This is explained by the fact that smokers use cigarettes almost every day, and tobacco smoke has a negative effect on the oral mucosa. The result of this effect is the drying out of the mouth and the creation of favorable conditions for the emergence and development of various types of harmful microorganisms, which will be very problematic to get rid of in the future.

Poor oral hygiene. Bad breath can occur as a result of plaque on the tongue, gums, inside of the cheeks and even teeth. The appearance of such plaque is usually explained by non-compliance with the rules of oral hygiene, which results in the active development of bacteria that feed on food debris remaining in the mouth.

Microbes. In some cases, bad breath appears in the morning, seemingly for no apparent reason. In fact, it’s all about microbes that actively grow and multiply almost constantly, especially at night. During sleep, the amount of saliva in a person's mouth decreases, which creates favorable conditions for the growth and development of harmful bacteria. You can get rid of bad breath in a simple way: just brush your teeth and additionally use a mouth rinse to maintain the effect.

Pathological type

This form of halitosis is characterized by the appearance of the following odors from the mouth:

acetone;
ammonia;
feces;
putrefactive;
sour;
rotten eggs.

Smell of rotten breath. Most often, the cause of this odor is pathological changes in the respiratory system and dental diseases. In addition, it may appear due to the accumulation of food debris under the denture or in a diseased tooth. Under the influence of harmful microorganisms, amino acids decompose, which determines the nature of this form of halitosis.

The main causes of putrid odor from the mouth may be the following:

In addition, the smell of rot can be caused by the following factors:

disruption of the functioning of the digestive tract, with a particularly pronounced odor;
alcohol abuse and smoking;
poor oral hygiene, resulting in the appearance of tartar or plaque.

Ammonia smell. The causes of its appearance are kidney diseases and renal failure, in which the level of urea in the blood is greatly exceeded. The body, not being able to fully remove this substance naturally, begins to look for an alternative exit, that is, through the skin and mucous membranes. This explains the appearance of the ammonia smell.

Smell of feces from the mouth. There may be several reasons for its occurrence: intestinal obstruction, poor absorption of food, decreased peristalsis and dysbiosis.

People with bulimia or anorexia may also experience a fecal odor in their mouth. This is also associated with a disruption of the digestive process: food is poorly digested (or not digested at all), and rotting and fermentation begins.

In some cases, such an aroma may be caused by infectious lesions of the respiratory system.

Smell of acid. An increased level of gastric acidity caused by diseases such as pancreatitis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, esophageal diverticulitis or gastritis provokes the appearance of a sour odor from the mouth. The acidic smell may be accompanied by nausea or heartburn.

Rotten egg smell. The main reason for the appearance of such a smell is also disturbances in the functioning of the stomach associated with decreased acidity and gastritis. In this case, a person may experience a feeling of discomfort in the stomach area, and belching appears. Another cause of rotten egg breath is food poisoning.

Smell of acetone from the mouth. The most harmless cause of the smell of acetone is ordinary indigestion, but there are several quite serious diseases accompanied by this form of halitosis.

The smell of acetone may indicate diseases of the pancreas (pancreatitis, diabetes), and also indicate the development of other pathologies, as will be discussed below.

Liver diseases. The course of some liver diseases is accompanied by the appearance of acetone in human urine and blood. If the functioning of an organ is disrupted, the task of which is precisely to cleanse the body of all sorts of unnecessary substances, including toxic ones, leads to the accumulation of acetone and, as a result, the appearance of odor from the oral cavity.
Diabetes. High blood sugar, characteristic of an advanced form of diabetes, coupled with the release of large amounts of acetone (ketone bodies) into the human blood forces the kidneys to work harder and remove toxic substances from the body. The lungs also take an active part in the process, which explains the appearance of an acetone odor from the patient’s mouth.

When this symptom appears, the patient must be urgently hospitalized for a thorough examination and immediate medical care. Otherwise, a diabetic coma is possible.

Kidney diseases. The smell of acetone from the mouth can appear with uric acid diathesis, as well as with diseases such as kidney dystrophy, renal failure, nephrosis. These pathologies cause disruption of protein metabolism and its breakdown products begin to accumulate in the blood.

Diagnosis of bad breath

Halitosis is detected in the following ways:

Organoleptic method (assessment of the intensity of halitosis by a specialist). In this case, the degree of manifestation of bad breath is assessed on a five-point scale (from 0 to 5). Before the examination, it is recommended to refrain from using odorous cosmetics one day before the procedure, and eating spicy food approximately 48 hours before visiting the doctor. In addition, 12 hours before the start of the assessment, it is advisable to stop using breath fresheners and mouth rinses, and stop brushing your teeth, smoking, eating and drinking.
Analysis of the medical history: when exactly does bad breath appear, how long ago has it started, are there any chronic diseases of the oral cavity, gums, liver, gastrointestinal tract, paranasal sinuses and nose itself, is there a connection with food intake, etc.
Pharyngoscopy (examination of the larynx).
Sulfide monitoring is the use of a special device (halimeter) to measure the degree of sulfur concentration in the air exhaled by the patient.
Examination of the nose and nasopharynx using an endoscope.
Examination of the oral cavity by a dentist (to identify white or yellowish plaque on the patient’s tongue and teeth).
Laryngoscopy.
Consultation with a gastroenterologist and pulmonologist (in order to exclude diseases of the lungs and bronchi).
Biochemical blood test (sugar levels, liver and kidney enzymes are examined).

Prevention of unpleasant odors

In order to avoid the appearance of bad breath and subsequent problems associated with it, you should follow a few simple rules:

First of all, you must carefully adhere to the rules of oral hygiene and regularly visit the dentist for preventive examinations.
Nutrition should be balanced, rich in vitamins and microelements.
In addition to daily brushing of teeth, it is necessary to use special mouth rinses that help destroy harmful microorganisms and freshen breath. Do not overuse alcohol rinses, as they greatly dry out the mucous membranes.
Timely prevention and treatment of pathologies of internal organs, as well as infectious diseases.
Regular consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits.
Whenever you brush your teeth, do not forget about your tongue and be sure to clean it of any plaque that has appeared.
Refusal to drink alcohol, cigarettes, and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Using special moisturizers if you have dry mouth.

The appearance of bad odor from the oral cavity should not be ignored and you should not try to get rid of it with the help of hygiene products. This can only drown out the problem for a while, but will not destroy it completely. Sometimes even a simple consultation with a specialist gives a good result, and timely treatment will save you from such troubles for a long time.

Bad breath, causes and treatment of this phenomenon bother many adults. This symptom prevents you from freely communicating with others at home, at work, and in public places. It always suggests that there are some health problems. In fact this symptom is characteristic of many diseases of internal systems, but the reasons for its appearance are not always dangerous.

The essence of the problem

Doctors call bad breath with an unpleasant odor from the mouth halitosis. If a person notices such a symptom, he should first figure out what exactly the problem is:

True halitosis is the real presence of a fetid odor, noticeable to a person and those around him. The cause is diseases.
Pseudohalitosis is a condition in which the foul odor is so weak that only the person himself notices it.
Halitophobia - a person thinks that he has a putrid odor from his breath, but even the dentist does not confirm its presence.

To check for a foul odor, you can place a tissue on the back of your tongue and sniff it, or check the scent of a used toothpick. There are special sensitive devices for assessing the amount of hydrogen sulfide gas in the exhaled air, which smells unpleasantly of rot and is formed in the body during illness. If you smell an acidic odor or smell rotten, you should go to a dentist or therapist to find out the causes of the problem.

Causes of halitosis

The causes of bad breath in an adult can be extremely varied, and pathology cannot be determined by this symptom alone. Therefore, you need to take into account other symptoms that occur simultaneously with halitosis:

Possible reasons	Character of the smell	Associated symptoms
Dental diseases: caries, periodontitis, stomatitis.	Fetid odor with a hint of rot, worse in the morning.	Pain in the teeth, the appearance of ulcers on the mucous membrane, bleeding.
Diseases of the urinary organs: nephrosis, pyelonephritis, cystitis.	Reminds me of ammonia.	Lower back pain, fever, discomfort when urinating.
Sjögren's syndrome.	Unpleasant smell, like caries.	Dry mouth and eyes, photophobia, difficulty swallowing.
Pathologies of the respiratory system: sinusitis, sinusitis, proliferation of adenoids and polyps, pneumonia, purulent bronchitis, tuberculosis.	Putrid smell.	Pain in the throat or sinuses, mucus secretion, difficulty breathing through the nose, changes in voice and pronunciation of sounds, plaque on the tonsils.
Liver failure.	Rotten smell of spoiled meat or eggs.	Light-colored feces, dark urine, yellow mucous membranes and skin, bitter taste in the mouth.
Diseases of the stomach and small intestine: gastritis, ulcers.	Sour breath in an adult or child.	Stomach pain, heartburn, stomach or intestinal bleeding.
Intestinal dysbiosis.	Putrid smell.	Digestive disorders, accumulation of intestinal gases, flatulence.
Problems with the pancreas, diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus.	Fetid sour odor mixed with acetone.	Persistent thirst, excessive urination, weakness, accumulation of excess weight.

Dental diseases

If the cause of bad breath in an adult lies in dental problems (this happens in 80% of cases), you should consult a dentist. The appearance of a foul odor indicates that pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in carious lesions or under tartar, which cause decay processes. Ignoring the situation will lead to tooth loss due to damage to the internal tissues of the tooth or gum.

With stomatitis, bad breath also indicates the activity of bacteria. The infection can cause severe fever and serves as a source of pathogens that can travel through the bloodstream to any other organ. For treatment, the doctor will recommend antibacterial medications and mouth rinses.

Most problems found in dentistry have one cause - failure to comply with hygiene rules. If you skip brushing in the mornings and evenings for two days, your breath already stinks of rot. Bacteria are not eliminated from the surface of the teeth, they begin to multiply more actively, their waste products accumulate and, together with food, form a soft plaque, which then turns into hard tartar. Therefore, you can prevent the appearance of bad breath by following the rules of hygiene.

Digestive problems

Causes of bad breath in adults related to the digestive system are very dangerous, but not that common: about 10% of cases. They lead to exhaustion of the body, impaired immunity, provoke pain, and the patient’s breath smells sour.

If pathogenic bacteria develop in the intestines, they can enter the respiratory and urinary organs and form new foci of infection.

It is impossible to eliminate the rotten odor in such diseases with toothpaste or mouthwash., you must definitely contact a therapist or gastroenterologist who will prescribe treatment:

Liver diseases

When people try to find out why their breath smells rotten and there is an unpleasant taste, diagnostics often reveal liver dysfunction. This gland secretes bile, which has a bitter taste, which causes a periodic sensation of bitterness when gastric contents enter through the esophagus into the pharynx.

Liver diseases are provoked by various reasons: viral hepatitis, poisoning, alcohol intoxication, irregular diet. Therefore, treatment is developed individually. Your doctor may recommend:

Quitting bad habits.
Prescription of drugs – hepatoprotectors.
Dieting.
Treatment of viral diseases with antiviral therapy.

Pancreas problems

The presence of a bad odor in a woman or man is always unpleasant, but this symptom sometimes allows us to identify unexpressed diseases in healthy-looking people. This happens when the smell of acetone appears from the mucous membrane of the mouth. When visiting a doctor, patients may unexpectedly discover an increase in blood sugar. The aroma of this substance accompanies the breakdown of large amounts of fat in cells that lack available carbohydrates.

The following measures will help reduce the harm of diabetes to the body and fight halitosis:

Constant monitoring of sugar levels and timely use of insulin when it increases.
Dieting.
Use of hypoglycemic agents.

Halitosis in respiratory diseases

In every tenth patient with complaints of bad breath, the causes of the symptom lie in diseases of the respiratory tract. For infections that provoke sore throat, sinusitis, pneumonia, antibacterial therapy is necessary, and it is better to first identify the type of pathogen. To do this, they do bacterial inoculation of the biomaterial.

If pathogenic microorganisms linger and actively multiply due to neoplasms (polyps, adenoids), surgical intervention may be necessary. But not in all cases, doctors consider surgery necessary; the decision is made after a full diagnosis, taking into account the likely harm and benefits for the patient.

Simultaneously with treatment of the respiratory system, you need to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the oral cavity so that the infection does not accumulate on the teeth.

Rare causes of halitosis

The smell of rotten breath, which is caused by problems with the kidneys, other organs or Sjögren's syndrome, is very rare. But the possibility of their occurrence cannot be ruled out. That is why, in the absence of diseases of the digestive, respiratory system and diseases of the oral cavity, you need to continue the search for pathology. To establish where putrid breath comes from, identify the cause and build a treatment regimen, the following examinations may be necessary:

Urine tests.
Ultrasound of internal organs.
Diagnosis of the functions of the body glands (salivary, lacrimal).
Biopsy of various organs.
Immunological examinations.

Temporary halitosis

The causes of putrid breath in adults can be harmless. This is why healthy people may experience temporary halitosis that is not associated with organ diseases:

In these cases, there is no need to worry about bad breath, causes and treatment. But if the symptom does not disappear over time and is accompanied by other abnormalities, you should consult a doctor.

Urgent symptom relief

Any disease that causes sour, rotten breath or the aroma of rotten eggs must be treated. Such diseases cannot be cured overnight; sometimes long-term therapy and special medications are required. But there are situations in life when you need to get rid of the stench urgently, for example, before a date or a business meeting. If your breath stinks, you can:

Chew menthol gum.
Brush your teeth thoroughly with mint paste and mouthwash.
Chew grains of coffee for a few minutes.
Rinse your mouth with antibacterial drugs (Chlorhexidine).

All of these methods can only temporarily remove rotten odor from the mouth; the causes of halitosis remain, and after a few hours it returns again. A more effective way to get rid of the smell of rot or rotten eggs in the mouth is to rinse your mouth with disinfectant solutions regularly. To do this, use special pharmaceutical preparations, chamomile decoction. This procedure will not get rid of halitosis immediately, but the effect will be more sustainable.

The causes of bad breath in adults and treatment options for this symptom are incredibly varied. Halitosis can occur in both healthy and sick people, so diagnosis is always necessary. Especially if the aroma is very sharp, purulent, contains impurities of acetone and ammonia, when a bitter taste is added.

If your breath stinks in the morning, it means that a person does not take enough care of his oral cavity. To get rid of the manifestations, you should brush your teeth more thoroughly and use natural and pharmacy mouthwashes more often. For ailments of the internal organs (liver, stomach, pancreas, tonsils, sinuses), you need to carry out full treatment, take prescribed medications and, if necessary, undergo surgery.

Bad breath causes a lot of negative emotions, develops an inferiority complex, and becomes an obstacle to normal interaction with other people. This problem is very common among the adult population, but only in some cases it is pathological in nature. People have bad breath due to inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, due to caries, insufficient oral hygiene, etc. To get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon, you need to find out and eliminate the cause of its occurrence.

Why do people have bad breath?

Bad breath occurs as a person grows older and this phenomenon is medically called halitosis or halitosis. Usually its sources are pathogenic microorganisms that accumulate on the tongue, gums and in the interdental space. There are two groups of reasons why bad breath occurs – physiological and pathological. The first group is caused by the influence of natural factors that are not a consequence of health problems. The second group includes various diseases that contribute to the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Physiological reasons:

Poor oral hygiene, irregular or insufficient brushing of teeth.
Caries.
Alcohol abuse.
Tobacco smoking.
Eating certain foods, such as garlic or onions.
Poor nutrition, strict diets.
Starvation.

Pathological reasons:

Gastritis.
Peptic ulcer disease.
Enteritis.
Colitis.
Pancreatic dysfunction.
Liver pathologies.
Diseases of the ENT organs of a purulent nature.
Pneumonia.
Tuberculosis.
Carious lesions of teeth.
Diabetes.

Why does bad breath appear with healthy teeth?

Many people look for the origin of the problem in caries and other dental problems. However, very often, even after complete elimination of dental pathologies, and despite regular visits to the dentist and careful hygiene, the problem of bad breath persists. This suggests that the causes of this phenomenon must be sought in the body, since the above pathologies most often serve as its causes.

There is also a pathology called xerostomia, which is characterized by insufficient salivation and increased dry mouth. In most cases, it occurs against the background of other diseases, such as diabetes or HIV. As a result of a lack of saliva, which has an anti-inflammatory and neutralizing effect, and also washes away pathogenic bacteria from the teeth, a person develops a very unpleasant odor from the mouth.

Other clinical manifestations of xerostomia are discomfort while talking or eating, constant thirst, difficulty swallowing, the appearance of ulcers on the mucous membrane, etc.

The main “culprits” of unpleasant odor

There is a special type of bacteria that causes that specific bad breath. These microorganisms are called anaerobic or gram-negative, and they release chemical compounds that cause bad breath. This happens when the number of such bacteria begins to predominate, and the microflora in the oral cavity is disrupted. The favorite foods of anaerobic microorganisms are proteins found in meat and fish, eggs, etc. Therefore, in order to avoid bad breath, both in adults and children, it is necessary to use a toothbrush regularly.

Types of smell

Halitosis can be a consequence of any disease, and each of them is reflected in a person’s breathing. Taking into account the nature of the unpleasant odor, the direction in which to look for the problem is usually determined.

The smell of rot

The main causes of putrid breath in adults:

Plaque on teeth.
Carious lesions of teeth.
Insufficient saliva production.
Stomatitis.
Sinusitis.
Inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs.
Pathologies of the digestive organs.
Abscesses.
Poor quality oral care.
Periodontitis.
Tobacco smoking.

Smell of acetone

This unusual odor from the mouth appears for the following reasons:

Diabetes.
Dehydration of the body.
Liver pathologies.
Kidney diseases.
Long-term diet for weight loss (Kremlin, protein, French, etc.).
Pathologies of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).
Acetonemia.

Sour smell

Sour breath occurs due to the following factors:

One of the first symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Increased acidity of gastric juice.
Diaphragmatic hernia.
Cardiospasm.
Gingivitis.
Metal crowns in the mouth.
Fungal infection of the oral mucosa.
Helminthiasis.
Uncontrolled drug therapy.
Gastroesophageal reflux.
Hormonal imbalance.
Nervous shock, severe emotional stress.
Violation of metabolic processes.

Rotten smell

Foul breath indicates a large amount of hydrogen sulfide released in the digestive tract as a result of eating protein foods. A rotten smell is felt by others when a person speaks or breathes through the mouth. This phenomenon is also observed with low production of digestive fluid, especially when a person overeats, or with low acidity of gastric juice.

So, rotten odor from the mouth occurs under the influence of diseases:

Lazy stomach syndrome (low motility).
Biliary dyskinesia.
Cirrhosis of the liver (causes the smell of rotten meat).
Stenosis of the pylorus of the stomach.
Chronic cholecystitis.
Diverticula of the esophageal wall.
Atrophic gastritis.

Ammonia breath

The smell of ammonia from the oral cavity appears due to a violation of metabolic processes, when decay products are released not through the genitourinary organs, but partially through the lungs.

This problem is widespread and, in addition to metabolic failures, occurs for the following reasons:

Poor nutrition with a predominance of protein foods in the diet. Removal of ammonia is difficult due to overload of the liver and kidneys.
Insufficient water intake.
Starvation.
Taking medications and vitamin complexes containing nitrogen and amino acids.
Liver diseases.
Diabetes.
Kidney failure.
Thyrotoxicosis.

Sweetish smell

Bad breath with a sweetish tint can be the result of many pathologies, including dental ones. The most likely causes of bad breath are:

Immunodeficiency.
Diabetes.
Duodenitis.
Cytomegalovirus infection.
Disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism.
Candidiasis.
Depression or stress.
Inflammation of the gums.
Dehydration of the body.

Stool smell

Such a smell arising from the oral cavity becomes the main cause of problems in interacting with other people.

This phenomenon is always provoked by diseases of the digestive organs:

Intestinal neurosis.
Intestinal obstruction.
Dysbacteriosis.
Frequent constipation.
Diverticulitis (obstruction of the esophagus).
Biliary dyskinesia.
Helminthic infestations.
Pancreatitis.
Gastritis.
Increased or decreased acidity.
Peptic ulcer disease.

Diagnosis of halitosis

Bad breath can be a consequence of natural causes, but it can also be a sign of many pathological processes. If this phenomenon is permanent, then most likely we are talking about diseases of the internal organs or dental problems. A person can independently determine whether his breath smells. To do this, you can take a cotton pad or swab, rub it along the inside of your cheeks, along the root of your tongue and along your teeth, and then sniff. But self-diagnosis, as a rule, is not effective, so if you suspect this problem, it is better to contact a specialist.

Typically, the patient undergoes the following types of examinations:

Collecting anamnesis, identifying concomitant diseases.
Examination by a dentist, gastroenterologist, otolaryngologist.
Halimetry.
PCR diagnostics.
Microbiological research.
Test for the presence of dysbacteriosis.
Analysis for acidity level.
Gastroscopy.
Ultrasonography.
X-ray.
Determination of helminthiases, etc.

What foods cause bad odor?

Each body is individual and everyone reacts differently to eating foods; some people immediately develop an unpleasant odor from the mouth, while some people retain fresh breath even after smoking a cigarette. Much depends on the state of metabolism and the presence of concomitant diseases.

However, there is a list of foods that, when consumed, even in an absolutely healthy person’s breath becomes stale:

Fresh onions.
Garlic.
Alcoholic drinks.
Horseradish.
Black coffee.
Carbonated drinks.
Salty fish.

What foods freshen your breath?

To ensure that your breath is always fresh and that bad breath does not bother the person himself or those close to him, it is recommended to drink more clean water, which washes away food debris and pathogenic microorganisms from the teeth and mucous membranes of the mouth.

Eating the following foods will also help eliminate the problem:

Juicy fruits, vegetables and berries, which promote additional saliva production and create negative conditions for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.
Natural yogurt without fruit filler and containing lactobacilli reduces the level of sulfide compounds, which are a source of unpleasant odor.
Fresh herbs: dill, parsley, celery.
Carnation.
Sweet dill seeds.
Anis et al.

Treatment methods for halitosis

In order to get rid of the problem in question, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the root cause of its occurrence. Treatment of the disease that caused this symptom is one of the measures to eliminate bad breath. But in any case, this problem requires an integrated approach, which, in addition to drug treatment of pathology, involves careful adherence to oral and dental hygiene.

Basic principles of treatment of halitosis depending on the established diagnosis:

Antibiotic therapy.
Anti-inflammatory drugs.
Diet therapy.
Treatment of carious teeth.
Traditional methods for eliminating odor.
Stimulation of salivation.
Elimination of helminths from the body.

Prevention

The most important preventive measure is careful oral hygiene, regular brushing of teeth, preferably after every meal. Children from a young age should be instilled in the habit of brushing their teeth so that in the future they will not have caries and, as a result, bad breath. It is also advisable to use dental floss, and during morning hygiene procedures, pay attention not only to the teeth, but also to the tongue and the inner surface of the cheeks. Additionally, it is recommended to use special rinses containing sodium chlorite, chlorine dioxide, zinc or cetylpyridone chloride. Such products destroy bacteria, neutralize sulfur compounds, and reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms. It is necessary to visit the dentist regularly in order to eliminate incipient caries and other diseases in a timely manner.

Equally important is the prevention of constipation, dysbacteriosis, gastritis, peptic ulcers and other pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of which is determined by the unpleasant odor from the oral cavity. Proper nutrition and a healthy, active lifestyle will help prevent the development of such health problems.