Bad breath (halitosis): symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition

What is bad breath?

Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath or bad breath. The appearance of an unpleasant smell is generally caused by bacteria that thrive in the mouth.

These bacteria produce sulfur gas (sulfur). As a result, when you open or exhale through your mouth, a strong odor comes out.

There are many things that can trigger the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath. Starting from the food consumed daily, rarely brush your teeth, smoking, and so on.

Halitosis can reduce self-esteem and even cause excessive anxiety. A person can feel insecure about just opening his mouth and interacting with other people.

Although relatively easy to treat, you may need treatment at a doctor to treat this condition. The reason is, a bad mouth could be a sign of a more serious medical condition.

How common is halitosis?

This condition of bad breath is very common. According to American Dental Association , at least 50 percent of adults worldwide have bad breath.

So generally, many people are not aware of this condition. To stay away from bad breath conditions, you can avoid the existing risk factors. Please consult a doctor for more complete information.

Signs & symptoms

What are the symptoms of halitosis?

As the name suggests, the most obvious symptom is a bad smell from your mouth breath. However, how strong the smell is will vary from person to person, depending on the cause.

Some people can feel that their mouth smells badly, but it really isn't. Some other people just never realize that they have bad breath.

On the other hand, people also tend to be reluctant to tell you that you have bad breath problems. The unpleasant factor is the cause.

However, don't wait to be called to see how bad your breath smells. Try licking the inside of your wrist to see how your mouth smells. Wait until it's a little dry, then smell your saliva.

If you have a strong or unpleasant odor, this means you have halitosis. You can also ask the people closest to you to confirm this.

If a condition such as halitosis makes you and those around you even more disturbed, it never hurts to have this checked with your doctor immediately.

When should I see a doctor?

Bad mouth is often the result of poor oral hygiene. Well, try to improve your habits in maintaining hygiene and oral health. For example, be more diligent in brushing your teeth and tongue after eating, flossing your teeth and drinking lots of water.

If your mouth still smells bad and even stings, don't hesitate to go to the dentist immediately. The dentist will take your medical history as well as perform a number of physical examinations to determine the cause of your bad breath.

Cause

What are the causes of bad breath?

In fact, there are a myriad of causes for bad breath or halitosis. Ranging from simple things to signs of serious medical conditions. In general, here are various possible causes for bad breath.

1. Dry mouth

Dry mouth could be the reason your mouth has a bad smell. Why is that? Saliva has a function that plays an important role in maintaining health, your teeth, mouth, and even your breath.

Apart from helping crush food, saliva is also responsible for shedding food debris and bacteria that stick to the surface of the teeth.

Conversely, reduced saliva production in your mouth can make it easier for bacteria and germs to multiply in it, causing your mouth to smell bad.

2. Certain types of food

Bad breath can also be caused by eating certain types of food. Foods such as petai, durian, garlic, onions, and certain spices leave a distinctive aroma in your mouth after you eat them.

After being successfully digested by the intestines, the food will be absorbed by the blood and exhaled through the lungs. This is the strongest reason your breath will smell bad after eating foods that have a strong, strong aroma.

On the other hand, food debris left on the teeth can also spread a bad smell in the mouth.

3. Smoking

People who smoke tend to have bad breath due to the effects of the chemicals in each cigarette.

Smoking can reduce the production of saliva in the mouth, resulting in drier mouths. When your mouth is dry, more bacteria will multiply in your mouth.

Actually it's not just a bad breath problem, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that people who smoke are twice as likely to develop gum disease than those who don't.

4. Poor dental hygiene

Food debris that sticks between the teeth and the surface of the teeth will turn into plaque. Plaque is a thin, sticky layer covered with bacteria. If you don't practice proper dental hygiene, plaque can cause bad breath or halitosis.

Plaque can also harden to turn into tartar. Over time, tartar can irritate the gums and cause inflammation and infection.

Your tongue can also harbor bacteria that make your mouth smell bad. That is why it is important to maintain proper dental hygiene.

5. Certain drugs

Even though it functions to treat disease, the medicine you are currently taking can actually trigger bad breath or halitosis.

Hadie Rifai, a dentist from Cleveland Clinic, says that there are certain drugs that can trigger halitosis. Medications such as antihistamines, antipsychotics, and diuretic drugs can cause your mouth to smell bad.

This is because the three types of drugs have a side effect of dry mouth, so they can trigger a bad breath.

If you are worried about these side effects, don't hesitate to ask your doctor directly. Your doctor can prescribe other drugs according to your condition.

6. Infections in the mouth

Bad breath can also be caused because you have an infection in the mouth, nose, or throat area.

If you have a history of sinusitis, post-nasal drip, or sore throat due to bacterial infection, then you are more prone to developing bad breath.

7. Stomach acid rises

The bad smell that comes out of your mouth can also be caused by increased stomach acid due to GERD. GERD is a condition when stomach acid rises up to the esophagus and irritates the lining of the throat.

When stomach acid rises, you will usually experience heartburn and a bitter or sour taste in your mouth. Another effect that you can also feel is the mouth smells bad.

8. History of certain diseases

Bad breath can also be caused because you have certain diseases. An example of a disease that can cause bad breath or halitosis is diabetes.

Actually, bad breath can be used as an indication of whether there are health problems in the body or not.

Bad halitosis can also be associated with kidney disease, anorexia nervosa, oral cancer, various liver and metabolic diseases, bronchitis, and pneumonia. However, cases like this are rare.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for halitosis?

The things below can put you at a higher risk of developing bad breath.

• Elderly people
• Lack of drinking water
• Eat foods that have a strong aroma, such as durian, garlic, petai, jengkol, and others
• Rarely brush and flossing
• Active smoker
• Are taking allergy medications, blood pressure medications, anti-depressant drugs, and so on
• Have a certain medical history such as diabetes and disorders of the liver and kidneys

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is bad breath diagnosed?

In most cases, bad breath goes away on its own if you change your mouth cleaning habits. Such as brushing your teeth more often, maintaining healthy gums and tongue, using dental floss and drink more water.

If the situation doesn't improve, you may have to visit the dentist to find out what happened.

Depending on the case, your doctor will help you choose the most suitable treatment. If the bad breath is due to another medical condition, treating the cause may relieve the bad breath.

Your dentist may give you an anti-bacterial mouthwash to reduce the effect.

What are the treatment options for bad breath?

When you want to choose how to treat bad breath right, look again at the methods because it all depends on the trigger factor.

If the cause of your bad breath is due to poor oral hygiene, your doctor can perform dental work. Starting from scaling, tooth filling, and so on.

Your doctor can also prescribe a special mouthwash or toothpaste to help freshen your breath.

Meanwhile, if bad breath appears due to certain medical conditions, the dentist may refer to other doctors who are related to your condition.

What are some home remedies that can be done to treat halitosis?

Here are some home remedies you can do to get rid of bad breath.

• Brush your teeth twice a day, especially after eating
• Floss between your teeth after brushing your teeth
• Brush the tongue regularly
• Gargle with mouthwash to help freshen your breath
• Drink a lot of water
• Check with the dentist at least every 6 months
• Quit smoking
• Chew sugar-free gum to increase saliva production in the mouth

Prevention

What can be done to prevent halitosis?

The good news is, there are many simple ways you can do to prevent bad breath or halitosis. Some of them include:

1. Brush your teeth regularly

Brush your teeth regularly in the morning and at night before going to bed to prevent unpleasant odors in the mouth. Don't just brush your teeth. Make sure you are doing the correct and proper brushing technique.

Brush each part of your teeth in a circular motion. Take it slow and make sure you choose a brush with soft bristles.

Consider using fluoridated toothpaste as it preserves and protects tooth enamel.

2. Clean the tongue

It is also important that you clean your tongue to prevent bad breath. Without you knowing it, the tongue is also a hotbed of bacteria. Therefore, to prevent bad breath, make sure you rub your tongue regularly.

The goal is of course to get rid of bacteria, food debris, and dead cells that stick to the surface of the tongue.

3. Flossing teeth

Apart from brushing your teeth, you can also floss your teeth. This method can also be referred to as flossing tooth. If done regularly, flossing teeth can prevent bad breath.

Flossing can clean food debris stuck between the teeth. When flossing between your teeth, make sure you do this slowly and carefully.

However, you also need to be careful and pay attention to the correct way of flossing your teeth because if you do it too hard in rubbing the threads, it can actually cause your gums to become injured.

4. Use mouthwash

Using mouthwash is equally important to maintain and care for the freshness of the mouth. Before buying mouthwash, pay close attention to its composition.

Avoid types of mouthwash that contain alcohol. This is because the alcohol content can dry out your mouth and actually trigger a bad smell.

5. Don't smoke

Want to be free from bad breath attack? Try to quit smoking right now. Not only does it prevent bad odors, quitting smoking can also improve your overall health.

6. Choose food wisely

There are a number of foods that can trigger bad breath, for example durian, garlic, and others. Therefore, you should be wiser in choosing the food you want to consume.

This does not mean you should not eat these foods at all, but it is enough to limit the amount of food consumption that can trigger bad breath. Instead, try to choose food or drinks to get rid of this one condition.

7. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables

Increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables can be an effective way to prevent bad breath. This is because fruits and vegetables contain lots of water, so they can help keep your mouth moist.

This abundant production of saliva can be a natural way to keep your breath fresh.

8. Drink water

Dry mouth can trigger bad breath. That is why drinking lots of water is the key to keeping you free from the threat of bad breath or halitosis.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.