Poor oral hygiene, tooth decay, gum disease, cigarette smoking — we all know very well that these things can cause halitosis, which is a fancy medical term for a not-so-fancy matter: bad breath.
Did you know that there’s also a bunch of uncommon bad breath causes?
If you’re someone who is very self-conscious and you are constantly terrified of offending someone with the smell of your breath, keep on reading this article. Below you will come across some of those that could cause your breath to reek that you probably have never heard or read about yet.
Acid Reflux or GERD
Whether it is acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that you’re diagnosed with, it’s for certain that it is very much likely for your breath to be smelly most of the time.
Sometimes your breath may smell acidic because of the fact that digestive acids are able to escape the stomach. In some cases your breath may smell exactly like death due to the fact that acid reflux or GERD can lead to poor digestion of food, and the reeking smell of undigested food in the stomach may in fact escape via the oral cavity.
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Are you suffering from the common cold, flu or sinusitis? Then don’t be surprised if someone offers you gum or breath mints — the presence of an upper respiratory tract infection can certainly leave your breath smelling foul. You can put the blame on postnasal drip and also the presence of odor- and infection-causing bacteria or viruses.
In order to deal with halitosis brought about by an upper respiratory tract infection, gargle with warm salt water many times a day. Aside from fending off bad breath, it’s also something that can help alleviate some of your symptoms.
Lung Issues
There are instances in which bad breath can stem so much further in the respiratory tract, such as the lungs. It goes without saying that certain problems that concern the lungs can actually cause halitosis. After all, air that comes out of the mouth originates from the lungs.
According to dental experts, some acute lung problems such as bronchitis and pneumonia can leave the sufferer’s breath smelling foul. The good news is that once the individual bounces back from the problem, bad breath goes away on its own.
Diabetes
If you’re suffering from type 2 diabetes, make sure that you have easy access to a toothbrush or mouthwash — having the said disease can make your breath highly susceptible to smelling horrid most especially if you are poor at managing it.
The breath of someone who is suffering from type 2 diabetes may smell like nail polish or fruits due to having high levels of ketones in the bloodstream. What’s more, gum disease is quite common in people who are battling type 2 diabetes, and it’s something that can certainly leave one’s breath really smelly.
Liver or Kidney Disease
Your body is equipped with organs that help to neutralize or eliminate poisonous substances within, and some of the most popular ones are your liver and kidneys. Having health-related concerns with these organs can cause accumulation of toxins inside you, which can leave you with halitosis.
Liver or kidney disease is a very serious health matter and having terrible-smelling breath should be the least of your concerns — it is associated with so many complications! Needless to say, liver or kidney disease should be identified and treated without any delay.
Ill-Fitting Dental Appliance
Do you have a dental appliance in your mouth? If it doesn’t fit perfectly, then it’s very much likely for your mouth to smell horrible as odor-causing food particles and oral bacteria can accumulate in certain areas.
What’s more, having a poorly-fitting dental appliance can cause trauma to some of the soft tissues of the mouth such as the gums, and one of the issues that may stem from such is halitosis.
