Bad Breath Problems and Causes
Bad Breath CausesBecause bad breath is not an illness, a disease or a threat to life, many people simply don't get around to doing anything about it. It's also true that we may not be aware of our own bad breath and that other people are too polite to tell us we have a problem. In the grand scheme of things, having bad breath is not a major problem that would distract us from what else we need to do, like go to work, spend time with the family and catch up on all our chores. It's also quite embarrassing, so even those who acknowledge that they have a bad breath problem may avoid doing anything about it because they would be ashamed to discuss it with anyone. Having to admit your breath smells bad is something many people are not prepared to do.
It's a shame that such a simple thing as bad breath must cause embarrassment. It's rarely anyone's fault that they experience it, unless they are not taking care of their teeth or they have poor oral hygiene.
Bad breath can be somewhat of a social dilemma. How to tell a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend that they have it is fraught with anxiety, just as having bad breath can be. Dealing on a daily basis with work colleagues or other people can be very uncomfortable if your communication with them is up close and personal.
If bad breath is interfering in your lifestyle, you need to do something about it. Often, it can be attributed to diet, consuming certain foods or suffering from some kind of digestive disorder. Or it could be caused by a health problem that's not even in close proximity to your mouth. Strange as it may seem, problems with the liver, kidneys and intestines can be chronic bad breath causes. Acid reflux and bad breath are synonymous and sugar diabetes symptoms can include halitosis as well.
Getting rid of bad breath begins with finding out what's causing it in the first place. Your first port of call is your dentist, who will examine your teeth and the inside of your mouth for any signs of infection, tooth damage, gum disease and mouth ulcers. If nothing of significance is found, you should then consult your doctor who will investigate other causes of bad breath. You might even have a bad breath clinic in your area where you can go and health professionals there will help to assess the severity of your problem, try to determine the cause and put you on course to some bad breath cures that will bring some relief. The staffs at these clinics are well versed in how to cure bad breath because it's all they deal with day to day. They know the physiology that creates the condition, a broad range of causes, and can recommend treatments for bad breath that your doctor or dentist may not know of.
There are medicinal treatments, home remedies and naturopathic cures for bad breath. There are old wives' tales, advice from people who've cured their own, tablets, mouthwashes, rinses and diet supplements that are all recommended for halitosis treatment. Some remedies involve omitting or including particular foods or changing one's diet altogether.
For those on the Atkins or South Beach diets, bad breath will be a fact of life. A high protein, low carb diet will always result in the onset of ketosis and the dieter's breath will begin to smell fruity and slightly unpleasant. Eliminating or severely restricting any essential elements of the human diet can have mild to dire consequences.
Some people swear you can cure bad breath with Zantac, others insist that gargling with a solution of salt and water does the trick for them. Some have recommended zinc as a treatment for bad breath, others have suggested getting colonic irrigation to detox the intestines.
There are those however who are afflicted with bad breath because they have sinus problems, tonsillitis or other throat or nasal complaints. Thanks to the copious discharge at the back of the throat, bad breath can be chronic. In these cases, surgery may be recommended to relieve the more significant condition, which will in turn treat the bad breath.
Bad breath after a tonsillectomy is quite common as the incisions will have to heal and until they do, bacteria will be able to proliferate. Similarly if there are problems in the mouth such as gum disease, cutting wisdom teeth, abcesses, cavities, decaying teeth or a severe buildup of plaque, bad breath will be a problem. Even having braces or other appliances fitted to the teeth can be a cause of bad breath because the teeth can't be cleaned as easily.
As much as we all hate bad breath, it happens to the best of us. Rather than ignoring it, do something about it, because those around us whom we love and who love us, certainly can't ignore it!
Chris Hanson is the creator of bad breath fear, where he publishes articles on the causes of bad breath.
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