Help For Halitosis/Bad Breath
Bad BreathThere's help for halitosis/bad breath. Now days, people spend a lot of time on self-improvement. Regular exercise, proper nutrition and an emphasis on general wellness are important for medical as well as social reasons. Unfortunately, however, many people suffer from a condition that can't be cured at a health club, spa or even a hospital: chronic bad breath.
While not many people care to share it, halitosis/bad breath plagues more than 30 million Americans, according to the American Dental Association. Without proper treatment, offensive breath can lead to a loss of self-confidence and self-esteem, and it can even result in depression. The problem can adversely affect your marriage, social life, career and family relationships.
There is disagreement on what causes this condition and more disagreement on how to treat it. Possible causes include: certain incompatible bacterial flora in the mouth, constipation and infrequent bowel movements, yeast overgrowth in the intestinal tract which ferments foods that causes gases which are absorbed from the intestinal tract and breathed out through the lungs, and infected sinuses, tonsils, or lungs.
But what everyone does know is that, while the condition itself is not harmful, it is a source of great embarrassment and concern to those who suffer with it -- both the breather and the breathed-upon.
Current medical thinking is that 90 per cent of offensive breath comes from hydrogen sulfide, which is released when bacteria in the mouth breaks down built-up food particles.
The best way to prevent it? You may be able to halt the accumulation of bacteria by brushing your teeth and tongue with a toothpaste containing chlorine dioxide, flossing, and getting regular cleanings.
Other possible remedies or help for halitosis include:
Buying a tongue scraper. Use it daily and don't forget the back of your tongue.
Sucking on sugarless hard candy, which increases the flow of saliva and "floats away" odor-causing debris.
Eating a sprig of parsley or a stalk of celery. Both neutralize the smell of bacterial breakdown.
Placing a drop of pure peppermint essential oil on your tongue as a quick breath freshener.
Chewing a few fennel seeds. Fennel's clean licorice taste will freshen the breath.
Chewing cloves after meals or whenever you feel your breath needs freshening.
Eating yogurt or acidophilus culture may help bad breath.
Eating three meals a day. Bad breath can be caused by not eating, too. One of the side effects of fasting is bad breath.
Respectfully submitted by Idaline Hall. For more Help For Halitosis tips and other useful health secrets, visit: http://HealthQuickTips.com