Bad Breath: Facts, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies, Prevention

“Breathe in, breathe out, and move on!” One of the saying from Jimmy Buffet mentions about how your life as well as the fine hope towards life is dependent on your breaths. Every breath counts! It is also important to have them worthwhile, and a bad odor from mouth or a bad breath is something which definitely does not keep any worth in your means of living. There are people suffering from a condition where they have an unpleasant odor of their mouth or suffer from Halitosis, also called bad breath. It is something which can occur on any particular occasion or also it can be a kind of chronic condition. There are many reasons behind bad breath in humans and every victim is in the search of finding the underlying causes of their bad breath and find out some effective remedies for the same. In this current article, we will focus on this condition of halitosis or the bad breath where we will be discussing on some of the important facts related to bad breath, talk about the factors leading to bad breath and also discuss about some of the most effective remedies to help you fight against the unpleasant odor of mouth and honor each of your breath in life.

Starting with the facts linked to bad breath, here we can come up with the list below.

• Bad breath is also termed as Halitosis and is primarily characterized by an unpleasant or bad odor of the mouth.
• There are various causes of bad breath including poor oral hygiene, foods like onion, garlic, tobacco products, dry mouth, health conditions etc. (Details will be discussed in the later part of the article)
• Changing bad habits, quitting smoking and tobacco products, having effective dental hygiene, proper mouth wash and tooth brushing can help you in treating bad breath.

It is definite you are suffering from a bad breath issue if you have the following symptoms in you.

• Bad odor from mouth is the prime most symptom of Halitosis or bad breath problem.
• Dry mouth is common.
• White tongue is seen and the person feels a sour or bad taste.

Now when we look at the various factors linked with the bad breath condition, we come up with the following list in a well explained manner.

1. Food: Certain types of food, like onion, garlic etc cause bad odor or bad breath. Non vegetarian foods also lead to bad mouth odor, in case there is improper mouthwash after meal.
2. Bad Dental Hygiene: In case there is bad or lack of dental hygiene, like not brushing regularly, not having proper mouthwash before and after food, etc which can lead to mouth or dental infection may also lead to bad breath.
3. Tobacco Products: People chewing tobacco or regular smokers do have a great problem of bad breath. So tobacco products are one of the major factors causing bad breath.
4. Medications: Medicines like antihistamines, diuretics etc can cause dry mouth, which in turn lead to bad breath. Insulin shots also cause bad breath.
5. Other Factors: Among other factors that cause bad breath, alcoholism, excessive vitamin supplements intake and the morning breath etc can be counted among the top list.

As mentioned earlier in the article that some health problems can cause bad breath; now here we are going to list down some of the major health related issues which can cause bad mouth odor or bad breath.

• Gum diseases or development of plaques can cause bad breath
• Respiratory tract diseases like Pneumonia or bronchitis causes bad breath
• Diabetes, kidney and liver related problems can also lead to bad mouth odor.
• Dry mouth or lack of saliva production in mouth can cause bad odor greatly.

Treatment of bad breath depends on the underlying cause of the same. In case you are known to the causes leading to bad mouth odor, you are halfway in the treatment procedure. Let us look in very brief how to treat the underlying reasons of bad breath and keep you out from the mouth odor.

• Bad odor in mouth or bad breath caused due to food or trapped food particles can be treated with regular brushing and flossing or teeth and cleaning of tongue properly, at least two times a day before and after sleep.
• Bad breath caused due to tobacco or smoking can be treated by keeping self away from these tobacco products.
• If the bad breath is due to health problems like diabetes, sinus infection etc; it is necessary to treat these underlying health issues and prevent the bad breath.
• In case there are plaques or any tooth related issue, make sure you have visited your dentist and taken necessary treatment to prevent bad odor due to the same.
• If bad breath is caused due to medications, do consult with your doctor. But do not stop your medicines without consulting your doctor.

There is a common belief in most of the people that the best treatment begins at home. If you are looking for some home remedies to get rid of bad breath, then this section is definitely going to assist you greatly. Here below are some of the essential home remedies for bad breath.

1. Baking Soda: For people suffering from bad breath who want an excellent home remedy to eradicate the problem of unpleasant odor of mouth, you can try out baking soda while brushing your teeth. You just need to sprinkle some baking soda into your palm and dip your toothbrush into it and clean your teeth while brushing to get fresh and pleasant breath.
2. Fresh vegetables: Clean and fresh vegetables like carrots help you keep away from bad breath and prevent the occurrence of plaque.
3. Water: Something which is the most important source for life is also one of the most important sources for having fresh breath. It is very much important to swish water around your mouth after eating food and clean it properly for at least 20 seconds. It is also essential to have proper mouth wash with water every morning and night, so as to prevent bad breath due to the trapped food particles.
4. Cheese: You can look for a low fat containing cheese as snack. It is known that cheese help in fighting plaque and bad mouth odor.
5. Black Tea: This is a natural home remedy for treating bad odor in an excellent way.
6. Aromatic Spices: Aromatic spices like cardamom or clove helps you in keeping fresh mouth and prevents bad odor. Keep a habit of chewing the seeds of such aromatic spices and keep away from the unpleasant mouth odor.

Here are some of the preventive measures you can keep a note on so as to prevent self from bad mouth odor or halitosis.

• Quit smoking or keep away from tobacco chewing
• Have proper mouth and dental care
• Keep your mouth wet and moist by drinking enough of water, chewing sugar free gums and stimulate enough production of saliva to protect dry mouth and bad breath.

“BREATH– sometimes this is the only thing you can do in a day!” Make sure you keep very good care of your mouth and keep your breathes fresh and pleasant. Why keep you friends away from you because of that unpleasant mouth odor? Have a proper dental hygiene, follow the necessary remedies and take essential precautions to keep you out from the danger of losing your friends or missing a chance to kiss your darling due to bad breath.

Yes! Every breath counts…

Also Read:

• Why Does Diabetes Cause Bad Breath & How to Prevent it?