5 Factors Causing Bad Breath That You Didn’t Know About
Bad breath is something we all have to deal with at a certain point in our life. You may be walking around with it, but not really aware. Family and friends may be too embarrassed to tell you.
Bad breath is not really a topic we all want to discuss over a cup of coffee or during family dinner. However, without you knowing it, you may belong to 50 percent of the people who suffer from halitosis or bad breath.
Your tongue has a lot to do with having bad breath. Bad breath is caused by the bacteria that settle in your mouth and break down proteins, foods, as well as skin cells. These bacteria produce and release foul-smelling volatile sulfur compounds or VSCs. While most causes for bad breath are common, such as smoking, coffee, poor oral health, or garlic, some are a bit surprising.
1. Stress
At certain times when we feel anxious, our mouth becomes dry. This is due to the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Together, these hormones can change the production of the bacteria VSC, making your breath smell bad.
2. Happy Hour
A pub crawl or the happy hour with your friends can give you more than a hangover. Despite being a liquid, alcohol (regardless of quantity) can actually cause dryness to your mouth, which encourages the bacteria that cause bad breath or halitosis.
3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
When the muscle ring at the base of your esophagus is not functioning properly, GERD occurs. This leads to the contents inside your stomach to go up to the esophagus, causing bad breath. While GERD has been scientifically linked to halitosis, it can be treated in a lot of ways, from medications to drastic lifestyle changes.
4. Bacteria in your tongue
Bacteria that gets clogged up in your tongue, especially the back, is the primary cause of bad breath. Your tongue has many crevices and grooves, making it the ideal dwelling place for smelly bacteria to grow and discharge VSCs.
Most of these bad bacteria go all the way at the back of your tongue, which your toothbrush nor a tongue scraper could not reach without gagging. One way to effectively target that area and solve this issue is to use a safe-to-swallow substance that neutralizes VSC and repels bad bacteria.
5. Certain medical conditions
Halitosis or bad breath, in some cases, is a direct effect of gum disease. However, certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, allergies, or lactose intolerance, can also cause bad breath.
If you were suffering from diabetes and don’t take care of it properly, you can end up with ketones, which is a chemical byproduct of burning fat instead of glucose for energy. Ketones can make your breath stink.
If your bad breath persists and doesn’t react to any home remedies, visit your dentist immediately or get your internist to check your vitals. That way, you will be able to immediately identify any underlying issues and detect possible medical conditions that need to be treated as soon as possible.
Bad breath is not a huge lifestyle concern, but if it’s stopping you from living your life to the fullest and affecting your self-confidence, contact your dentist now to check for the underlying causes and possible treatment options.
If you are looking for a dentist in Allen TX to help you treat your bad breath, get in touch with us to see how we can help!