What causes bad breath? How can I get rid of it?

One of the factors that increases the level of discomfort in relationships between people is bad breath.  There are some differences, but no one can avoid them.  If you have bad breath, you need treatment because it can interfere with talking to someone or going about your daily life.  In fact, according to one survey, bad breath is the number one odor that is most unbearable when it comes to relationships.  In this post, we will learn about the causes, types, self-diagnosis, and removal methods of bad breath.

What causes bad breath? How can I get rid of it?

References

• Korean Daily, March 17, 2024
• March 14, 2024 Health Chosun
• Current Affairs Journal, March 2, 2024
• July 4, 2019 KBS News

 

Causes of bad breath

• Many people think that bad breath is worse when the mouth is closed, but it actually gets worse when the mouth is open.  Saliva can also have the function of disinfecting bacteria that cause odor. This is because saliva secretion decreases while you sleep, drying your mouth, and as a result, bacteria cannot be properly disinfected.
• As you age, the secretion function of the salivary glands decreases, which increases the likelihood of dry mouth and bad breath.
• Additionally, if you have periodontal disease or cavities, food rots due to bacteria in your mouth, causing bad breath.  If you have bad breath even though your mouth is clean, you must be careful because it is a red signal from your body about your health.  Therefore, you can guess what kind of disease it is based on bad breath.

Types of Bad Breath

• If you smell like acetone or sweet fruit, you may have diabetes.
• If you smell rotten eggs, you may be suspicious of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis or stomach ulcers.
• If you smell like rotting vegetables or fishy fish, it is a sign of lung disease or rapid destruction of lung tissue due to pyogenic bacteria.
• If you smell ammonia, suspect kidney disease.

 

How to self-diagnose bad breath

You can check for bad breath by holding a cup to your mouth, breathing in and out repeatedly, and then smelling your exhaled breath.

How to get rid of bad breath

Brushing your teeth thoroughly

• Brushing your teeth is the most important action to eliminate bad breath.
• To remove bad breath, thoroughly brush the tongue, roof of the mouth, lips, and gums between teeth.
• Since tongue coating is often the cause of bad breath, if you have bad breath, use a separate cleaner specialized for removing tongue coating.

 

Maintain moisture in the mouth

• Bad breath and oral humidity are inversely proportional
• As the inside of the mouth dries out, bacteria multiply and cause bad breath.
• Maintain oral moisture with consistent water intake
• Avoid smoking and coffee, which dry out the mouth.

 

Breathe through the nose

• Except in certain situations such as rhinitis or high-intensity exercise, breathing should be done through the nose.
• The inside of your mouth dries out quickly, especially when you breathe through your mouth in dry weather.
• Additionally, excessive mouth breathing causes facial shape deformation, such as around the eyes or around the mouth.

Bad breath is something that no one can completely avoid, although the severity varies from person to person!  Be confident in your interpersonal relationships by knowing the causes, types, and self-diagnosis of bad breath.