Fetid breath is never a death sentence

It is fairly uncomfortable to stay near a person with offensive breath. More often than not the person with this problem does not even suspect anything, unless someone tells him about it. Medicine refers to this syndrome as halitosis. Offensive breath may be short or chronic. Halitosis has many causes, and they can be of different nature. It can be connected with both pathological processes in the mouth or with periodic manifestations of a serious disease.

Photo: Fetid breath is never a death sentence

Pathological processes in the mouth are the most frequent causes of halitosis. It is strongly connected with the poor hygiene of the mouth cavity. Various microorganisms producing foul smell cover the teeth and the tongue once the hygiene is insufficient.

Filthy taint on the tongue may often be the cause of halitosis. That is why it is necessary to clean the tongue and the teeth with toothpaste and tongue scrub after meals.

Halitosis may often be caused by nasopharynx diseases such as sinusitis, adenoids, ozena (atrophic rhinitis), chronic tonsillitis. It is very important for those who suffer from chronic tonsillitis to gargle after meals.

Foul smell may arise from lung diseases both acute and chronical. Among them we can mention laryngitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, lung abscess and others.

Gastrointestinal disturbances may also be among the causes of halitosis. Foul smell may come from diary products and some vegetables – garlic, onions, radish, goober.

Many patients think that smoking tobacco may help them to conceal bad smell but in reality it only worsens the problem.

Short-time occurrences of halitosis may be the sign of a very hard condition. In cases of diabetic coma the mouth smells acetone. In other cases (renal insufficiency) it may smell ammonia.

In all cases of halitosis, which do not vanish after accurate observation of the mouth cavity hygiene, a person should address a family doctor who will prescribe an adequate treatment – blood and urine analyses, endoscopy and the X-Ray examination of the chest and the abdominal cavity if needed.