What does bad breath tell you about your health?

Most bad breath problems are caused by what happens in the mouth or throat. Bacteria, gum disease, tooth decay, dry mouth, ill-fitting dental devices, and infections are among the major causes of bad breath. Sometimes problems in the intestinal tract, liver, and kidneys are at the root of the problem. If your breath smells metallic, you may have bacteria growing below the gum line, which can lead to inflammation and even infection.

Your dentist might call it periodontitis. You're more likely to have it if you smoke or don't brush your teeth or floss regularly. Gum disease can also run in families. Allergies and runny nose can also be the causes of bad breath, as these conditions tend to clog the nose.

This nasal congestion can force you to breathe through your mouth, which can cause dryness and the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.

Halitosis

is an oral health problem in which the main symptom is bad breath. In most cases, finding the cause of bad breath is the first step in treating this preventable condition. The smell of breath is the smell of the air that you breathe out through your mouth.

Bad breath is often referred to as bad breath. The main symptom of halitosis is a bad smell from the mouth that is considered to be beyond a socially acceptable level. While poor dental hygiene is the cause of most cases of halitosis, bad breath can sometimes indicate another underlying medical condition. Using a preprogrammed electronic nose, which detects different profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath, researchers from the University of Latvia examined breath samples from 475 subjects, including 252 patients with lung cancer, 223 patients with different lung conditions and healthy volunteers, 265 smokers and 210 non-smokers.

Researchers from Haifa (Israel) analyzed breath samples from 484 people who had fasted for 12 hours and had avoided smoking for at least 3 hours before the test. Your mouth can get dry if you snore or sleep with your mouth open, and that makes it an even better home for the bacteria that cause “morning breath.” However, sometimes they can irritate the throat and bacteria can grow in them; that's what makes your breath smell bad. Some people worry too much about their breath even though they have little or no smell in their mouths, while others have bad breath and don't know it. Other medications, such as nitrates that treat heart conditions, chemotherapy for cancer, and some sleeping pills, release chemicals that can make your breath smell bad when they break down in the body.

Not only can controlling your breathing save you from uncomfortable social moments, but it could also save your life. For example, if bad breath is due to poor oral hygiene, dental cleaning and better oral hygiene at home are likely to help. The fishy smell can occur when kidney failure affects the respiratory system and causes respiratory problems. However, bad breath that won't go away (chronic halitosis) can mean that you have an oral health problem or a condition that affects another part of your body.

The researchers then used mass spectrometry technology to analyze breath samples for signs of heart failure related to molecular and chemical compounds. Dry mouth can be caused by certain medications, a salivary gland disorder, or by always breathing through the mouth instead of through the nose.