We all get bad breath sometimes, but if yours is becoming a chronic
issue, you need to get to the root of the problem. For the most part,
halitosis — the fancy medical term for stinky breath — just means you
need better dental hygiene, but sometimes it signals a more serious
medical condition. Here are some potential causes to watch out for.
1. You're not taking care of your teeth.Bad dental hygiene causes about 85% of halitosis, according to a 2012 study in the
International Journal of Oral Science.
“Food that is not properly cleared from the mouth serves as a platform
for bacteria to latch onto,” says Marc Gibber, M.D. an otolaryngologist
(ear, nose, and throat doctor) at Montefiore Medical Center. Since germs
like wet, warm environments, if you don't clean your mouth properly, it
can become a cesspool and start to smell — bacteria produce the sulfur
compounds that give off that infamous rotten-egg stench. Brush and floss
twice daily, and don't forget to scrape your tongue, too. “These
living-without-oxygen bacteria will collect in the back part of the
tongue,” says dentist Richard H. Price, an American Dental Association
consumer adviser.
2. You're not drinking enough water.Being
dehydrated can make you produce too little saliva, which is a problem
because saliva washes away those smell-causing bacteria. “The saliva we
produce will keep the cells in the mouth alive,” says Gibber. “When we
decrease the saliva, the cells will start to die off.” Dead, rotting
cells stink. Drink water: Nutritionists recommend six to eight 8-ounce
glasses a day. Green tea helps hydrate, too — and a 2012 Israeli study
found the antioxidants in it change some of the sulfur compounds in bad
breath.
3. You're dehydrated because of allergies.People
with allergies who can't breathe through their noses end up breathing
through their mouth, which is also drying, says Dale Amanda Tylor, M.D.,
MPH, general and pediatric otolaryngologist in Freemont, Calif. If you
have allergies, make sure to treat your congestion — and also hydrate.
4. You're eating too much of the wrong stuff.
It's
a no-brainer that garlic causes bad breath, and we bet you already know
to pack your (sugar-free) breath mints when heading out to the Italian
restaurant. But did you know that milk products can thicken nasal mucus
and lead to a sulfurous smell? “Many professional singers will tell you
they try to avoid dairy products so they have a clear voice and don't
have that mucus,” says dentist Martha Ann Keels, division chief for
pediatric dentistry at Duke Children's Hospital. It can't hurt to go
easy on the bread and pasta either. “High-carbohydrate foods promote
more bacteria because they're high in sugar,” says Baldeep Singh, M.D.,
clinical chief of internal medicine at Stanford Hospital & Clinics.
“Eating fibrous foods may help.”
5. You have a sinus or tonsil infection.“Infection
can fester in the sinuses,” says Singh, which leads to bad smells. Go
to a doctor who can prescribe you antibiotics. Clearing out your sinuses
with a Neti pot or Neilmed sinus rinse in a squirt bottle can often
help too, says James N. Palmer, M.D., an otolaryngologist and director
of rhinology at the University of Pennsylvania. Multiple tonsil
infections or cases of strep throat can result in tonsil stones, which
are calcium stones that feel like little pebbles in the back of the
throat — and emit a strong odor, says Gibber. The best treatment is an
old-fashioned salt-water gargle because the high salt content kills
bacteria, says Palmer. Add a tablespoon of salt to six ounces of warm
water and gargle with it every morning for two or three days. After the
salt rinse, eat yogurt with live active cultures –
good bacteria.
6. You have acid reflux.People
with heartburn are “burping up stomach acid, and that's on their
breath,” says Keels. It produces an acidic, vinegary smell. “A lot of
people just think of reflux as heartburn, indigestion,” says Tylor.
“[But] it can even go as high as the sinuses or the ears.” How to
prevent it? “Everything good is bad for reflux — alcohol, citrusy
things, cinnamon, chocolate,” says Tylor.
7. You have a more serious condition, like cancer.
In
very rare cases, extremely bad breath can be one of the warning signs
of cancer in the nose, ear, neck, or throat. “It's what we call amongst
ourselves the cancer smell,” says Gibber. “It's a kind of sour, cheesy
smell.” People who have been exposed to radiation, such as those with
head and neck cancers, make less mucus — which makes their breath
smellier. But remember that bad dental hygiene is a far, far more common
cause of bad breath, so don't panic.
