When we have bad breath, the first feeling is that there is a problem with the mouth. At this time, people may think that the oral disease caused by fire. In fact, bad breath is a disease, if the phenomenon of bad breath, it is important to find the cause of bad breath in time. Because, the appearance of bad breath may indicate the appearance of a variety of diseases in the body.
An Australian dental and halitosis specialist said in an interview: “There are many causes of bad breath, personal hygiene and lifestyle habits can lead to bad breath; diseases can also produce bad breath. The treatment for bad breath varies for different causes.” People should seek professional help rather than simply opting for a dental cleaning or a different toothpaste. The doctor said, “Studies have found that 1 in 4 people in Malaysia suffer from bad breath for a long time, and if left unattended, the condition gets worse as we age.”
How Bad Breath Happens
According to the American Journal, there are many causes of bad breath. Food debris that accumulates in the mouth is not removed in a timely manner; decay in cavities in teeth; inflammation and bleeding of gums, or pus from gum fistulas; and blood disorders as well as diabetes.
Bacterial decomposition of chemical substances causes
Bad breath is caused by bacteria lurking on the surface of the teeth and under the tongue, breaking down sulfur-containing gases produced by proteins, peptides and amino acids. Proteins have two sulfur-containing amino acid components, cystine and methionine. They break down and produce sulfur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide. In addition, some organic acids are also associated with bad breath, such as butyric acid and propionic acid, as well as compounds such as indole, methylindole and cadaverine.
There are at least 82 microorganisms in the oral cavity that are capable of producing hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and fatty acids during metabolism. These bacteria are mainly Clostridium perfringens, Haemophilus, Veronococcus, and Denticulosis dense spirochetes. IgA (an antibody) in saliva is able to inhibit bacterial activity. Therefore, the increase of anaerobic bacteria under the tongue and on the dental surface may be related to IgA deficiency. The smell emitted by these bacteria can also form bad breath.
Triggered by pathological causes
The diseases most closely related to bad breath are dental caries, periodontal disease and oral cancer. In addition to oral diseases, diseases of organs near the mouth, such as tonsil stones, sinusitis, and nasal polyps, are also common causes of bad breath.
Many patients with systemic diseases exhale with certain special flavors, such as fruity breath in diabetic patients, fishy breath in patients with renal failure, and sulfur in the mouth of patients with liver cirrhosis.
We must not ignore the seemingly small disease of halitosis. When bad breath occurs, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible to avoid delaying your health.
Bad breath is usually caused by problems with the body’s own functions. In addition to some dietary therapy or medication, we should also pay attention to whether we have some other medical conditions that cause bad breath so that we can find out the health problems in time.
Digestive system – Stomach cancer patients definitely have bad breath.
Experts say that about 40% of patients who come to the clinic for bad breath have gastric disease, which is basically chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer. This is because if there is a stomach disease, the digestive function of the intestines and stomach decreases, resulting in food staying in the stomach and intestines for too long and decomposing through the corruption of other bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract to produce all kinds of foul-smelling gases. Like people who have stomach cancer, they definitely have bad breath, the reason is that the food is not digested well after the tumor grows in the stomach and produces more gas. There are also people who are positive for H. pylori and have heavy breath.
Oral system – patients with tooth decay and periodontal disease definitely have bad breath.
Experts say that simple oral halitosis is mainly caused by oral diseases such as dental caries (commonly known as tooth decay) and periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). The presence of a large number and variety of bacteria in the cavities of cavities or periodontal pockets of periodontal disease can produce acids and decomposing substances such as hydrogen sulfide, thus producing a special sour odor.
The presence of calculus and food debris in the periodontal pockets induces periodontitis under the action of bacteria, and the inflammatory cells and bacteria in the periodontal pockets form pus after necrosis, and the pus is decomposed by bacteria, thus producing a special fishy odor of decay.
Most bad breath is related to oral diseases and the ecological environment of the mouth. Unclean mouth, plaque, tartar and tartar accumulation is the most direct cause of bad breath.
Patients suffering from necrotizing gingivitis, malignant tumors and post-extraction infections may have corrosive halitosis due to the decomposition and suppuration of necrotic tissue. In addition, the presence of untreated dental caries, residual roots, residual crowns, and poor restorations in the mouth are prone to accumulate food residues and dirt, which can also produce bad breath.
Simple oral halitosis is first treated by oral medication and surgery. In addition, regular dental cleaning is a good way to get rid of bad breath, generally every six months to a year to clean the teeth is better.
Bad breath is also related to diet and smoking.
Like after eating garlic and onions, these strong odors are carried through the blood and exhaled by the lungs. Tobacco, on the other hand, will make the breath sour and smelly.
Mental stress and bad breath can also occur after staying up late.
Life is fast-paced and stressful, when the brain is under pressure, sleep will be poor, affecting the gastrointestinal function, and if you stay up late again often, your breath will not be fresh.
Also like some diabetic patients will also have bad breath due to the disease. So to eradicate bad breath, you have to cure the diseases that cause bad breath, in addition, pay attention to a light daily diet, pay attention to the regular work and rest, do not smoke.
After reading the above, I believe that you have a better understanding of the causes of bad breath. So, there is bad breath, do not just rush to treat bad breath, maybe it is just a symptom, but also need to check whether there is a deeper cause, see the microscopic, can help us to detect other diseases and give treatment at an early stage.