One of the most embarrassing things that can happen is uncontrollable halitosis. You do everything you can to keep your teeth and gums clean. You brush at least 2 times a day and scrape your tongue often, and you have a clean mouth. But you have chronic bad breath.
Unfortunately, you could practice excellent hygiene and still have halitosis. There are 11 underlying health conditions that cause chronic bad breath and let’s go over them now.
#11 – Tonsillitis And Tonsil Stones
Tonsils are those two pads in the back of the throat that are glands that help fight off infections. If they are inflamed or if pieces of debris get stuck in the crevices, that is how stones are formed. Therefore, a foul odor is given off and that is what causes halitosis. If you have a sore throat then you will want to make sure you see the doctor rule out tonsilitis. And there are methods to remove tonsil stones as well by using picks or swabs.
#10 – Sinus Infection
A sinus infection can easily cause bread breath due to inflamed sinuses causing bacteria-filled mucus to run down your sinuses and into your throat. If your sinus cavities are pained, if you are congested and fatigued, then you may have a sinus infection. Antibiotics can solve the issue.
#9 – Lung Infections
If you have bronchitis, pneumonia or worse, lung cancer, the mucus that is filled with bacteria from the lungs will give off a foul odor in your breath. Asthma can also cause bad breath as well.
#8 – Digestive Problems
Any type of digestive issues such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), bloating and gas and bowel obstructions can cause bad, which can give off a fecal odor which is incredibly embarrassing. That is due to poor digestion, and the odor from that will come through your mouth.
#7 – Metabolic Breath
When you are extremely hungry, for instance, your body produces ketones which are the chemical released when you are on a low-carb diet. That causes your breath to have a strange fruit and acetone smell. With that said, people on the ketogenic diet will have that breath because of producing ketones to burn fat. Additionally, when you are very hungry, your saliva production is lower which has properties that kill bacteria. And as a result, smelly bacteria end up breeding causing bad breath.
#6 – Diabetes
Poor insulin production can increase the number of ketones produced and as a result, their breath will smell the same as those who are on the ketogenic diet. Those who have the condition under control will not have bad breath, not as a result of having diabetes anyway.
#5 – Chronic Kidney Failure
Those who have kidney failure will accumulate a chemical called urea which is supposed to be expelled in urine. The urea instead accumulates in the saliva and gives off a fishy or ammonia odor which is known as urea fetor.
#4 – Liver Disease
Liver failure, in particular, gives off bad breath odor due to the inability to metabolize toxins and as a result, they build up in the system causing a musty odor. Sometimes when cirrhosis is involved, the smell is so bad that it has been described as the smell of decaying blood.
#3 – Trimethylaminuria
Trimethylaminuria is a rare genetic syndrome that prevents the breakdown of a mineral called choline, which is found in eggs and other types of protein. As a result, those who have this condition smell of rotten eggs, urine, or garbage. The odor is not just n the breath. It is through body odor and sweat as well.
#2 – Menstruation
Hormonal changes that happen right before menstruation in women cause bad breath. The odor contains high levels of volatile sulfur compounds which causes the breath to become quite bad due to a decrease in saliva production.
#1 – Prescription Medication
Unfortunately, many prescription medications can dry the mouth out which means the saliva production will be lower. And you know that means bacteria will be breeding and that causes bad breath. The best thing to do is to drink plenty of water and try to avoid coffee and other sources of caffeine as that causes dehydration.
Bad breath is embarrassing, and when it is chronic due to an underlying condition, the best thing to do is to treat the condition the best way you can – if it is treatable that is. In cases such as end-stage liver failure, unfortunately, it cannot be treated.
