Chronic halitosis, or bad breath, can be caused by various factors. The odour can vary depending on the underlying oral health issues. While bad breath is usually harmless, it can still be embarrassing and often goes unnoticed by others. In the morning, everyone experiences bad breath due to the activities of natural occurring bacteria in our mouths. However, poor oral hygiene, such as leaving food particles lingering in the mouth, can promote bacterial growth and lead to persistent odours between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue.
Bacteria growth in the mouth can lead to chronic halitosis, oral health issues, periodontal disease, and tooth decay. These bacteria release stinky gases and compounds, causing bad breath. Consistent proper dental hygiene is believed to help improve bad breath.
However, in the world today, millions of people have cases of chronic halitosis or mouth odour. Most of such people don’t seek help because they’re embarrassed, thinking that it’s only a sign of poor oral hygiene. But to truth is that there are certain foods and health problems, such as dry mouth and gum disease, that are among the causes of bad breath. Bad breath can be a sign of your body warning you of a serious health problem.
For example, when it comes to oral health, strong foods with strong odors such as garlic or onions can cause mouth odour or halitosis. The odour will not go away by brushing and flossing, it will only go when the foods have passed through your body completely.
Your mouth has a special connection with the overall health of your body. Bad breath smell can simply mean that there is problem somewhere in your body. The smell can be as a result of health problems such as respiratory tract infections, chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip , diabetes, chronic acid reflux, liver or kidney problems. (1)
Types of bad breath smells
I don’t know if you have noticed that there are different types of bad breath, also known as halitosis. Each of these smells has its own unique characteristics that identify what’s causing it. It’s possible that your dentist can identify the type of smell in your mouth odour. Identifying the type of smell can help to pinpoint the source or cause of the halitosis. Here are some types of bad breath smells related to oral health and their possible origins.
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Ammonia smell – Kidney problem
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Fishy smell – kidney problem, indicating an abnormal increase in urea levels.
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Cheesy smell – bad breath due to nasal problem.
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Fruity smell – it can be a sign of high blood sugar level (diabetes).
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Sweet, musty odor – indicates a problem at the liver, liver cirrhosis.
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Acidic smell – may indicate asthma or cystic fibrosis
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Strong fecal odor – may be as a result of abnormalities in the digestive system.
Types of Bad Breath
In this blog post, we will explore the various diseases and infections that can lead to halitosis, commonly known as bad breath. These conditions can affect the teeth, tonsils, and overall oral health. It is important to consult a dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
1. Tonsillitis breath
The two tonsils are found at the back of the throat, they are small pads of glandular tissue on each side of the throat. The main work of the tonsils is to produce antibodies and white blood cells that help defend the body against bacteria in the air and food. However, the tonsils can get infected by bacteria (streptococcus bacterium/strep throat) or viruses, leading to tonsillitis. Tonsillitis can cause discomfort and may contribute to bad breath (halitosis). Proper oral hygiene can help maintain healthy teeth and mouth.
Tonsillitis can cause halitosis, or bad breath. Symptoms of tonsillitis include a red throat, changes in the voice, swollen lymph glands, and white or yellow spots on the tonsils. Chronic tonsillitis may result in tonsil stones, which are made up of mucus, bacteria, and foul-smelling sulfur compounds. If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor.
The good news is that there are lots of treatments plans for tonsils. Antibiotics prescribed by a doctor are very effective for treating tonsillitis caused by bacteria. It’s also believed that gargling with warm, salty water can help dislodge tonsil stones and alleviate halitosis.
2. Sinusitis Breath
Nasal sinuses, including the tonsil, are connected hollow cavities in the skull that help moisten and filter air entering the nasal cavity. Sinusitis, or a sinus infection, causes inflammation and swelling of the sinuses. Normally filled with air, sinusitis blocks and fills the sinuses with fluids, leading to germs accumulation, infection, and chronic halitosis.
People suffering from sinusitis may experience symptoms such as post-nasal drip, headache, sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste, thick colored mucus from the nose or down, bad taste in the mouth (halitosis), and persistent bad breath. Sinusitis can cause these issues, but there are ways to help alleviate them.
3. Unhealthy lung breath
An unhealthy lung can lead to halitosis. Respiratory infections and conditions usually cause distinct bad breath, which can be an early symptom of mouth issues. Lungs infection and respiratory conditions such as croup, bronchitis, pulmonary abscess, tuberculosis, emphysema, pneumonia and Influenza can all help contribute to halitosis. Croup is very common in children, as it’s an infection of the trachea or windpipe. Bronchitis and pneumonia involve the infection of the large airways, bronchi, alveoli, and the surrounding lung tissue.
4. Diabetes breath
People suffering from diabetes tend to have dysfunction in insulin production, causing them to burn fat and produce ketone. Chronic kidney failure due to diabetes can cause halitosis, giving the breath a fishy or ammonia-like smell. This health condition is referred to as “uremic fetor,”, it’s a result of the high amount of urea in body fluids such as the saliva. A dr can help with mouth-related issues.
5. Unhealthy liver breath
In some cases, bad breath might be a result of problem from the liver. Unhealthy liver gives out sweet-smelling, musty odor from the breath. The sweet-smelling, musty odor on the breath shows that the body is trying to excrete by-products of sulfur-containing amino acid breakdown. (2) Cirrhosis being a chronic disease of the liver usually caused by damage from toxins, metabolic problems, hepatitis or nutritional deficiency can lead to bad breath.
Cirrhosis is characterised by an increase of fibrous tissue and the destruction of liver cells, it causes halitosis, a chronic breath odor that smells like decayed blood or rotten eggs.
6. Gut breath
Improper function of the digestive system can lead to halitosis. There are certain health conditions that can cause foul-smelling air from the stomach to move up into the mouth causing bad breath. Disease such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) can help lead to stomach distress and halitosis. When there is general imbalance in the digestive system, improper digestion of food may cause side effects such as halitosis, bloating, gas, and burping.
7. Menstrual Breath
According to studies, women tend to have bad breath more than their male counterparts. Although both genders have equal amounts of oral bacteria, lower saliva levels during menstruation and menopause can cause bad breath in women. It has been reported that bad breath in women is more likely to increase before and during their period. Thankfully, there are ways to help combat this issue.
However, hormonal changes during menstruation can cause temporary bad breath. Once everything returns back to normal, the bad breath should stop and your mouth will feel fresh again. This is where hoss can help.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the difference in the types of bad breath smells coming from the mouth can help to determine the origin of the problem. Bad breath affects lots of people out there, especially if your mouth is not properly taken care of. If your breath is bad, it’s advisable that you should speak up about it. We have seen that bad breath can be caused by poor oral hygiene and health problems related to the mouth. Your bad breath might be indicating that there is a problem in your digestive system or in another organ in your body.
I hope that this article will be helpful, on my previous article, I tried to explain more on causes of persistent bad breath (halitosis). You can check out the post if you wish to learn more on bad breath.
Richard Smith is a Registered Nutritionist and also a Health Speaker. Richard Smith graduated from The City University of New York. You can learn more about him by Visiting His LinkedIn Page or Follow him on Twitter.
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