What is Halitosis?
Make no mistake about it – bad breath can be difficult to eliminate because it starts inside of the body. Halitosis, otherwise known as bad breath, can persist even if you have immaculate oral health habits. You may be eating the wrong foods, be experiencing the unpleasant side effects of a new prescription medication, or simply have something strange going on in your digestive system.
Whenever your breath is unpleasant, you are suffering from halitosis. Sometimes chewing a piece of gum can make your breath smell better. In other cases, avoiding eating certain foods can do the trick. Realize that halitosis isn’t just a matter of your breath smelling bad to other people. If you can smell your own breath and it makes you raise an eyebrow, you should work to get a handle on things.
Causes
Most of the time, halitosis starts in the throat and mouth. If you don’t brush your teeth regularly enough, plaque and trapped food can make your
mouth smell awful. People who fail to gargle can also experience halitosis as the throat is a breeding ground for bacteria. Sometimes digestive troubles are the root cause of halitosis as well.
Signs and Symptoms
The most obvious sign of halitosis is bad smelling breath. You might also find that your mouth has a funny aftertaste whenever you experience halitosis. This could be because an abundance of bacteria are living and reproducing there. If you burp and then develop an unpleasant flavor in your mouth, this is also a sign of halitosis. When halitosis is related to the digestive system, you might start to develop a body odor that permeates through your skin. Yet another unfortunate symptom of halitosis is when other people around you tell you that your breath smells unpleasant.
Treatment
The vast majority of halitosis sufferers can self-diagnose and eliminate their symptoms. It could involve changing their toothpaste brands, using water picks to get rid of food between teeth, or even changing their diets. Unless your doctor has specifically told you that halitosis requires medical intervention, you can treat it on your own.
It may start in your mouth, but your breath goes out into the environment, so you should see to it that it remains fresh. When brushing alone doesn’t fix things, go to see an ENT. Visit an experienced ENT to learn more about practical solutions for halitosis.
