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Why Do I Always Have Bad Breath?

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Suffering from bad breath? You don't have to suffer without treatment. There are several natural treatments for bad breath that are effective in treating and preventing chronic halitosis.

Of all of the minor health conditions, bad breath is one of the most embarrassing. Some people seem to have good-smelling breath no matter what they eat, how often they brush, or how much coffee they drink. Other people, on the other hand, seem to have bad breath even if they brush every hour.

No one wants to be the person with chronic bad breath, but some people do tend to have worse breath than others. If you are stuck with chronic bad breath, don't just cover up the issue by using mouthwash all the time or constantly chewing gum. If you discover the cause of your bad breath, you can become a person with chronic good breath.

What is Chronic Bad Breath?

Chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a breath that has a noticeable odor outside of the normal periods of bad breath (such as in the morning or when you have a bad cold). If you still have bad breath 10 minutes after brushing your teeth, you have halitosis.

Once you identify the reason why you have chronic bad breath, you can take steps to cure the problem of the source, rather than continually covering up your symptoms with gum and other breath fresheners. Bad breath is usually caused by an accumulation of bacteria in the mouth. When bacteria die, it causes an odor. The more bacteria are in your mouth, the worse your breath will smell. But contrary to popular belief, simply brushing or flossing more won't always eliminate the problem, which can stem from several causes.

Common Causes of Bad Breath

If you have any of the following lifestyle habits, health conditions, or other problems, it could be why your breath never quite smells as good as it ought to. Fix these problems, and your breath will start to smell better without any other changes.

Lack of Dental Health

Most people probably brush enough, but many adults don't floss as often as they should, which is about once a day. Food particles can easily become trapped between teeth, which will cause your mouth to smell unpleasant. Floss once a day and brush your teeth twice a day for a general oral health boost.

You're Using Too Much Mouthwash

A 2013 study from the United Kingdom found that extensive use of mouthwash can make bad breath worse. This is due to several factors. Individuals who use mouthwash as a replacement for brushing and flossing were more likely to have bad breath. Additionally, certain kinds of toothpaste and mouthwash react with one another, reducing their ability to remove bacteria from the mouth. The presence of alcohol in mouthwash can have a drying effect, which promotes the growth of bacteria.

According to UK dentist Dr. Phil Stemmer, mouthwash may not be necessary at all for proper oral hygiene. 'If you have good oral hygiene - you brush your teeth well and floss - you have a low level of dental decay and don't suffer from gum disease or bad breath, then you are probably wasting your money,' he told The Daily Mail.

Diet

Naturally, foods like onions, garlic, and fish will cause temporary bad breath, but other diet choices are more likely to cause bad breath over the long-term. Bad breath from foods can linger for several days after you eat the food. As long as strong-smelling food is in your body, it will affect your breath.

Additionally, a diet filled with junk food, sugar, and carbohydrates will lead to worse smelling breath. This is caused by two things: one, you are giving the bacteria in your body the fuel it loves most, and two, you are not providing your body with the correct nutrients that fight oral bacteria and the bacteria in your intestines that lead to bad breath.

You Have Chronic Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is incredibly bad for your oral health. Your saliva contains the nutrients and minerals that fight the accumulation of bacteria in your mouth. If your mouth is dry, bacteria can grow and spread much better and faster. If you sleep with your mouth open or take medications that cause dry mouth, your breath will be much worse. Breathing through your mouth during the day will also cause significantly worse breath.

Gum Disease

Gum disease can cause chronic bad breath. If bacteria are allowed to spread in your mouth, it can gather under your gums. This will cause your gums to inflame, bleed easily, and cause bad breath. Additionally, gum disease can cause significant oral health problems. Most gum disease is the result of plaque build-up on your teeth, most commonly caused by not flossing enough and having a poor diet.

A Smoking Habit

If you are a smoker, your oral health will be in much worse shape. Your breath will also be more likely to smell much worse. Smoking irritates the gums and makes it harder for your saliva to wash away bacteria that cause bad breath. The only solution to bad breath caused by smoking is to stop.

Lack of Hydration

If you are not getting enough water to drink, your breath could be suffering. Getting enough water prevents dry mouth and allows your saliva to do its job getting rid of the bacteria in your mouth. The best way to prevent dry mouth and bad breath from lack of hydration is to drink more water. You don't have to drink gallons of water a day, but you should drink several glasses per day in addition to the water you get from other sources.

Possible Tonsil Stones

A tonsil stone is a small, hardened "stone" that attaches to your tonsils. The stone is an accumulation of bacteria and mucus, usually caused by frequent respiratory infections or chronic nasal allergies. You can use a water flosser to clean your tonsils and help prevent these stones from forming. If you notice any white specks on your tonsils and you are not sick, you could have a tonsil stone. Use a cotton swab to gently remove the stones from your tonsils.

Infection, Illness, and Allergies

If you are often sick with respiratory infections, have nasal allergies, or other breathing problems, your breath will smell worse. Infections breakdown tissues, which can cause a foul odor in the mouth. Kidney failure often has the strange side effect of causing your breath to have a fishy smell. Diabetes can cause your breath to smell like fermented fruit. If you notice any of these symptoms, get checked by a doctor as soon as possible. Sinus infections can be cured by simply healing the infection. Saline spray or a saltwater rinse can act as a temporary measure to clear bacteria and infected tissues until the sickness is gone. Ulcers Bad breath can be a sign of an ulcer.

The bacteria H. pylori is linked with both causing ulcers and bad breath at the same time. These ulcers usually can be treated with antibiotics.

Reflux Disease

If you have acid reflux or GERD, you may have worse breath than other people. GERD is caused by acid from the stomach coming back into the esophagus, which causes a burning sensation. This can also cause your breath to smell bad and is bad for your teeth as well. Only curing GERD will eliminate bad breath from this cause.

Snoring

If you snore at night you are at higher risk for bad breath. Chronic snoring generally means that you sleep with your mouth open, which can lead to bad breath.

Your Gut Bacteria is Out of Balance

One of the main causes of bad breath is poor digestion. Oral health and intestinal health are closely linked, and if your bacteria are out of balance in your intestines, they are likely also out of balance in your mouth and vice-versa. This imbalance is generally caused by the following factors:

Factors that Lead to Bacterial Imbalance
  • Antibiotics
  • Eating animals given hormone injections and antibiotics
  • Chlorinated water (the chlorine kills good bacteria)
  • Antibacterial soap containing triclosan
  • Pesticides and chemicals

Skipping Breakfast

If you skip breakfast, your mouth does not stimulate saliva production. This will prevent your saliva from washing away bacteria that accumulate in your mouth overnight, leading to bad breath that lasts until your next meal.

Natural Treatments for Bad Breath

If you want to reverse bad breath, you must implement a few lifestyle changes. What you eat can play a huge role in the state of your breath. The following diet and lifestyle changes can help keep bad breath under control:

Diet Changes

The biggest boost you can give your breath is through diet changes. In general, the best foods to add include: Unprocessed foods A large percentage of vegetables and fruit Meat and dairy products made without antibiotics and hormones Healthy fats, including coconut oil, nuts, and avocados No junk food and trans fats

Add Fermented Foods

In addition to eating a clean diet, adding more fermented foods can benefit your gut health, which will benefit your oral health as well. Stick to unpasteurized versions of fermented foods for the biggest benefit. Avoid fake fermented products made with vinegar. Stick to true fermented foods, such as natto, fermented cabbage, fermented pickles, and kimchi.

Take Probiotics

In addition to eating fermented foods, a probiotic supplement will also boost the beneficial bacteria that can fight bad breath. Probiotic supplements can usually be found in a health food store. Look for probiotics in the refrigerated section, as these typically provide the biggest benefit.

Breath-Boosting Supplements

A few herbs and supplements are also recognized for their ability to eliminate bad breath. These enzymes, herbs, and supplements provide the missing piece that will effectively banish bad breath for good. Try adding the following supplements to your diet:

Coenzyme Q10

This enzyme is beneficial for fighting periodontal disease, which is one of the leading causes of bad breath that comes from the mouth itself. Studies have found that supplementing with Coq10 was able to heal the gums and eliminate some of the bacteria responsible for gum disease.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener that reduces the risk of tooth decay. xylitol prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth and gums and has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cavities. In children, xylitol was found to be as effective in preventing cavities as dental sealants and also encouraged small cavities to heal.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is essential for overall health, but many individuals are deficient in the vitamin. Studies have found that folic acid supplements can reduce the severity of gingivitis and improve oral health while eliminating mouth bacteria.

Lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is a special compound that is antibacterial. Lactoferrin has been found to prevent bacteria from spreading, killing bacteria, and preventing bacteria from sticking to the teeth and gums, reducing the risk of cavities, and preventing bad breath.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is crucial for dental health. Vitamin C is one of the most essential vitamins for preventing gingivitis and controlling the spread of bacteria in the mouth. A lack of vitamin C can cause bleeding and swelling in the gums and is linked with tooth loss.

Thyme

Thyme is antibacterial and is often used as a deterrent for bacteria in natural oral kinds of toothpaste. mouthwash, and dental products. Thyme contains a compound known as thymol, which slows and prevents the spread of bacteria in the mouth. A study on patients with braces found that when thymol was applied topically to the teeth, the plaque accumulation around the brackets was significantly reduced.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is another antibacterial and antimicrobial herb. Eucalyptus oil is often added to natural dental products to reduce bad breath, plaque, and bacteria in the mouth.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil not only smells nice, but it also has antibacterial compounds of its own. Peppermint oil increases saliva production, which can counteract the effects of dry mouth and benefit oral health.

You Can Cure Bad Breath Naturally

If your breath has been suffering, you can change your breath from the inside out. You don't have to suffer from bad breath for years. Many causes of bad breath can be addressed from the inside out by making diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes. In just a few weeks, your breath will smell better and your mouth will be a cleaner, happier place.

Sources


http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dont-let-bad-breath-trouble-your-pretty-smile

http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/conditions/gastrointestinal-disorders/article/bad-breath-from-stomach-problems-0714

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2948765/

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