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Breath smells like Anton, what does it mean? Bad breath

Unpleasant smell from the mouth ( medical term- halitosis) is not just a problem that interferes with communication with people, This is often how serious illnesses manifest themselves from within. that require timely diagnosis and elimination.

Bad breath periodically causes discomfort to all people, but if it is persistent and does not go away even after daily hygiene procedures, you should definitely identify the causes of bad breath and begin adequate treatment.

How to tell if you have bad breath

Many people don't even realize that they have bad smell from the mouth, so they don’t look for its causes. You shouldn’t wait for someone you know to point out this shortcoming. Many relatives are afraid of offending loved one, while colleagues and strangers will simply reduce such communication to a minimum. Therefore, it is advisable for everyone to periodically check themselves for the presence of bad breath.

There are several ways to help identify bad breath:

Using your wrist. You need to lick your wrist, wait a few seconds and smell it. This is the smell from the mouth, or rather, from the tip of the tongue. The front of the tongue smells much better than the back, as it is well cleaned by saliva, which contains various antibacterial components.
Using your palm. You need to exhale sharply into your palm and quickly sniff its contents. Something like the smell from oral cavity others feel.
Using a spoon. If you run an inverted spoon over the surface of your tongue, you can collect a certain amount of white plaque, by the smell of which you can determine whether there is bad breath.
Using a jar. You need to exhale sharply into a small, clean plastic or glass jar and tightly close the container with a lid. After about five minutes, you can open the jar and smell the contents.

Also, the condition of the mucous membrane may indicate appearance oral cavity. You can do the inspection yourself at home in front of a mirror. Rear end The tongue should have the same pinkish tint as the entire oral cavity. The presence of a white, brown or creamy coating, the presence of an unpleasant taste in the mouth indicates disorders and possible halitosis.

IN modern medicine there are enough effective methods diagnostics of bad breath. One of the most accessible and convenient is the use of a halimeter device. Using a halimeter, you can determine the strength of the unpleasant odor, as well as monitor progress during treatment.

In laboratory conditions they carry out microbiological studies, which help to identify the presence of pathogenic bacteria, which are a prerequisite for halitosis.

Doctors divide halitosis into the following types:

True. People around you feel bad breath when communicating. Probable reasons such a terrible smell is due to insufficient hygiene, violations metabolic processes in the body, the physiological characteristics of a particular person. Very often, bad breath is just a symptom of some internal disease.
Pseudogalitosis. It smells bad, but not very strong, and only close people can smell it through direct contact. In such cases, it often turns out that the cause of bad breath is insufficient oral hygiene.
Halitophobia. Physically healthy person I am convinced that he has bad breath, but neither the people around him nor the doctor confirm this. This mental disorder The patient is treated exclusively by a psychotherapist; no other specialists can help.

Bad breath: causes

The main source of bad breath is the vital activity of anaerobic bacteria located there. They emit volatile sulfur compounds, which are smelly gases.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the proliferation of these anaerobic bacteria:

Also, the causes of bad breath may be hidden in lifestyle and diet:

Poor hygiene. If a completely healthy person does not use dental floss and does not remove food debris between the teeth, over time these accumulations rot and begin to emit bad breath.
A large number of bacteria accumulate on the back of the tongue, so when brushing your teeth you should not leave this place without attention - it must be cleaned using a special brush located with reverse side toothbrush.
Wearing dentures. Food debris may accumulate in dentures. The polymer base of the prosthesis tends to absorb unpleasant odors, so even after eliminating the cause of halitosis, you may experience discomfort when communicating. When installing dentures, the dentist should give advice regarding their ongoing care; these recommendations should definitely be followed. After each regular cleaning, to get rid of the terrible aroma, dentures must be placed in a special antiseptic liquid.
Taking certain medications. Very often, antihistamines, diuretics and antidiabetic drugs cause dry mucous membranes and, as a result, bad breath.
Eating foods with strong aroma. Onions, garlic, and too fatty meat foods can cause an unpleasant odor, which should go away on its own fairly soon.
Smoking. If you constantly smoke and are wondering why bad breath occurs and how to get rid of it, it is worth considering that this feature is often associated with smoking and chewing tobacco. Tobacco products dehydrate mucous membranes and secrete harmful chemicals, which linger in the mouth, causing bad breath. If you can't quit smoking, you need to be more careful about keeping your mouth clean.
Alcohol intake. Alcohols cause xerostomia (chronic dry mouth), so foul-smelling bacteria multiply quickly and begin to release hydrogen sulfide substances. A stink also appears after drinking various alcoholic beverages and fatty snacks, which travels from the stomach through the esophagus into the oral cavity. Over the years salivary glands begin to function worse, so the smell after the holiday in the mouth of an elderly person is much stronger than that of a student.
Dried mucous membranes. Saliva effectively moisturizes, cleanses, and washes away dead cells and plaque. If there is not enough saliva, cells on the gums, tongue, inner surface cheeks decompose and cause halitosis. Dryness is a consequence of certain pathologies, medications, or alcoholic drinks. People of some professions, due to the nature of their work, are more prone to dryness of the oral mucosa, these are lawyers, teachers, doctors who are forced to talk a lot throughout the day. All diseases that cause nasal congestion (allergies, rhinitis, etc.) lead to drying out of the mucous membrane.
Stress, nervous tension . The manifestation of a terrible odor will disappear immediately after normalization of the mental state.
Diet, fasting, overeating fatty, difficult-to-digest foods. Hunger leads to the fact that with a lack of fats and proteins, the human body begins to utilize endogenous reserves, which leads to bad breath, so you need to eat fully and on time.

Whatever the causes of bad breath, the source is still pathological bacteria. They are always present in the mouth and are activated only under certain circumstances.

How to determine a problem in the body by breathing

How to treat a terrible smell

Treatment for bad breath depends on what exactly caused it and what stage the disease is at. Sometimes it is enough to improve the quality of hygiene procedures, but often it is necessary to get rid of diseases of the oral cavity and internal organs.

Neutralize bad taste and stink after eating or on an empty stomach can be done as follows:

drink a cup of strong tea;
chew a coffee bean;
eat an apple or carrot;
chew a parsley leaf, celery root, and a slice of lemon.

At home, you can make your own natural mouthwashes to freshen your breath:

How to prevent halitosis

An unpleasant odor is much easier to prevent than to treat later. Great value has oral hygiene. It is very important after each meal to clean your teeth from small particles of food, which can subsequently rot and create favorable conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic organisms.

To prevent causes of bad breath such as tartar and plaque, you must constantly:

brush your teeth with a brush with medium-hard bristles after each meal, that is, several times a day;
clean the spaces between teeth with dental floss;
clean the surface of the tongue with a brush located on the back of the toothbrush, in the direction from root to tip;
if it is not possible to brush your teeth after eating (at work, at a party), you can rinse your mouth with warm water or chew sugar-free gum;
You should not abuse chewing gum, as they negatively affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
stick to the right image life, eating habits, introduce into your diet sufficient quantity vegetables and fruits. This helps normalize salivation;
visit the dentist in a timely manner to preventive examination and for dental treatment.

If proper attention is constantly paid to oral hygiene and diseases of the oral cavity and internal organs are excluded, the unpleasant odor of saliva can be weakened with the help of special liquid cleaners in the form of liquid rinses or sprays.

Purifiers have antibacterial properties, due to which it is possible to reduce the number of anaerobic bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds. These formulations contain special substances that neutralize the nasty aroma that these bacteria managed to release, making your breath cleaner and more pleasant.

You should be careful with so-called antiseptic neutralizers: they contain alcohol, which dries out the mucous membrane, which is why the smell appears.

How to choose oral care products

When purchasing personal hygiene products, you need to carefully study their composition. Only natural ingredients They will not only help to mask bad breath with another smell, but will directly affect the causes of the problem.

If you choose toothpaste, which contains alcohol, you may not be surprised why your breath smells bad. Alcohol dries the mucous membrane, thereby promoting the development of anaerobic microorganisms, that is, the very cause of bad breath.

It’s good if the care product contains antibacterial components, which by chemical reactions reduce the manifestation of halitosis.

Which doctor should I go to to cure bad breath?

If halitosis occurs, you should first contact your dentist. The doctor will examine the oral cavity for the presence of ulcers and inflammatory processes, carry out professional cleaning of plaque and tartar, and cure caries, periodontitis and other diseases of the teeth and gums.

If treatment at the dentist does not give results, doctors of another profile should look for the source of the unpleasant odor: ENT doctor (must exclude rhinitis and sinusitis), pulmonologist (bronchiectasis), endocrinologist ( diabetes mellitus), gastroenterologist (stomach problems).

Halitosis is a problem that prevents normal life, it lowers self-esteem, makes a person less sociable and unattractive to others. Therefore, bad breath must be eliminated in time; traditional measures should not be neglected. hygiene procedures, you need to go to the dentist on time and visit other specialized specialists for a health check.

Every person is familiar with the feeling of bad breath, which in medicine has a name - halitosis, causing anxiety and inconvenience. This leads to a severe psychological state. An unpleasant odor is emitted when there is inflammation and disease in the oral cavity or internal organs. To eliminate a bad odor that causes inconvenience, you need to determine its cause.

Bacteria that exist in the oral cavity, when combined with food debris, are converted into volatile sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan.

They not only cause rotten breath, but also provoke the release of lactic acid, which destroys tooth enamel and defiant inflammatory processes in the gums.

One of the causes of bad breath is bacteria.

In excess doses, the presence of components such as putrescine, indole and skatole (waste products of bacteria) allows you to feel the presence of a putrefactive aroma, signaling problems. Anaerobic bacteria are considered to be the main culprits of sulfur compounds, and they live in the subgingival pocket, the area of the tongue root, and dental plaque.

Symptoms

The appearance of an unpleasant odor can be determined by certain signs, since in most cases a person cannot always feel it with his own sense of smell.

The main ones include:

white, yellowish coating on the tongue with dryness, burning in the mouth;
the presence of small balls in the tonsil area;
rinsing, drinking tea, coffee are accompanied by an unpleasant aftertaste;
presence of bitterness, acid, metallic taste regularly;
turning away, unusual behavior of the interlocutor, advice, which aggravates the state of mind.

To feel for yourself whether your breath stinks of rot or not, you can cup your palms and exhale sharply into them. A special thread is also passed between the teeth. If there is an unpleasant odor on it, you need to find out the reason and consult a doctor. Currently, pharmacies implement special tests that help determine the freshness of breath on a five-point scale.

To determine freshness, you can use a teaspoon, remove plaque from the tongue root with it, and then smell it. You can moisten your wrist with your tongue, let it dry and smell the skin.

Causes of bad odor from the mouth

Fungal infections are one of the causes of bad breath

Bad breath is associated with problems that can be identified by a dentist.

Many patients are concerned about the question of why their breath smells rotten, and what contributes to this?

The most common reasons include the following:

caries and diseased teeth;
incorrect installation of the filling during treatment;
dental plaque;
inflammation of the gums;
period of wisdom teeth growth;
fungal infections;
inflammation in bone tissue;
the functioning of the salivary gland is disrupted;
stomatitis;
Tartar, which contains a large number of bacteria.

Along with the listed reasons, there are a number of other explanations for the appearance of a bad aroma. These include non-compliance regular care for removable prosthetic structures, as well as products that release sulfur compounds. When absorbed into the blood, they are excreted through the lungs, which produces an odor. Such products, for example, include onion or green onions, garlic, some types of red wines, certain types of cheeses. In addition, these include alcohol and consumption of tobacco products.

In the case when from the listed factors, none of them apply to the patient, then it is necessary to conduct an examination of the internal organs.

Intestinal problem - common reason bad breath

To do this, you should contact a therapist who will prescribe tests and, if necessary, give a referral to specialized specialists such as a gastroenterologist or endocrinologist

This phenomenon is especially observed in older people, as their saliva flow decreases.

Other causes of bad breath:

respiratory diseases, in particular bronchitis, tuberculosis, malignant tumors;
inflammatory processes such as sinusitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis;
taking medications for a long time;
thyroid diseases;
in some women the phenomenon is observed during the menstrual cycle;
diets in which the process of burning fat occurs.

Treatment

Professional teeth cleaning Air-Flow

If the eruption of wisdom teeth is difficult, they are removed, as well as damaged teeth.

If you experience persistent odor from your mouth, you should contact your dentist for consultation and treatment.
The main treatment consists of professional cleaning oral cavity, during which deposits are removed above the gum and below the gum near problem teeth.
Sanitation of the oral cavity, treatment of caries, replacement of fillings, dentures that were installed poorly, and treatment of inflamed gums.
Correction of decreased salivation.
With the help of a dental hygienist, learn how to carry out proper individual cleaning of the oral cavity, teeth, and tongue;
If the problem persists, then you will need to consult a therapist.

Prevention

Today, to eliminate the problem, there are several prevention methods in addition to standard cleaning teeth with toothpaste. Experts recommend using care products such as floss (dental floss). Unlike a toothbrush, this product penetrates into the interdental spaces with sufficient depth to remove food debris.

Be sure to rinse your mouth with mouthwash or water after snacks. When brushing your teeth, clean the back of the tongue, in the area where the accumulation occurs. large quantity bacterial plaque. Care procedures are done carefully, but so as not to harm the mucous membrane.

Cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper

Such actions should be carried out by people whose tongue has a folded or geographical structure with indentations on the surface. Use mouthwashes without alcohol, as this substance dries out the mucous membrane. Carrying out the procedure in the morning gets rid of the accumulated odor at night, and before going to bed helps remove food-borne bacterial film. For preventive purposes, do not place brushes next to other family members’ care items. If you have periodontitis, hypersensitivity, or during pregnancy, use a paste with a low content of abrasive substances.

In conclusion, we note that if an unpleasant odor appears in the mouth, which cannot be eliminated for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor. Self-treatment will not solve, but can only aggravate the problems of serious diseases.

Bad breath is not only a barrier to communication and a cause of self-doubt, but can also signal a serious pathology. We turned to a therapist to find out about the causes and ways to deal with an uncomfortable problem.

Ardeeva Irina Mikhailovna,
therapist of the highest qualification category,
Medical Center "Horizon"

Almost every person experiences halitosis - that's what bad breath is called - sooner or later. The question is whether this is temporary or the problem is permanent. Sometimes the person himself may not notice the unpleasant odor. There are the following self-diagnosis methods:

Take a cotton pad or napkin and place it on the back third of your tongue, then take it out and smell it.
Smell dental floss or a toothpick a minute after use.
Exhale into your palm and smell.
Put it on your face gauze bandage and walk around in it for about 5 minutes. The smell accumulated on the bandage corresponds to the smell of your mouth.
You can use a special pocket device that determines the concentration of hydrogen sulfide during breathing - a halimeter, with a scale from 0 to 4 points.

The causes of temporary occurrence of bad breath may be::

Long-term use of certain medications - hormonal, antihistamines, antidepressants, diuretics, antibacterials, which reduce saliva production and lead to halitosis.
Breathing through the mouth during intense physical activity: Dry mouth appears, and consequently halitosis occurs.
Stress and prolonged nervous overload negatively affect the entire body. This may include dry mouth.

In 80% of cases, the cause of halitosis is diseases of the oral cavity: carious teeth, periodontitis, gingivitis, stomatitis of various etiologies, diseases salivary glands language, etc.

Therefore, before you run to the doctor, answer yourself the question: do you pay enough attention to oral hygiene? It includes:

thorough brushing of teeth, dental spaces using dental floss, cheeks, using special brushes or a scraper, 2 times a day,
rinsing your mouth with warm water after every meal or snack,
use of rinses (not antibacterial),
Carrying out professional cleaning of the oral cavity by a dentist 2 times a year.

If you pay due attention to the prevention of oral diseases, but the smell is still present, you should contact dentist and undergo appropriate treatment.

If dental treatment is ineffective, next specialist must be ENT doctor. The cause of the unpleasant odor may be chronic tonsillitis. Enlarged, loose tonsils with wide gaps in which they accumulate tiny particles food and dying epithelial cells, this is a suitable place for numerous bacteria. When found chronic tonsillitis it will be necessary to take a course conservative treatment: washing tonsil lacunae with antiseptic solutions, physiotherapeutic procedures. Also chronic rhinitis and sinusitis are often accompanied by the formation of thick, foul-smelling mucus, which, when it enters the nasopharynx and then into the pharynx, can cause bad breath.

If the otorhinolaryngologist has not identified any pathology, then you need to undergo an examination with therapist or gastroenterologist, since halitosis can also be caused by diseases gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, metabolic problems (diabetes).

A preliminary “problem” place in the body can be identified by the nature of the smell .

Sour breath can be caused by stomach ulcers, duodenum, with gastritis with increased acid-forming function, with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Halitosis also occurs with cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, intestinal dysbiosis, and diseases of the esophagus.
If there is a smell reminiscent of rotten meat or eggs, you need to undergo an examination to rule out decompensated cirrhosis of the liver with the presence of liver failure.
Putrid smell from the mouth can also occur in some lung diseases, accompanied by the release of purulent sputum.
The sweetish smell of ripe apples or the smell of acetone may be a sign of decompensated diabetes; emergency assistance required.
If your breath smells like urine, emergency treatment is also required. medical assistance, since there is a high probability of renal failure.

From all of the above, it becomes clear that if you have halitosis, you need to consult a doctor to diagnose the disease and treat it.

Recommendations for reducing discomfort and discomfort during halitosis

You can urgently get rid of bad breath by chewing coffee beans: they neutralize it.
You can use rinses, toothpastes, gels containing carbamide peroxide, triclosan, cetylpyridine.
It helps with halitosis by rinsing the mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide (1 tsp per 1 glass of water) or soda solution(4-5 times a day).
Good effect give daily rinses of the mouth with infusions of herbs: chamomile, mint, alfalfa, dill, yarrow, and propolis.
Odor intensity reduces use essential oils(sage, tea tree, cloves).

But it is better not to deal with the consequences of the problem, but to deal with the problem itself. Don’t complicate your life and don’t trigger the disease - go to the doctor.

Often, stench is a symptom of some disease that requires serious treatment. Therefore, you should not carefully hide the smell from your mouth (for example, rotten eggs or acetone), you need to determine the causes and eliminate them.

In this article, we described the most popular types of bad breath and ways to get rid of them.

Rotten egg smell from breath

The stench of rotten eggs can come from food that has not been digested by the stomach.

The unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs) from the mouth usually accompanies excessive consumption of protein foods (meat, fish, poultry). In addition, the causes of stench are:

Lack of normal hygiene - the remains of protein food rot in the interdental space.
Gastritis with low acidity.
Putrefactive dyspepsia is a disease characterized by impaired breakdown and digestion of protein compounds.

How to fix it?

You can get rid of the smell of rotten eggs, which has no pathological basis, by changing your diet and strengthening your oral care. To do this, in addition to regular teeth cleaning, you can use devices such as floss and irrigator.

If you suspect yourself internal diseases, contact a gastroenterologist. He will appoint drug treatment and dietary nutrition.

Smell of vinegar

The appearance of a sour, vinegary smell from the mouth of an adult may indicate the following problems:

To eliminate the causes of vinegar smell from your mouth, you need to go through drug therapy under the supervision of a doctor.

As a rule, specialists prescribe:

drugs that reduce acidity - Gaviscon, Maalox, Almagel, Ranitidine;
antibiotics – “Ciprofloxacin”, “Azithromycin”, “Ofloxacin”;
antimicrobials– “Biseptol”, “Furadonin”;
dietary food.

It wouldn't hurt to normalize water balance(drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day) and avoid foods that increase acidity: tomatoes, fruits, vegetables, unripe wine.

Metallic smell

Metal utensils can cause a stench.

If you smell iron, it may be due to:

rusty water - old communications saturate the liquid with metal particles;
low-quality metal utensils;
vitamins and medicines With increased content gland;

If the smell of blood appears in your mouth without objective reasons, diabetes may be suspected.

The smell of metal is associated with oral problems - stomatitis, gingivitis, glossitis.

How to delete?

To get rid of metallic breath, take care of your health and pay attention to your lifestyle.

Install coarse and fine water filters at home.
Throw away old pots, pans and bowls.
If you are taking medication, the stench can be masked with sprays or chewing gum.
Take advantage of professional oral hygiene.

Smell of iodine on the breath

In an adult, the smell of iodine on the breath may indicate an excess amount of this element in the body. An overdose can be obtained by consuming iodine-containing vitamins, medications, products, or at work.

In addition, the reason may be hidden in problems with the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism - excessive production of hormones - is treated by taking antithyroid drugs (Propicil, Metizol), surgical intervention or administration of radioactive iodine.

How to remove?

Also, to get rid of iodine fumes, it is often enough to change your diet, treatment, and type of work activity.

Purulent smell

Inflammation of internal organs in adults, accompanied by decomposition organic compounds, signal themselves with a purulent odor.

Most often its causes are:

sinusitis;
abscesses;
adenoids;
tuberculosis;
pneumonia;
tonsillitis;
inflammation in the oral cavity.

How to get rid of it?

Start getting rid of the stench by visiting medical institution with the complaint that your breath smells like pus.

Usually conservative therapy includes the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics - Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Vilprafen.

Sweet breath

The sweet aroma is a consequence of lower glucose levels.

Sometimes people experience a sweet odor coming from their mouth. Possible reasons in an adult:

onset of diabetes mellitus – characterized by insufficient insulin production;
liver diseases - accompanied by the accumulation of dimethyl sulfide in the blood;
oral candidiasis.

The sweetish aroma does not cause disgust, but requires immediate medical attention.

How to get rid of it?

After full diagnostics V medical hospital Depending on the cause, patients are prescribed:

hypoglycemic drugs - “Siofor”, “Glucophage”, “Ongliza”, “Formetin”;
insulin injections;
antifungal tablets - Diflucan, Lysozyme;
local treatment affected mucosa - “Amphotericin”, “Decamin”.

When sweetish smell from the mouth is not associated with any pathology, the results can be successfully applied traditional medicine. The best option will be cooking herbal decoctions for regular rinsing.

Can be used:

chamomile;
St. John's wort;
calendula;
sage;
eucalyptus.

The broth should have a comfortable temperature, the number of rinses per day should be individual (from 3 to 7).

Smell of fish

The appearance of a smell from the mouth similar to the stench of rotten fish indicates serious violations metabolism.

Changes in metabolism cause diseases:

bulimia, anorexia;
liver diseases;
renal failure.

The stench causes a lot of inconvenience to a person, but allows you to identify a serious illness in time and begin its treatment.

How to fight?

Elimination of pathologies, and with them fishy breath, requires constant maintenance therapy. Antidepressants are prescribed and consultations with a psychologist are scheduled.

The functioning of internal organs is restored by taking Furosemide, Losartan, and Trometamol as prescribed by a specialist.

Liver odor

Liver dysfunction is a sign poor nutrition.

It is difficult to confuse the smell of raw bloody liver with something, which sometimes resembles bad breath. The cause of liver odor is dysfunction of the organ of the same name.

It is worth getting diagnosed if there are additional symptoms:

pale skin;
sweating;
strong coating on the tongue;
yellowness of the eye sclera.

Treatment of liver diseases involves taking well-proven drugs: Phosphonciale, Phosphogliv, Ovesol, etc.

Medicines and dosage are prescribed only by the attending physician based on the severity of the patient’s condition, test results, and examinations.
When infected with helminths, broad-spectrum or selective-spectrum antihelminthic drugs are successfully used - Vermox, Pirantel, Dekaris, Nemozol.

Coated tongue odor
Grayish, dense deposits on the base of the tongue are a sign of a developing ulcer.

TO white plaque On the tongue, accompanied by the smell of fish or acid from the mouth, lack of hygiene and gastritis are cited.
How to fix
To get rid of the problem, you will need diagnosis of dental problems and treatment by a gastroenterologist.

Almost every adult faces the problem of bad breath (halitosis) sooner or later. People experiencing such problems begin to feel some discomfort when communicating, which, in turn, leads to isolation, decreased self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and, ultimately, to loneliness.

All this can provoke the occurrence of psychoneurological diseases that develop due to a lack of communication.

Causes of bad breath in adults. Types of halitosis

Sometimes the person himself does not notice or does not want to notice the unpleasant odor emanating from the oral cavity. However, this may be a symptom of quite serious illnesses , so you should not ignore the problem and contact the clinic as soon as possible to find out the cause and make the correct diagnosis.

Types of halitosis

There are two types of halitosis:

Physiological. The appearance of bad breath is caused by dietary errors or poor oral hygiene. This type of halitosis can occur due to smoking, fasting, excessive consumption alcohol and drugs.
Pathological. Called dental diseases(oral halitosis) or pathologies of internal organs (extrooral).

In addition, in scientific world There are also such concepts as pseudohalitosis and halitophobia. Both of these conditions are psychological character.

Pseudogalitosis included in the number obsessive states, in which the patient constantly feels that his breath smells bad. In such cases, the help of a psychotherapist is required.

Overly suspicious people often suffer halitophobia — constant fear before the appearance of a bad odor after an illness.

So, before taking any measures to eliminate bad breath, you should find out the reason his emergence. Perhaps it’s a matter of an incorrect and unbalanced diet, or is everything explained by the poor state of the environment? What if halitosis is caused by pathological changes in internal organs or is it contagious?

Physiological type

There are many reasons that cause bad breath, the main ones being the following.

General oral health. In an adult, as well as in a child, odor can appear due to insufficient oral care. In this case, you should check your teeth and gums.

Dry mouth. In medical circles, this phenomenon is called xerostomia. It usually arises as a result of lengthy conversations. Often, xerostomia affects people whose profession involves constant communication (for example, TV presenters, announcers, etc.).

Wrong diet. Experts have identified a whole series foods whose consumption can cause halitosis. Basically it's fatty foods, which provides negative impact on the walls of the stomach and esophagus.

Bad habits. Habits such as smoking and alcohol can cause bad breath. But if with the second option everything is more or less clear (those who have encountered the problem of hangover syndrome understand well what we are talking about), then with smoking the situation is somewhat different. This is explained by the fact that a smoker uses cigarettes almost daily, and tobacco smoke provides negative impact on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. The result of this effect is the drying out of the mouth and the creation of favorable conditions for the emergence and development of various kinds harmful microorganisms, which will be very difficult to get rid of in the future.

Poor hygiene oral cavity. Bad breath can occur as a result of plaque on the tongue, gums, inside cheeks and even teeth. The appearance of such plaque is usually explained by non-compliance with the rules of oral hygiene, resulting in active development bacteria that feed on food debris left in the mouth.

Microbes. In some cases, bad breath appears in the morning, seemingly for no apparent reason. In fact, it’s all about microbes that actively grow and multiply almost constantly, especially at night. During sleep, the amount of saliva in a person's mouth decreases, which creates favorable conditions for the growth and development of harmful bacteria. You can get rid of bad breath in a simple way: just brush your teeth and additionally use a mouth rinse to maintain the effect.

Pathological type

This form of halitosis is characterized by the appearance of the following odors from the mouth:

acetone;
ammonia;
feces;
putrefactive;
sour;
rotten eggs.

Smell of rotten breath. The most common cause of this odor is pathological changes organs respiratory system and dental diseases. In addition, it may appear due to the accumulation of food debris under the denture or in a diseased tooth. Under the influence of harmful microorganisms, amino acids decompose, which determines the nature of this form of halitosis.

The main causes of putrid odor from the mouth may be the following:

In addition, the smell of rot can be caused by the following factors:

organ dysfunction digestive tract, in this case a particularly pronounced odor is observed;
alcohol abuse and smoking;
poor oral hygiene, resulting in the appearance of tartar or plaque.

Ammonia smell. The causes of its appearance are kidney diseases and renal failure, in which the level of urea in the blood is greatly exceeded. The body, not being able to fully remove this substance naturally, begins to look for an alternative way out, that is, through skin and mucous membranes. This explains the appearance of the ammonia smell.

Smell of feces from the mouth. There may be several reasons for its occurrence: intestinal obstruction, poor absorption of food, decreased peristalsis and dysbiosis.

People with bulimia or anorexia may also experience a fecal odor in their mouth. This is also associated with a disruption of the digestive process: food is poorly digested (or not digested at all), and rotting and fermentation begins.

In some cases, such an aroma may be caused by infectious lesions of the respiratory system.

Smell of acid. Increased level acidity gastric juice caused by diseases such as pancreatitis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, diverticulitis of the esophagus or gastritis provokes the appearance sour smell from the oral cavity. The acidic smell may be accompanied by nausea or heartburn.

Rotten egg smell. The main reason for the appearance of such a smell is also disturbances in the functioning of the stomach associated with decreased acidity and gastritis. In this case, a person may experience a feeling of discomfort in the stomach area, and belching appears. Another reason for the smell of rotten eggs in the mouth is food poisoning.

Smell of acetone from the mouth. Most harmless reason The appearance of the smell of acetone is common indigestion, but there are several quite serious diseases accompanied by this form of halitosis.

The smell of acetone may indicate diseases of the pancreas (pancreatitis, diabetes), and also indicate the development of other pathologies, as will be discussed below.

Liver diseases. The course of some liver diseases is accompanied by the appearance of acetone in human urine and blood. If the functioning of the organ, whose task is precisely to cleanse the body of all sorts of unnecessary substances, including toxic ones, is disrupted, it leads to the accumulation of acetone and, as a result, the appearance of odor from the oral cavity.
Diabetes mellitus. High content blood sugar, characteristic of an advanced form of diabetes, coupled with the release of large amounts of acetone ( ketone bodies) into the human blood forces the kidneys to work harder and remove toxic substances from the body. The lungs also take an active part in the process, which explains the appearance of an acetone odor from the patient’s mouth.

When this symptom appears, the patient must be urgently hospitalized in order to conduct a thorough examination and provide immediate assistance. medical care. Otherwise, a diabetic coma is possible.

Kidney diseases. The smell of acetone from the mouth can appear with uric acid diathesis, as well as with diseases such as kidney dystrophy, renal failure, nephrosis. These pathologies cause disruption of protein metabolism and its breakdown products begin to accumulate in the blood.

Diagnosis of bad breath

Halitosis is detected in the following ways:

Organoleptic method (assessment of the intensity of halitosis by a specialist). At the same time, the degree of manifestation bad smell from the mouth is assessed on a five-point scale (from 0 to 5). Before the examination, it is recommended to refrain from using odorous cosmetics one day before the procedure, appointment spicy food- approximately 48 hours before visiting the doctor. In addition, 12 hours before the start of the assessment, it is advisable to stop using breath fresheners and mouth rinses, and stop brushing your teeth, smoking, eating and drinking.
Analysis of the medical history: when exactly does bad breath appear, how long ago has it started, are there any chronic diseases the oral cavity, gums, liver, gastrointestinal tract, paranasal sinuses and the nose itself, is there a connection with food intake, etc.
Pharyngoscopy (examination of the larynx).
Sulfide monitoring is the use of a special device (halimeter) to measure the degree of sulfur concentration in the air exhaled by the patient.
Examination of the nose and nasopharynx using an endoscope.
Examination of the oral cavity by a dentist (to identify white or yellowish plaque on the patient’s tongue and teeth).
Laryngoscopy.
Consultation with a gastroenterologist and pulmonologist (to exclude diseases of the lungs and bronchi).
Biochemical blood test (sugar levels, liver and kidney enzymes are examined).

Prevention of unpleasant odors

In order to avoid the appearance of bad breath and subsequent problems associated with it, you should follow a few simple rules:

First of all, you must carefully adhere to the rules of oral hygiene and regularly visit the dentist for preventive examinations.
Nutrition should be balanced, rich in vitamins and microelements.
In addition to daily brushing of teeth, it is necessary to use special mouth rinses that help destroy harmful microorganisms and freshen breath. Do not overuse alcohol rinses, as they greatly dry out the mucous membranes.
Timely prevention and treatment of pathologies of internal organs, as well as infectious diseases.
Regular use fresh vegetables and fruits.
Whenever you brush your teeth, do not forget about your tongue and be sure to clean it of any plaque that has appeared.
Avoidance of alcohol, cigarettes, and healthy image life.
Using special moisturizers for dry mouth.

The appearance of bad odor from the mouth should not be ignored and you should not try to get rid of it with the help of hygiene products. This can only drown out the problem for a while, but will not destroy it completely. Sometimes even a simple consultation with a specialist gives a good result, and timely treatment will save you from such troubles for a long time.