More frequent than you think, halitosis can be kept under control. It is important, as always, to identify the cause to adopt the appropriate treatments.
Halitosis, a condition characterized by the unpleasant smell of exhaled air, can result from different causes. Some pathologies and the intake of certain drugs are among these, together with the most known and frequent: the ingestion of those foods defined, not surprisingly, “halitogens” or disorders of the oral cavity.
Among the pathologies that can have halitosis among their symptoms there are some affections of the esophagus such as esophageal strictures, or stomach, lung diseases such as tuberculosis or lung abscesses, and diseases such as diabetes and liver failure.
In all these cases it goes without saying that, to eliminate bad breath it is necessary to treat the underlying pathology.
But also drugs such as some types of antihypertensives and psychotropic drugs can cause halitosis. And the mechanism can be direct, that is, when the substances they contain are responsible, or indirect, if they cause a decrease in saliva.
The reduction of saliva makes the removal of organic residues from the oral cavity less effective and bacteria can proliferate better, as can also happen to those who have dry mouth because they breathe through it instead of with the nose. In this case it is good to drink a lot and maintain good oral hygiene to limit the disorder.
The most frequent cause is in the mouth
If none of these conditions or pathologies are in place, as is the case in most cases, then halitosis originates in the oral cavity where the unpleasant odor is caused by the presence of bacteria that produce the so-called volatile sulfur compounds, the substances responsible for the unpleasant odor.
These bacteria live in the absence of oxygen and find fertile ground to proliferate in the pockets that are created between tooth and gum when inflammation occurs, as in periodontal disease, in tartar deposits that form between tooth and tooth or on the back of the tongue, in particular when it has a thick patina on the surface.
Scientific studies show that in people who do not suffer from particular pathologies and have good oral hygiene, the back of the tongue is the most common origin of halitosis. It may simply be due to an individual predisposition for conformation of the tongue or to the greater presence of certain types of bacteria in the oral cavity.
The language also needs to be cleaned
For this reason, the most effective remedy according to current knowledge and available tools, is to very gently clean the back of the tongue two or three times a day, after brushing the teeth.
You can use a special tool but also a soft toothbrush. It is necessary to pass it 8-10 times on the back of the tongue, always from the inside to the outside cleaning it each time under running water.
The operation must be carried out in a very delicate way because the back of the tongue is a sensitive tissue that can be damaged by vigorous brushing. And the presence of small lesions would make the tongue even more exposed to the proliferation of bacteria.
To this operation can be added the use of a specific mouthwash to reduce the presence of bacteria. In general, using these methods and maintaining good oral hygiene results in improvement.
Attention also at the table
Cause of transient halitosis, that is, which disappears in a short period of time, is also the ingestion of foods such as garlic, onion, shallots, some types of spices and alcohol because their transformation releases foul-smelling substances that pass into the exhaled air.
Even a particular attention to what you eat can help in the control of the disorder: it is proven that foods that contain a lot of protein, such as meat and cheese, worsen the condition because in the mouth their residues produce substances with an unpleasant smell.
Foods with creamy texture in particular, such as some cheeses, adhere more easily to teeth and tongue and stay longer in the oral cavity.
On the other hand, there are foods that due to their consistency and the substances from which they are made help to keep the teeth “clean” and are therefore recommended for those suffering from halitosis: this is the case of apple, carrot and celery eaten raw.
Remedies with transient efficacy
For transient halitosis, traditional remedies indicate to counteract the bad smell by chewing aromatic herbs such as mint or parsley, but also sage or basil.
Some people with bad breath tend to eat mint candy continuously or rinse their mouths repeatedly with mouthwashes. Methods that can camouflage the bad smell temporarily, but know that after a few minutes the unpleasant breath recurs.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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