A Family Doctor's Tale - HALITOSIS

DOC I HAVE BAD BREATH

Ever have patients coming to you with bad breath. Every family clinic is bound to have someone with throat infection or gastric problem like indigestion.

Halitosis is the condition when a person suffers from chronic bad breath.



Halitosis is usually caused by the following:

Infections:
1.bacterial infection of the gum, dental cavities.(There are 600 types of bacteria present in mouth)


2.anaerobic infections of the mouth,


3.Infection of the tonsils, nose and sinuses(postnasal drip)
(A Simple Guide to Sinusitis)


Gastric problems and indigestion:
1. Indigestion of food in the stomach can cause the undigested food in the stomach to emit an offensive smell through the mouth


2.gastroesophageal reflux of food ( A Simple Guide to Gastritis) can also cause the smell of acid and undigested food in the mouth


Certain food:
1.garlic and onions which has odious suphur compounds can give rise to foul smell from the mouth


2.fish


3.cheese


4.alcohol


Smoking:
Cigarettes smokes contains 40 over chemicals which cause bad mouth smell


Dry mouth:
1. Insufficient drinking of water


2.medications can cause dry mouth and produces a smell from the mouth


Systemic diseases:
1.liver failure.


2.Lower respiratory tract infections


3.Renal infections and renal failure.


4.Carcinoma of the Mouth and Salivary Gland( A Simple Guide to Salivary Gland Cancer) .


5.Trimethylaminuria ("fish odor syndrome").


6.Diabetes mellitus.( A Simple Guide to Diabetes )




Persons who has halitosis has the following
Symptoms:
1.Bad breath


2.Dry mouth


Signs:
1.discharge from nose or tonsils


2.furry tongue



Treatment involve:
1.Appropriate antibiotics, antifungal medications for infections of mouth


2.drinking several glasses of water a day prevents dryness of mouth


3.Eating a healthy breakfast helps clean the back of the tongue


4.Proper oral hygiene after eating: brushing of teeth and flossing. Dentures should be removed at bedtime and soaked overnight in antibacterial solutions.


5.Avoid smoking


6.Gargle mouth after every meal.
Avoid the use of alcohol based mouth washes.
Use instead oil based mouth washes.


7.Chewing sugarless gum helps to stimulate production of saliva and hence less bad breath


8.Treat underlying condition such as diabetes, liver, kidney and other conditions.



Prognosis is usually good with proper oral hygiene.


Recurrence is quite common.