what can be the cause of extreme bad breath?

Answer 1

If you would like to freshen your breath try preparing your own breath freshening mouthwash. A rinse consisting of a few drops of peppermint oil in a glass of water will do the trick nicely just don’t count on it to kill bacteria. Also just use it as a rinse and do not swallow.

There are other essential oils that work as well. Try tea tree, myrrh, spearmint, and ginger are also effective.

Rinsing your mouth with salt water is a great home remedy for a sore throat. It is also good for eliminating bad breath. You might also try rinsing with lemon or lime water as well. Both are equally effective and may taste a bit more pleasant than salt water.

Try drinking a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water at least once a day.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Dry mouth

Sounds like such an innocuous little phrase, doesn’t it? Thought to be a leading cause of bad breath, dry mouth occurs when saliva production is reduced and carries its own nasty little package of problems.

The medical term for dry mouth is “xerostomia” (pronounced ZEER-oh-STOH-mee-ah). Saliva performs vital work in your body. It aids in digestion by using the enzymes to help break up different foods and also makes it easier to talk.

You may not realize that it can also help to prevent tooth decay by rinsing away food particles from between the teeth as well as the gums. Saliva also helps you taste the food you eat and makes it easier for you to swallow that food. It is also known for neutralizing any damaging acids.

It is believed to be caused primarily by certain medications which we listed in the previous paragraph. The symptoms of dry mouth can include:

* Dry, rough tongue
* Poor sense of taste
* Burning sensation in your mouth
* Increased plaque
* Reduced saliva production

Alzheimer’s disease, AIDS and stroke are also attributed to causing dry mouth as well as pregnancy and/or hormonal changes due to menopause.

Increasing fluid intake can help to re-hydrate the mouth. It’s important to keep it moist so you don’t lose all the benefits provided by saliva production.
Gum disease/Gingivitus

This is inflammation of soft tissue surrounding the teeth. This condition is much more serious than a single abscess. Gingivitis is the precursor to periodontitis which is the final step of gum disease that can ultimately lead to toot loss. This will be discussed in depth a bit further on.

Hepatic encephalopathy

This is a rare but possible cause as a result of liver disease.

Impacted tooth

An impacted tooth is one that rebelliously will not erupt into its proper position and most often results in infection, which we know is another cause of bad breath.
Banish the Breath Mints and Chewing Gum

Neither of these commercial products are particularly helpful as they only mask the problem and in fact could cause tooth decay. Try some of our alternative recommendations:

Remember the trick the Greeks used? Anise seed is readily available and chewing on a few of them work just as effectively today as they did several thousand years ago. Fennel, cinnamon and cloves also work well. Try popping a few into your mouth after meals to fight bad breath.

There are many other natural replacements for commercial mouthwash. Try adding a bit of baking soda to your toothpaste. After all, not only is it used in cooking and the laundry, we also use baking soda to absorb odor in the refrigerator. It will work well to help eliminate bad breath.

Did you ever wonder why parsley and mint are often used as a garnish when dining out? Just like the Greeks, remember the Romans. Chewing on parsley helps fight bad breath.

The reason is the high content of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll very quickly changes carbon dioxide into oxygen in the body. This prepares the digestive tract to prevent gases and toxins from backing up and by lubricating the tract and various valves.

Boil a mixture of myrrh resin, sage leaves and lavender flowers in a small amount of water. Gargle three times a day as a bad breath remedy.

Aloe vera will cleanse the colon and prevent toxins that could possibly back up in the digestive tract.


Bad Breath and Your Diet

We live in a world where food dominates. We are on sensory overload because everywhere we turn there is another delectable delight to tantalize the taste buds. Sadly, the majority of the foods that we are seduced by on a daily basis do serious damage to our teeth. In our discussion that also applies to bad breath.

It is important to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Unfortunately all day snacks and binging have replaced the concept of “three square meals a day.”

When indiscriminate snacking takes place oral hygiene goes out the window. If doubt that, begin a diary and document every single instance throughout the day when you place food or beverages in your mouth. Weight loss programs teach their users to do this and it can be an eye-opening experience. Some of our habits are so ingrained that we don’t even realize what we are doing.

Someone brings a home made coffee cake to the office and it’s very easy to unconsciously grab “just a little sliver” back to your desk along with your. . .what?. . third or fourth cup of java of course.

You may be sitting in the grandstands at a little league ballgame when your partner waves the bag of popcorn under your nose. Well, it’s just a few kernels of popcorn, right?

Now, do you immediately run to the ladies room at the office and brush your teeth? Do you leap off the bleachers and sprint to the “facilities” and floss? Of course not, that would be ridiculous, right? If we all did that, there wouldn’t be a problem with dental disease or bad breath.

All the snacking that we do throughout the day not only contributes to bad breath but snack food is usually very high in carbohydrates and produces excessive amounts of sugar that cause tooth decay and promote bad breath. Harmful acids contained in soda pop attack the enamel on the teeth, yet we sip on sodas all day long.

And, if you thought that just sodas are the culprit, think again. A recent study claims that all those popular sports drinks we buy may not be such a good idea after all. They may re-hydrate the body, but they can cause irreversible damage to the dental enamel.

The study reports that fitness water, sports drinks, energy drinks and other non-cola beverages increase the risk of damage by anywhere from 3 to 11 times!

It should be mentioned that the findings are indicative of long term use. However, it appears that these drinks may not necessarily beneficial as a substitute for plain old-fashioned fresh water!

Foods like garlic, onions, peppers and more all have a role in creating bad breath. When the food you eat is released into the bloodstream, the lungs will expel the odor.

While garlic and onions seem to top the list of bad breath offenders, there are other foods that are just as likely to produce bad breath. A few of these are:

* Meats that are spicy like pepperoni, salami and pastrami
* Cheese, especially soft cheeses
* Fish
* Dairy foods
* Seafood
* Eggs

Practically every food that is high in protein is also a harbinger of bad breath. In fact practically one third of our diet is comprised of high protein foods.

This can be especially distressing if you are on a “high protein” diet. The obvious result is that when on a diet such as this bad breath will become significantly more annoying.

Short of totally eliminating protein from our diet (not recommended) what else can we do? At the risk of sounding redundant let’s review some of our earlier discussion.

Drink plenty of water. Dehydration certainly won’t help to improve the situation.

As difficult as it may be, clean your teeth and tongue thoroughly each time you eat anything that is high in protein.

Try and adjust your diet to contain less high protein foods and more high fiber foods. Foods high in fiber naturally produce some of those important enzymes we previously discussed.

Fiber will help fight constipation. Homeopathic healers report that regular bowel movements help to rid the body of toxins that contribute to bad breath.

Not only will changing to a higher fiber diet help your bad breath, it will also improve the overall health of your digestive system.

Instead of snacking on junk food, try chewing on fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the crunchy foods. Apples, pears, celery and carrots are good suggestions. They will aid in enzyme production and the natural chewing of the crunchy foods will stimulate the gums.

Consider adding that yogurt we mentioned as a permanent part of your daily food intake. Again, it will promote the production of the live bacteria you need.

Stimulate the flow of saliva to keep the mouth moist. Remember to avoid ineffectual commercial mouthwashes. Chewing on a clove or adding a drop of cinnamon or peppermint oil on your tongue will be much more productive.

If you are having post-nasal drip, use an over the counter medication to reduce the flow of the noxious drainage of the draining mucous.

There are numerous over the counter treatments for bad breath, the majority of which we have already reported to be ineffectual.

One type of product does appear to bear some scrutiny, however. Advertised as a “new innovation” in mouthwashes they are called Chlorine Dioxide Mouthwashes.

They claim to totally eliminate bad breath by attacking the sulfur compounds that cause bad breath rather than masking them as conventional mouthwashes do.

They make a provocative case however, when you understand that chlorine dioxide has been used in municipal water supplies for decades. Use your own judgment, but it might not hurt to give one a try.

Further research shows another fairly recent medical treatment for periodontal disease that may present some hope for remedying bad breath by treating the periodontal condition.

Answer 2

Bad teeth, Not flossing, Bacteria build up on the back of you tongue, try a mouthwash. Also some foods produce odors that end up in the blood and can be breathed out through the lungs.

Answer 3

Another cause can be a deeply seeded lung infection. There has been a case described where a young girl was found to have "inhaled" a small piece of a stick which loged itself into her lung. It grew into an infected mass that smelled of rotting tissue. She was cured by anitbiotics. See a doctor to rule out infection if the "typical" things do not work.

Answer 4

Halitosis can be a cause of extreme bad breath, you should talk with your dentist or Family Doctor to see what can be done to help.

Answer 5

Bad breath can be caused by your tonsils,your stomach or your teeth. The best thing to do is see a doctor

Answer 6

many things could cause bad breath like food or bad hygiene. another cause that is not always thought of though is a really bad sinus infection or other illness.

Answer 7

something could have been lodged in the sinus cavity, causing the body to protect itself by surrounding the object with calcium, - the calcium deposit causing horrible bad breath.

Answer 8

Tooth Decay.

Answer 9

Apparently any condition in your body cavities from your lips back, lungs, liver, stomach and on down to intestinal tract where food and waste is processed.
(Gum disease, dental cavities, poor oral hyiene, oral cancer of the tongue, bacteria, gastro intestinal problems, liver disease, medications you are taking, strong smelling food.)

I often wonder if vegetarians (who don't consume meat or dairy products) tend to be immune from extreme hallitosis, given good dental health?

Answer 10

Sinus infection, tooth decay or raw garlic & red onions.

Answer 11

When you don't bruch your teeth and don't get all that food from the back of your mouth. It gets gathered there over time at the back of your tongue too..