There are situations when you notice that a pleasant interlocutor is trying to keep his distance from you, but your loved one does not pamper you with kisses. Before you think about what you did to cause such a chill, try to find out whether bad breath, also known as halitosis or ozostomia, is to blame for the embarrassment.

Halitosis may be constant or appear from time to time. Anyone has experienced this condition at least once in their life, and for a quarter of the adult population, bad breath is a constant problem.

The insidiousness of halitosis lies in the fact that its owner often gets used to the smell and does not feel it himself. And the “well-mannered” people around them will not even think about offending a person with stories about his bad breath. Meanwhile, it would be much more correct to tactfully hint about the existing problem. This way you can get rid of barriers to communication, and in some cases, avoid a dangerous disease.

The exact opposite situation also happens - a person is aware of breathing problems, but instead of trying to eliminate the bad smell, he begins to carefully hide it. As a result, a person focuses more and more on his “defect”, does not think about his personal life, and tries to have less contact with others. So it's not far from depression. In psychiatry, there are also cases where such behavior arose due to a non-existent odor invented by the patient himself (this condition was called pseudohalitosis).

As with any disease, with halitosis you should not go to extremes, but recognize that there is a problem and start working to eliminate it. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, bad breath can be easily dealt with.

Where to “sniff out” the problem?

Most often, the cause of unpleasant odor is in the oral cavity itself. The simplest case is that the teeth and tongue are not brushed often or thoroughly. Food debris is decomposed by bacteria that constantly live between the teeth, at the edge of the gums and on the tongue, and some of the products of this decomposition give an undesirable aroma to the breath. By the same mechanism, odor appears during caries and gum diseases, such as gingivitis, periodontitis and periodontal disease. Tartar and plaque on teeth that contain large amounts of bacteria smell bad. Odor can also come from insufficiently clean removable dentures.

Bad breath also occurs with dry mouth - xerostomia, caused by diseases of the salivary glands, taking certain medications, and even long breathing through the mouth (for example, with adenoids). With xerostomia, saliva does not sufficiently wash the oral cavity, which causes the same putrefactive processes.

Everything is much deeper

What if your teeth, gums and tongue are healthy and cleaned to a shine, but there is still a smell? Then you need to remember what you ate shortly before its appearance. Because onions, garlic and certain types of cheese, when digested, release sulfur compounds that are absorbed into the blood and removed from the body through the lungs - that's the smell. Well, the fact that smoking and alcohol also do not contribute to pleasant breath is a common truth.

Another common cause of halitosis is respiratory diseases. Inflammatory processes in the nose (rhinitis, sinusitis), inflamed tonsils (tonsillitis), bronchitis, bronchiectasis, as well as an active form of tuberculosis, abscess and malignant tumors of the lungs are accompanied by tissue destruction. Because of this, the exhaled air will have an unpleasant smell of pus.

The gastrointestinal tract can also be a source of odor. With gastritis and gastric ulcer, as well as with diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts, the digestion of food and its movement through the gastrointestinal tract are disrupted. And poorly digested food, which is also stale, does not at all aromatize the breath. At the same time, a person is often bothered by a coated tongue and a sour or bitter taste in the mouth.

A specific odor from the mouth in some chronic diseases may indicate the development of dangerous complications. Thus, the characteristic putrid odor in liver diseases means that the liver cells have ceased to cope with the neutralization of toxic products from the intestines. The smell of ammonia signals serious kidney failure, and the smell of acetone in diabetes mellitus indicates the threat of a diabetic coma. By the way, fans of strict diets can also develop bad breath - due to too infrequent or monotonous nutrition. So, we have more or less figured out the reasons, and a natural question arises: “What to do?”

What to do

First, understand your oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth twice a day - after breakfast and before bed, using an elastic toothbrush in circular motions over all surfaces of the teeth. Along with your teeth, you should also brush your tongue - for this you can use a soft toothbrush or a special tongue brush.

It is better to choose a toothpaste containing fluoride and calcium (this will help strengthen tooth enamel) and with the addition of antiseptic plant extracts (they will reduce the activity of bacteria and improve the condition of the gums). After eating, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with water and chew sugar-free gum for one to two minutes. If food gets stuck between your teeth, flossing can help remove it.

It is also worth changing the attitude towards dentists - those times when the dental office was considered a branch of the Gestapo are long gone: both the equipment and the attitude towards the patient have changed.

If everything is fine with the oral cavity, but the unpleasant odor is still present, you will have to visit a general practitioner. He will conduct a diagnosis, determine the probable cause and prescribe treatment. Thus, you will get rid of not only halitosis, but also the disease that caused it.

Do it immediately

But what if a visit to the doctor is postponed for some reason, and you need to drown out the unpleasant odor right now? There are several options.

Eat a crisp apple or fresh carrot - they will cleanse your teeth of plaque, and the plant fiber they contain will “collect” some of the odorous substances in the stomach.

To kill the smell caused by eating something “wrong”, you can chew parsley, celery, dill, mint, tarragon, anise or fennel.

Rinsing with infusions or decoctions of sage, calendula, chamomile, eucalyptus and other natural antiseptics will help deal with oral bacteria. Freshly brewed strong tea has a somewhat smaller, but undeniable effect.

If halitosis occurs due to digestive problems, intestinal sorbents such as polyphepan, enterosgel, activated carbon and others will help cope with it.

If you have problems with your tonsils, you should find time to wash out the lacunae with an ENT doctor twice a year, and also regularly gargle with decoctions of medicinal plants or propolis tincture.

Osip Karmachevsky

In general and dental health in particular. We will talk about bad breath, which is scientifically called halitosis.

We will look at the reasons for this problem and also find out what needs to be done to overcome it.

In the media you can often see advertisements on how to combat this unpleasant phenomenon. This includes various chewing gums, sprays, lollipops, etc.

But all these methods are not very effective, because in order to get rid of the problem, it is necessary to establish the cause of its occurrence.

Causes of bad breath

According to most experts, the first reason is insufficient hydration of the oral cavity. That is, due to a lack of fluid, the body is simply unable to produce a sufficient amount of saliva. Because of this, the keratinized cells of the tongue die and become food for bacteria.

Based on this principle, halitosis can occur as a result of any processes of decay inside the oral cavity. Here you should remember about the smallest pieces of food that remain in the teeth and become a source of food for bacteria.

It has also long been known that smoking is one of the most common causes of bad breath. Another reason for the stench can be an improper diet.

So if a person begins to adhere to any strict diet or even starve, this can lead to the fact that the body begins to consume the available fat. As a result, ketones appear, which will subsequently cause a bad odor.

Naturally, various diseases also influence the occurrence of halitosis. This may be damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs or diabetes. The latter may also be indicated by a pronounced odor of acetone from the mouth.

It is also interesting that by smell you can quite clearly determine the disease present inside the body.

For example, if there is a smell of rotten eggs in the mouth, this indicates rotting of the proteins. If, along with these signs, any pain in the stomach begins to appear, as well as nausea or unpleasant belching, then we may be talking about gastritis or even an ulcer.

A ferrous odor may indicate periodontal disease, which typically causes bleeding gums. The smell of iodine indicates its large accumulation in the body. This is a sure sign that it is time to see a specialist.

In general, the presence of any putrid odor from the mouth should be a reason to think about stomach diseases. If the human body suffers from such ailments as dysbiosis or intestinal dyskinesia, then the smell of feces may appear from the mouth.

A bitter smell can indicate a painful condition of the kidneys, and a sour smell can indicate the occurrence of an ulcer.

It should be noted that bacteria appear not only on the surface of the tongue, but also in the areas between the teeth and gums. Any depression can turn into a place where anaerobic bacteria will multiply, which can only be gotten rid of with the help of a good doctor.

Another point worth paying attention to is disease of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. If pus forms inside it, then in this case the person has to breathe not through the nose, but through the mouth, which leads to increased dryness of the oral cavity.

It is usually easier to notice bad breath in the morning because less saliva is produced during sleep. This causes the mouth to become drier and therefore the number of bacteria to increase. As a result, the unpleasant odor becomes more pronounced.

By the way, insufficient salivation, accompanied by increased dryness of the oral mucosa, is a disease and is called xerostomia.

How to find out about a smell

But how do you know if your mouth smells bad? If for some reason you don’t feel fresh breath, then the easiest way, of course, is to ask another person about it. But there are some pretty practical ways to help determine the true state of your breathing.

To begin with, you can simply look in the mirror and check if there is a white coating on the surface of the tongue. Another effective way is to lick one of your wrists and then smell it a few seconds later.

You can also take a regular spoon and run it over the surface of your tongue so that saliva remains on it. By waiting until it dries, you will be able to accurately understand what your mouth smells like.

How to get rid of unpleasant odor

Before considering how you can get rid of bad breath, it is important to understand that it is unlikely that you will be able to eliminate bad breath forever.

You need to constantly monitor yourself and take appropriate actions. Here are some expert tips to help overcome this problem.

1. It is important to consume the optimal amount of fluid.
2. You can buy a special tongue scraper at the pharmacy and use it to fight bacteria.
3. Don't be lazy about flossing because it can quickly and effectively remove all food debris between your teeth.
4. If possible, try to eat less protein foods, because it is after eating them that unwanted odors often appear. On the contrary, by eating apples, berries, green tea or celery, you will be able to not only nourish your body with vitamins, but also restore clean breath.
5. Mouthwashes are also widely used now. They will help you quickly and effectively eliminate unpleasant odors if you are visiting or attending an important event. Just remember that after rinsing you should not eat food, much less smoke. Despite the fact that chewing gum advertising is very common, it does not give the full effect, but only helps to increase saliva production. It will be better if you just drink tea or chew a couple of coffee beans.

Undoubtedly, there are many other ways to fix this problem, but we have looked at the most effective, simple and effective.

How to prevent bad breath

Of course, you can talk for a long time about the fight against unpleasant breathing, considering certain methods. But it is still very important to go to the dentist at least 2 times a year.

Thanks to this, you will be able to fight potential diseases at the earliest stages of their development, which is always better.

Most famous dentists agree on one thing: how seriously a person takes his health can be judged by how he takes care of his teeth.

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A problem that a huge number of people face is bad breath.

When a person notices it in himself, he begins to worry, feel awkward, and when communicating with people he keeps his distance from his interlocutors.

For some, this phenomenon is constant, for others it occurs periodically.

A person can know about such a circumstance in his body and try to hide it using various methods. Constantly thinking about why a person’s breath stinks makes them communicate less with others and not think about organizing their personal life.

Possible reasons

Most likely, the formation of a foul odor is associated with poor oral hygiene. The main reason is poorly cleaned teeth and tongue. Food stuck between the teeth and at the base of the gums, plaque on the tongue, gives an undesirable odor.

This symptom is also characteristic of dental caries and gum diseases - periodontal disease and gingivitis.

The freshness of breath is negatively affected by the presence of dentures.

Microorganisms accumulate on dentures and create an unbearable odor.

Dentures must be cleaned after meals and treated with an antiseptic solution daily.

Unhealthy salivary glands favor the development of bacteria in the mouth. Saliva is produced in a small volume, which causes rotting of food debris in the oral cavity.

Bad breath in the morning is due to decreased saliva production during sleep. After hygiene procedures, the smell disappears.

Daily diet and lifestyle. Onions, garlic, cabbage, some types of cheeses, alcohol and smoking contribute to the formation of a specific odor. Frequent consumption of coffee and carbonated drinks changes the acidity of the oral cavity and can be one of the causes of unpleasant breath.

And if the teeth, gums, salivary glands, and tongue are in perfect condition, then bad breath can be a manifestation of certain diseases:

• chronic tonsillitis and sinusitis;
• diseases of the lungs and bronchi;
• stomach diseases - gastritis or ulcers;
• inflammation of the intestines - colitis and enteritis;
• unhealthy kidneys or liver;
• diabetes;
• nervous tension or stress;
• hormonal changes in women during the monthly cycle;
• metabolic disease;
• starvation.

In 80% of cases, the formation of an unpleasant odor is associated with the condition of the oral cavity.

How to assess the presence of odor

You can feel these symptoms using several tests:

• Lick the wrist, dry and smell. If you can't smell the smell, then everything is fine.
• Lick the spoon, sniff it after a minute - this will be the smell of the breath being tested.
• Wash your hands, cover your mouth and breathe. Then sniff.

If it’s difficult to determine for yourself, ask a loved one for help and don’t hesitate to tell the truth. This must be done so as not to worry in vain.

Bad breath: what to do

Try to establish the cause and eliminate it. Mouth rinses, lozenges, and chewing gums are only a temporary disguise. If you notice persistent bad breath, it is advisable to visit your dentist. Get an oral examination and any necessary treatment.

See new technologies for caries treatment.

Treatment options

What to do yourself, in addition to the usual brushing of teeth with toothpaste 2 times a day:

• clean the interdental spaces with dental floss 2 times a day;
• do not snack between main meals;
• after eating, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or water, if you use chewing gum, then for 3 - 5 minutes;
• Be sure to clean your tongue of bacterial plaque, clean thoroughly but gently.

Drug treatment

The doctor will determine the origin and eliminate the sources of this disease. The dentist will perform professional cleaning of the oral cavity:

• cleans teeth from stones;
• remove damaged teeth;
• will cure teeth with caries and replace old fillings;
• will teach individual oral care.

If after the measures taken the bad smell from the mouth persists, you should consult a therapist.

Drug treatment is carried out taking into account the disease that caused the formation of unwanted odor from the mouth. Specialists will carry out the necessary diagnostics and prescribe treatment.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine is rich in time-tested recipes for combating bad breath:

1. Chew a pinch of fresh pine needles. The oral cavity is disinfected, gum inflammation is relieved.
2. Prepare a solution - add 4 tsp to a glass of water. hydrogen peroxide. Rinse your mouth morning and evening.
3. St. John's wort infusion. For 0.5 liters of water take 1.5 tbsp. spoons of grass. Boil for 1 minute, leave for 1 hour and filter. Rinse your mouth after every meal.
4. Peppermint infusion. Take 1 tsp per glass of boiling water. herbs, leave for an hour and filter. Rinse when you need to freshen your breath.
5. An infusion to get rid of plaque on teeth and eliminate bad breath. Prepare from equal parts of oak bark, nettle, St. John's wort, chamomile, birch leaves. Take 2 tbsp. l. dry mixture, pour 4 tbsp. boiling water, let it brew. Strain and rinse your mouth five times a day. The course of treatment is one week.
6. Take 0.5 tsp in the morning on an empty stomach. buckwheat flour. Treat for 10 days, break for three days, repeat several courses until the unpleasant odor goes away.
7. Infusion of wormwood. They cook simply. Place 1 tbsp in any container. spoon of wormwood, pour 2 cups of hot water, leave for 3 hours. Strain and rinse your mouth 3-4 times a day. The bad smell goes away after a week.
8. Activated carbon will help overcome the problem. You need to take 4 tablets in the evening, and 5 tablets in the morning before meals. The bad breath goes away on the third day. Treatment can last a week.
9. A decoction of oak bark treats stomatitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and relieves bad breath. Rinse your mouth with the broth three times a day.

Traditional methods help to cope well with the disease without harming the body.

Breath freshening products

• Products containing vitamin C. Ascorbic acid destroys harmful bacteria in the oral cavity. Citrus fruits and juices from them freshen your breath.
• Green tea is beneficial. Prevents the proliferation of microbes.
• Roasting the seeds will remove the smell for a while.
• Cloves will freshen your breath. Place by the cheek and hold, 1-3 times a day.
• Nuts, fennel, anise seed will freshen your breath.
• Fresh apples, carrots, and celery will cleanse plaque from tooth enamel.
• Parsley leaves will get rid of the smell of onions and garlic. You just need to chew parsley leaves.
• Lemon increases salivation, thereby cleansing the oral cavity. A slice of lemon will get rid of the repulsive odor for two hours.
• Natural yogurt, dairy and fermented milk products prevent the growth of microbes in the oral cavity.
• Rinse your mouth with infusions of cranberries, rose hips, sea buckthorn and strawberries.
• Oil removes unpleasant odor. Rinse your mouth with any vegetable oil for 10 minutes.

To prevent the proliferation of microorganisms in the oral cavity, you need to include natural fruits and vegetables in your diet. Limit the consumption of meat dishes. Drink more water.

Eliminating bad odor is a complex process and can take a long time. Known methods are quite effective, but they will cope with the problem for a short period of time. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the underlying disease that leads to the appearance of such an unpleasant phenomenon.

Video on the topic

Foods with odors can cause bad breath. Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath. Treatment for halitosis will depend on what is causing the bad breath. Treatment for bad breath is very simple. If bad breath persists, you should consult a doctor to determine the causes of bad breath and treatment. And treatment is necessary if the bad breath is constant and if you cannot determine the cause of this bad breath, consult a doctor to identify the cause of the bad breath and treatment. Smell from the mouth. Methods of treatment with folk remedies. The causes of bad breath can be divided into two groups: those associated with diseases of the oral cavity or those associated with diseases of the internal organs. Let us consider below not only all the possible causes of bad breath, but also methods of treating it.

Bad breath - causes and treatment

Bad breath can destroy any image, even a well-formed one. With the help of advice from professional doctors, we will help you, at a minimum, not attract the attention of others with your breathing.
Halitosis- a medical term for unpleasant odor from the mouth.
Morning bad breath is a purely physiological phenomenon and can be eliminated with an ordinary toothbrush. Additionally, certain foods such as garlic, onions or cabbage can also cause bad breath. All these manifestations relate to physiological odor from the mouth (halitosis (bad breath)). Eat less of these smelly foods.
However, more than a quarter of the entire world's population suffers from pathological halitosis (bad breath) (bad breath). In this case, neither tons of chewing gum, nor mountains of mint candies, nor newfangled mouth sprays help - the smell still remains unpleasant.

Bad breath can also be caused by advanced caries. A large number of anaerobic bacteria and food debris accumulate in carious cavities. These cavities are difficult to clean using conventional hygiene products, which makes the disease highly resistant. The same applies to periodontitis - microbes actively multiply under the gums, causing a sulfurous odor. In this case, even the blood and purulent inflammatory exudate located in the gum pockets smell unpleasant.

Wearing dentures can also lead to halitosis - firstly, the smell will be absorbed by the polymer base of the denture, and secondly, pieces of food can remain under the dentures and decompose there, emitting “odors”.

Another cause of halitosis is decreased saliva secretion and dry mouth syndrome. When saliva is not released quickly enough and in small quantities, the natural cleaning of the oral cavity from food debris is disrupted, favorable conditions are created for the proliferation of microorganisms, and local immunity is reduced.

Common causes of halitosis include: chronic diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract, ENT diseases, metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders, etc. For example, in women, bad breath may appear during the onset of the menstrual cycle, which is associated with increased levels of estrogen. These hormones promote increased desquamation of the epithelium, including on the oral mucosa, and this is a favorite breeding ground for anaerobic microorganisms.

In many cases, halitosis should make the patient check his health - the smell also signals a more serious illness. Thus, in approximately 8% of cases, the cause of halitosis is pathology of the ENT organs. Chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, nasal polyps often make themselves felt with an unpleasant odor.

Many people know that a consequence of diabetes mellitus is often the smell of acetone released when breathing. Dysfunction of the liver and gall bladder are also accompanied by a “pungent” heavy odor, and kidney failure is accompanied by a putrid “fishy” odor. So, before you run to the pharmacy for a new toothbrush and advertised toothpaste that kills germs outright, go to the doctor.

Food is also of great importance. For example, garlic and raw onions contain substances that belong to the group of sulfur compounds. They are able to be absorbed into the blood and then released through the lungs during breathing.

Alcohol, nicotine, coffee and some medications (antibiotics and sulfonamides, antidepressants, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs) cause dry mouth and, as a result, lead to an unpleasant odor.

Stress, nervous tension, or excessive dieting and fasting also lead to halitosis. During fasting, a deficiency in the intake of proteins and fats is created in the body, and the utilization of endogenous reserves begins, which can also cause an unpleasant odor. It appears during a stressful situation and disappears after the cessation of emotional stress. Among the causes are impaired salivation and dry mouth.

Nowadays medicine uses effective methods for diagnosing halitosis. You can evaluate the intensity of an unpleasant odor using a special device - a halimeter. It is not only useful for diagnosis, but also allows you to evaluate how well the treatment is progressing.

To identify bacteria that cause halitosis, some dentists use microbiological tests, for example, analyzing the composition of dental plaque. Using a mirror, the back of the tongue is examined - it should be the same color as the oral mucosa. White, cream or brown color indicates glossitis. The condition of the patient’s teeth is also assessed for the quality of hygiene.

A consultation with an ENT doctor (for the presence of sinusitis and polyps) and a gastroenterologist is also necessary - he must exclude systemic diseases such as diabetes, liver and kidney failure.

Treatment for halitosis will depend on what caused the disease. If these are advanced ENT diseases, then you will have to undergo treatment from an otolaryngologist. Other chronic diseases require consultation and treatment from appropriate specialists.

If the cause of the unpleasant odor lies in the oral cavity, then it is necessary to eliminate foci of infection, remove decayed teeth that cannot be restored, and undergo a course of professional oral hygiene with the removal of supragingival and subgingival dental plaque.

Any odor is a volatile compound. This problem is solved in different ways. People often try to mask the odor with mouthwash or chewing gum. But few people know that the effect of chewing gum is temporary and they have a detrimental effect on the gastrointestinal tract. As for rinses, they kill the natural flora of the oral cavity, and this can only increase the unpleasant odor. Today, CB12 anti-bad breath is the only product that completely neutralizes volatile compounds rather than masking them. With daily use of the product, fresh breath will become your constant companion. Unlike other rinses, it retains its effect for 12 hours, acts directly on the cause of the odor, without disturbing the normal flora in the mouth.

Compliance with hygiene rules is of great importance: teeth should be brushed using a toothbrush and floss (dental floss) to remove plaque and food debris from the teeth. And cleaning your tongue should become a mandatory daily procedure. This not only helps eliminate odor, but also reduces the total number of bacteria in the oral cavity, which has a beneficial effect on the health of periodontal tissue. If periodontitis has already been diagnosed, it is worth starting to use special oral irrigators to more effectively remove infected masses and food debris from the periodontal pockets. In addition, these irrigators will help get rid of dry mouth.

Don’t forget about proper nutrition: an excess of fast carbohydrates (sugar and processed foods) increases the amount of plaque on the teeth and leads to caries. Eat more fiber. Fresh greens, vegetables and fruits will help normalize intestinal function and reduce bad breath.

Checking your breathing

In order to determine the freshness of your breath, just bring your palm to your face in such a way as to simultaneously cover your mouth and nose. After this, exhale deeply through your mouth. Did you smell it? If you can’t clearly determine what and how much it smells, buy a disposable mask at the pharmacy and breathe into it for a minute. The smell under the mask will exactly match the smell that others smell from you during communication.

Today, specialized breath indicators are produced that can determine the level of freshness on a five-point scale. The manufacturers of this device claim that its use is a sign of good manners. In fact, it is easier to talk about the smell with your loved ones, ideally with your child, because children are less diplomatic in these matters and will tell the whole truth.

In medical institutions they use a more complex device - a gas analyzer. With its help, you can determine the chemical composition of the air that is exhaled and, based on the analysis, determine the causes of the bad odor.

Why is my breath bad?

The main causes of halitosis (bad breath) are:
- insufficient level of hygiene;
- diseases of teeth and gums;
- xerostomia - insufficient level of hydration of the oral mucosa;
- inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.

In these cases, the cause of the foul odor is bacteria accumulated in the mouth and residual food fragments. It is almost impossible to combat these phenomena at home. Such halitosis (bad breath) can only be cured in dental clinics.

But it is necessary to take into account that halitosis (bad breath) can be caused not only by diseases of the oral cavity.

In one case out of ten, the causes of odor are:
- ENT diseases: sore throats, sinusitis, runny nose;
- diseases of the intestines and stomach;
- lung diseases;
- endocrine system disorders;
- all kinds of diets;
- some medicines;
- smoking.

What does illness smell like?

The hydrogen sulfide smell is the smell of rotten eggs. The cause of the smell is the process of rotting protein substances. If the smell is accompanied by pain in the abdominal area after eating, belching and nausea, then it can be caused by gastritis with low acidity, peptic ulcer, diverticulosis of the stomach or esophagus, etc.

Very often, such an unpleasant odor can occur after a banal “holiday” overeating. In such cases, you can get rid of it with the help of absorbent substances (activated carbon, Smecta), as well as enzyme-based drugs (Festal, Pancreatin, Mezim, etc.).

A sour smell and taste in the mouth can be caused by: gastritis with high acidity, gastrointestinal ulcers, esophageal diseases.

The smell and taste of bitterness is a manifestation of diseases of the gallbladder and liver; this can also be indicated by a yellow coating on the tongue.

The smell of feces from the mouth can occur with dysbacteriosis, intestinal motor neuroses (dyskinesia) and intestinal obstruction.

The acetone smell with a sweet aftertaste can cause pancreatic diseases and diabetes.

The smell of urine from the mouth indicates kidney disease.

Treatment of bad breath (halitosis - bad breath)

First of all, try adding a tongue cleansing procedure to your daily twice-daily brushing of your teeth. It is better to do this in the evening using an ordinary teaspoon. Using light, gentle movements from root to tip, clean your tongue of daytime plaque. The procedure is not very pleasant, but effective.

Cleaning your tongue will rid you of bacteria, the population of which could increase significantly overnight in a favorable oral environment. Believe me, thanks to this evening procedure, your breath will be much fresher the next morning.

Clean the spaces between your teeth using a special floss. If you don’t have this tool at hand, use the old-fashioned method: tear off a strip of pure polyethylene, stretch it into a thread and remove food debris and plaque from the interdental space.
- After eating, be sure to rinse your mouth. You should not use tea for this purpose; it darkens tooth enamel.

Making your own mouth rinses

1. A tablespoon of mint, chamomile, sage or strawberry is poured into a glass of boiling water. After cooling, the broth is filtered. Use for rinsing after meals 3-4 times a day.
2. A tablespoon of oak bark is poured into 200 ml of boiling water and heated in a water bath for up to 30 minutes. Strain after cooling and rinse your mouth and throat. Oak bark has a strengthening effect on the gums and clears plaque from the tonsils, which can serve as sources of bad breath due to a large accumulation of infectious components.

An irrigator provides more effective cleaning of the oral cavity at home. This is a toothbrush-type tool that cleans the spaces between teeth using a strong jet of water, which massages the surface of the gums and activates blood circulation.

Choosing a toothpaste for bad breath
If you have halitosis (bad breath), you should choose a toothpaste that does not contain alcohol. Alcohol dries out the oral mucosa, which intensifies the odor.

In addition, pay attention to pastes that contain antibacterial agents based on chlorine compounds.

When choosing a rinse aid, the same principles are used as when choosing a toothpaste. In addition, modern mouthwashes may contain components (zinc- and choloro-containing) that reduce the activity of halitosis (bad breath) due to chemical reactions.

Quick effect of fresh breath
There are a large number of modern means of quickly getting rid of bad breath: aerosol fresheners, chewing gum, lollipops, etc. They are characterized by both rapid efficiency and low stability due to their short duration of action.

What to do when they are not at hand at the right time?

First of all, try drinking a cup of strong tea, then rinse your mouth and throat with clean water.

Apples and carrots will help get rid of the smell. The aroma of onions or garlic can be neutralized with parsley or celery root.

Chewing coffee beans can reduce the unpleasant smell and taste in your mouth.

People who have to talk a lot during the day often have bad breath. This is due to drying of the oral mucosa due to a decrease in the amount of saliva.

Saliva is a natural means of cleaning the oral cavity. Saliva contains the antibacterial enzyme lysozyme, which ensures the destruction of bacterial cells. In addition, saliva ensures the dissolution of food debris and toxins released by bacteria. Lack of saliva is one of the main reasons for increased bad breath.

In such situations, you should simply drink more often. A small amount of liquid will protect the oral cavity from drying out, remove the unpleasant taste and freshen your breath.

Include oatmeal porridge in your morning diet; this product significantly activates saliva production.

If there is no toothbrush nearby, you can wipe your teeth, gums and tongue with your finger. Thus, you will not only get rid of the unpleasant odor, but also massage your gums.

Use walnut pulp to rub your gums. In this way, you can provide the oral cavity with the necessary vitamins and freshen your breath with a pleasant nutty taste.

You need to understand that bad breath is a problem that interferes with your normal life. Halitosis (bad breath) is a direct threat not only to personal self-esteem, but also to a person’s social status. Communication, attractiveness and sexuality can be ruined in an instant by repulsive bad breath.

Halitosis (bad breath) is a problem that requires mandatory solutions. At the same time, we should not go to extremes; traditional methods of hygiene procedures are familiar to us from childhood, and they should not be neglected.

If the odor remains, even after daily oral hygiene, you need to contact your dentist. Nine times out of ten, your problem will be resolved within a few visits. If your mouth and teeth turn out to be healthy, and the smell continues to bother you, then you will have to look for the reasons inside the body.

Start visiting doctors with an ENT specialist. Diseases of the nose, throat and ear most often provoke problems with fresh breath. If no complaints are found from these bodies, then it’s time to visit a therapist. It is possible that the cause of the unpleasant odor is an exacerbation of a disease that has become chronic and to which you have long been accustomed.

Determining the freshness of your own breath is not at all easy. We adapt to the aromas that we smell all the time and stop noticing them. In addition, the oral cavity and nasopharynx are a single system, and this makes testing difficult. But there are several simple and visual ways to understand if there is a bad smell.

1. Lick your wrist with the tip of your tongue and wait 15-20 seconds until the saliva dries. The scent left on the skin will give you some idea of ​​the freshness of your breath. However, the tip of the tongue collects the least amount of bacteria, so the results will not be completely true.


2. The main breeding ground for microflora that causes an unpleasant odor is located at the root of the tongue. Run your finger or a cotton swab in the area and smell: if the “sample” smells strong, there is a high chance that your breath may be spoiled too.


3. Take a plastic cup, place it on your lips and release the air through your mouth. The smell inside the container will help determine if you are suffering from halitosis.


4. Ask a loved one if he notices a specific “smell” when he communicates with you. Sometimes this is the most reliable way to find out the answer to a sensitive question.

A slight bad breath in the morning is a completely normal phenomenon that almost everyone experiences. This happens due to a decrease in saliva production, mild dehydration and the accumulation of desquamated epithelium in the mouth. After a morning glass of water and brushing my teeth, everything returns to normal. But if the symptoms do not disappear throughout the day, we are talking about a disease - halitosis.

There are two main categories of causes of halitosis: oral (associated with diseases of the teeth, gums, tonsils, nasopharynx) and systemic - due to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. In the vast majority of cases, we are dealing with the first reason.

Oral form

The specific putrid odor from the mouth is a product of the vital activity of anaerobic bacteria. They accumulate where there is no air: under dental plaque, under the gums, in carious cavities, on the tongue. By breaking down amino acids, bacteria release substances with a specific aroma (for example, hydrogen sulfide).

• Caries (including under dentures), gingivitis, pulpitis, periodontitis, stomatitis, dental cysts, pericoronitis. A rotten smell may indicate the beginning of necrotic processes.


• Diseases of the ENT organs: inflammation of the tonsils, adenoids, sinuses, nasal mucosa, especially if there is purulent discharge. Excessive mucus production leads to foul odor.


• Excessive dry mouth (xerostomia). Due to decreased salivation, the mouth is less cleaned and, accordingly, the likelihood of dental odor increases.

Bad smell as a symptom

Bad breath may also have other causes. The state of our breathing is affected by the functioning of the liver, kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, taking certain medications, smoking and addiction to alcohol. Only a doctor can determine the cause of halitosis, but the smell itself will help you get some idea of ​​the disorder.

• The smell of acetone or rotting apples indicates the growth of ketone bodies in the blood plasma. In children, it can be a syndrome of type I diabetes, infectious diseases or dietary disorders. In adults, talk about the development of type II diabetes or poor nutrition due to alcohol dependence. When acetone appears in your breath, you first need to take a blood test to check the sugar content.
• The smell of urine (ammonia) raises suspicions about the development of kidney failure.


• The smell of fish is a syndrome of trimethylaminuria, a genetic disease in which the substance trimethylamine accumulates in the body.


• The smell of rotten eggs indicates another genetic disorder - cystinosis.


• A sweet smell may indicate decreased liver function and even cirrhosis.


• Sour smell - about bronchial asthma.


• The smell of iron is a likely symptom of diseases of the blood, pancreas or stomach. But it can also be caused by wearing metal prostheses or drinking water with a high iron content, so there is no need to worry ahead of time.


• The smell of vomit or excrement sometimes accompanies intestinal obstruction.

How to say goodbye to bad breath?

The problem can be eliminated only after its cause is determined. If the problem is diseases of the teeth and gums, it is necessary to cure all inflammatory and necrotic processes, put fillings, and, if necessary, replace dentures. Sometimes patients experience an unpleasant odor after tooth extraction: such a symptom may indicate the onset of complications, so it is better to see a dentist as quickly as possible. Periodontitis and periodontal disease give off a particularly strong putrid odor. The doctor will remove the deposits with ultrasound and prescribe therapy.

Since tonsillitis, bronchitis, sinusitis and other ENT diseases are a common cause of unpleasant odor in children, a treatment strategy should be chosen with an otolaryngologist. Komarovsky also recommends correcting mouth breathing - the cause of dryness and halitosis.

How to prevent bad breath?

To avoid an unpleasant problem, prevention is necessary.

• First of all, high-quality oral hygiene. It includes not only brushing your teeth with a brush and toothpaste twice a day, but also using antibacterial rinses, dental floss, and sometimes an irrigator. It is better to use a plastic scraper rather than a brush.


• Once every 5-7 months, you must visit the dentist to remove dental plaque and conduct an examination. Almost any disease of the teeth and gums can be detected at the initial stage, without waiting for inflammation, pain and unpleasant odor.


• Experts recommend drinking 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day. This will help avoid dehydration and dry mouth.


• A healthy diet will keep your breath fresh. In the morning, it is better to give preference to oatmeal, which promotes salivation. Do not overdo it with protein and fatty foods, dairy products, coffee and spices, but be sure to include apples, oranges and celery in the menu.


• Regularly undergo preventive examinations with doctors and get tested.