The most frequent cause of bad breath is negligent hygiene. However, sometimes the problem is caused by a medical condition - patients with diabetes mellitus, as well as trimethylaminuria suffer from bad breath. So, when can bad breath be suspected of being caused by a medical condition and what can be done to overcome it?
Table of contents:
- The primary cause of bad breath - hygiene negligence
- Bad breath and diabetes mellitus
- Bad breath and trimethylaminuria
- Bad breath and liver dysfunction
- Bad Breath and Renal Disorders
- Other possible causes of bad breath
- Bad breath - what can be done to combat the problem?
Whereas in ancient times few people cared about hygiene and it was even said that "frequent washing shortens one's life", nowadays it is definitely not the case and hygiene is considered one of the basic determinants of human performance. People who neglect hygiene are often shunned or even ridiculed by those around them. People pay attention not only to the clothes of the people they come into contact with, but also to other, completely different aspects. One problem that can cause an extremely negative perception of another person is bad breath.
The root cause of bad breath - hygienic negligence
It is estimated thatoral hygiene negligence is responsible for bad breath in about 90% of cases. When people forget to brush their teeth or use the right mouthwash, this space becomes an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Microorganisms are then able to break down food particles in the mouth, resulting in the formation of, amongst other things, unpleasant smelling sulphur compounds.
Bad breath can also occur if the oral cavity develops plaque due to inadequate hygiene. Toxins produced by the bacteria irritate the gums, where inflammation can take place and can also be responsible for bad breath.
Sometimes, however, a patient can be extremely vigilant about his or her oral hygiene, yet still suffer from bad breath. Such a situation is simply alarming and indicates the need to consult a doctor - mouth odour may be the result of a medical condition.
Bad breath and diabetes
Patients with diabetes mellitus can also suffer from bad breath, particularly those with an unstable disease. Elevated blood glucose levels alone may be responsible for the excessive growth of bacterial colonies in the mouth, which - as described above - may result in unpleasant mouth odour. In addition, due to an abnormal effect of insulin on the cells of the patient, glucose metabolism may be impaired, in which case fatty compounds may be used for energy production instead of simple sugars. As a result of their breakdown, ketones are produced, which accumulate in the blood and urine and may also be responsible for bad breath.
Bad breath and trimethylaminuria
A metabolic disease, one of the symptoms of which can be bad breath, is trimethylaminuria. In the course of the individual, due to an enzymatic disorder, there are abnormalities concerning the breakdown of trimethylamine. This substance eventually accumulates in excess in the body, from which it is removed with sweat, urine and inhalation, resulting in a specific fish-like odour from the mouth, among other things.
Bad breath and liver dysfunction
Bad breath can be a symptom of liver dysfunction. This may be due to the fact that when the liver fails, various toxic compounds are not removed from the body, but remain in it and may lead to bad breath.
Bad breath and kidney dysfunction
Similar to liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction can also lead to bad breath. When toxins of various kinds are not excreted from the body in sufficient quantities through the urine, patients may develop excessive amounts of urea in both the blood and saliva. In turn, this compound is converted to ammonia, which can be responsible for both the unpleasant taste in the mouth and for bad breath.
Other possible causes of bad breath
The aforementioned conditions are only examples of conditions that may cause patients to develop bad breath. Other problems that can manifest as bad breath include:
- leukaemia
- cystic fibrosis,
- upper respiratory tract infections,
- pepticulcer disease.
However,bad breath can also be linked to menstruation, smoking or alcohol abuse.
Bad breath - what can be done to combat the problem?
In the situation where the patient notices that he smells unpleasant odour from his mouth, as well as when - to make matters worse - it is brought to his attention by other people, the first thing to do is to pay attention to oral hygiene. In most cases, increased attention to hygiene will help to overcome the problem, but when all efforts fail, investing in expensive oral cleansing products will not necessarily bring results. In such a situation, the best solution may be to see a doctor. If a disease is responsible for the bad breath, effective treatment of the disease - e.g. normalisation of the blood glucose level in the case of diabetes - may lead to the disappearance of the bad breath.
