When Bad Breath Is A Sign You Need More Than A Mint
Some causes of Halitosis.
Bad breath is not very nice to experience, whether you’re the one on the receiving end of it, or the one taking a mint to try and curb it. It is always important to check your breath, but did you know doing so could save you from more than an embarrassing social situation?
Checking your breath could actually save your life. Failing to care for your teeth and gums properly is usually the cause of bad breath, but sometimes it can provide a clue to other health issues.
Kidney Failure
If a person has breath that smells a bit fishy or like wee, it might be that they have issues with their kidneys. Kidneys flush toxins out of the body and when they fail, these chemicals simply disperse into the body and can sometimes be smelt in the breath.
Stomach Cancer
New studies have shown that testing the breath of people who have fasted and not smoked for a set period of time before the study, was effective in diagnosing stomach cancer in a 90% success rate. Studies are not established yet, but could prove to be incredibly useful in the future of diagnostics.
Heart Disease
In recent studies, breath tests have been able to detect heart failure. This is because the disease presents a different and unique ‘breath print’ which is like a foot print.
Diabetes
When you have diabetes and you don’t manage it properly you are more likely to get a dry mouth and gum disease. Your blood sugar is not stable and your immune system is compromised making you less able to fight off the bacteria that cause the infection symptoms. These infections cause bad breath. A fruity odour to the breath can point to a diabetes complication where the body has to use fatty acid for energy which can in turn lead to serious complications like a diabetic coma.
Lung Cancer
In studies that have been completed, and some that are taking place, breath tests have proved effective for detecting lung cancer because the chemicals in our breath changes when we are ill. These studies are in their infancy but could prove useful in terms of future diagnostics.
Sleep Apnoea
A sour smelling mouth or ‘morning breath’ is normal following a night’s sleep. However if the mouth is open for a long time, perhaps when a person is snoring, or struggling with sleep apnoea, their breath is likely to be drier than most and so the risk of bad breath is increased.
It is always important to check your breath, and if you are concerned, please speak in confidence with Abbey Road Dental in St John’s Wood, NW8. We are always happy to answer questions. Commonly issues with bad breath are caused by dental hygiene issues, or dry mouth which might be down to something as simple as a medicine you take. We can help you tweak your oral health regime and treat any dental issues that might be causing bad breath. We can give you tips or solutions as to how to combat dry mouth if that is the cause, or advise you on your next steps if we do suspect something else is going on.
If you want to speak to us about bad breath or any other dental issues you may have, please call Abbey Road Dental, NW8 on 02076241603 and one of our friendly staff will be pleased to book you an appointment.