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Sometimes, even the best oral hygiene in the world cannot help you from
getting rid of bad breath. This usually happens when the condition that
causes it is not directly related to the state of your oral care. One
such cause is due to infections. In this group, there are many types
of infection that cause your breath to smell. It is very important to
understand that in such a situation, the only way to get rid of bad
breath is to treat the infection. This might involve antibiotics and it
is crucial that you consult a doctor before taking up any medication
yourself.
Below are some examples of such infections that might affect your breath conditions.
Strep Throat Strep
throat is a bacterial infection of the tissues located in the back area
of your throat (also known as pharynx) and the adenoids or tonsils. It
is a common disease and it is very common cause of bad breath.
Foul
mouth odors are actually a symptom of the infection. The tissues
mentioned above will get inflamed and irritated and this will cause
severe sore throat. The most common symptoms are a fever that is higher
than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, difficulty and pain in swallowing,
different areas of the throat and tonsils presenting yellow or white
spots and swollen lymph nodes present inside the neck.
Children
can also develop strep throat and, as a result, may suffer from
headaches, body aches, nausea, stomachaches and vomiting. It is easy to
differentiate from colds as strep throat does not come with the
associated symptoms of runny nose, coughing or sneezing.
In
most cases strep throat will go away on its own in a few days but may
also require antibiotics in order to eliminate the threat of possible
complications like rheumatic fever. To eliminate this risk, be sure to
consult a specialist as soon as symptoms appear.
Nasal Polyps Nasal
Polyps are a mass of swollen tissue that is mucus covered, which grows
out of the sinuses into the nasal passages. More than one nasal polyp
can appear and they will block the passage, making it very difficult to
breathe and smell. It will cause the person suffering from it to only
use the mouth for breathing, which will eventually dry the mouth.
This
condition usually appears in individuals who suffer from respiratory
allergies or chronic sinus infections. Nasal sprays that contain
corticosteroids are used to treat small polyps and if they do not
respond to such a treatment option, surgery is needed in order to
remove them. The problem is that in most cases nasal polyps do return
even after being properly treated. We can thus experience a constant
struggle with the condition and bad breath would be the least of our
worries in this situation.
Sinusitis Another highly
common infection that causes bad breath is sinusitis. People affected
by this condition will tend to notice that their mucus usually have a
really bad odor of its own. Let us understand how this comes about.
Mucus
is made out of interlinked layers of protein. When mucus covers the
back areas of the throat and tongue, it will create an environment that
is oxygen free. This condition is known as post nasal drip and it is a
direct cause of bad breath in people suffering from sinusitis.
Anaerobic bacteria can feed on it and often that post nasal drip can
cover large areas of the mouth allowing bacteria to easily multiply and
produce waste products. These result in the foul smell we are familiar
with. Patients suffering from sinusitis can also experience a constant
need to swallowing because of mucus gathering at the back of the
throat.
When talking about sinusitis and bad breath, we are
dealing with two agents that cause foul odors: mucus and anaerobic
bacteria. This is why the bad breath exhibited by patients is one of
the strongest of all bad breath cases caused by various infections.
Closing Thoughts Although
all of these infections are well known to cause bad breath, it is
important to understand that other infections can also have the same
effect on our body. These examples include lung infections and mouth
infection. Sometimes they are even linked to each other. For instance,
if you are suffering from sinusitis and you are exhibiting dry mouth
and throat, this could lead to mucus reaching the lungs because the
road to the stomach is not moist enough to guide it properly. We will
thus get a complication of sinusitis that will manifest itself as an
infection of the lungs.
The best way to handle any type of
infection, both internal and external, is to consult a doctor. There
are different tests that need to be performed in order to understand
which treatment solution will work best. Also, there is the possibility
of developing various complications that can lead to even more problems
such as having to undergo surgery. Hence, it is always advisable to
consult your doctor when in doubt.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
