Bad Breath or Halitosis is the term used to describe unpleasant smell exhaled in breathing. There are different types of Halitosis. Transient bad breath is very common and is caused due to oral dryness, stress, hunger, eating foods containing garlic and onions, smoking and poor oral hygiene. Morning breath and chronic bad breath are the other types. The latter affects 25% of the population at different levels. This condition is caused by the overpopulation of certain types of oral bacteria like streptococcus mutans, and requires special treatment. Fetor hepaticus is a type of bad breath caused by chronic liver failure.
There are different factors that affect the mouth and cause bad breath. Dental decay, gum disease, food stagnation between the teeth, dry mouth, excessive bacterial activity on the tongue, throat or tonsil infection and catarrh are some of them. The factors that affect the airways and cause bad breath are sinusitis, polyps, dryness, foreign body, mucus flow, bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiectasis. Food stagnation, gastric and blood influx cause bad breath. Bad breath can also be a sign of a significant general health problem.
Over 400 types of...