Halitosis is just another name for bad breath. For those who suffer from chronic bad breath, there is nothing more embarrassing than knowing that your breath smells bad when they are in among other people. There are many things that people do to try to treat and prevent halitosis, and some of them do work, at least temporarily.
Some people carry a tooth brush and toothpaste with them everywhere they go in order to sneak into the bathroom for a quick cleaning. Others depend upon breath sprays and lozenges to keep their breath fresh at all times. Many people even carry candy with them to pop into their mouths any time they are in conversation with others.
While these measures do help cover up the odor that emanates from the mouth, they are by no means a cure. The bad breath just keeps coming back, and many wonder what is causing it in the first place. There are a number of causes of halitosis that range from food stuck in the teeth to something more sinister lurking in the lungs.
For those who have a simple condition that would be remedied with a good tooth cleaning, bad breath can be a thing of the past. Then there are those who suffer from bad breath that comes and goes that is related to the health of the nasal passages. It is a well known fact that sinus infections can contribute to unpleasant odors of the mouth.
Conditions of the teeth and gums can also cause bad breath and these usually take a professional to correct. Gum infections and decayed teeth do have an impact on the odors that are present in the mouth. Once these types of conditions are cleared up bad breath usually subsides.
As suggested previously in this article, brushing your teeth after meals and flossing to remove debris that is left behind after a meal are some of the most important things that can be done to prevent or treat bad breath. Most people do these two things at least twice a day and find that they have great success with controlling halitosis.
For those who are suffering with chronic bad breath, and have tried numerous remedies, it may be time to see your physician for an examination to determine if there is an infection in the mouth or sinuses. If that returns no conclusive test results, it may be time to have a fuller examination to see if there are any problems in the respiratory tract.
While bad breath in itself is only a nuisance and an embarrassment, any underlying causes that may affect the overall health should be treated. Bad breath can be one of the body’s means of letting you know that something else is wrong and needs to be treated.