When you hear or see the word halitosis, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Am I asking the right question or should I instead ask whose mouth immediately comes to your mind when you hear or see the word halitosis? Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath. There are many halitosis causes depending on how halitosis is acquired.

First, halitosis can be rooted from poor dental and oral hygiene. Poor dental hygiene branches to a number of dental problems like tooth decay, dental plaque, gingivitis, periodontis, and more. Dental problems start when calcium of the teeth slowly fades. Because of this, the teeth become prone to bacteria attack. Bacteria attack when induced by a person’s inability to regularly brush his teeth and clean his mouth is an early introduction to halitosis.

Second halitosis cause is the health condition of the mouth. When persistent halitosis still occurs despite treatment, mouth problems might be the cause. Pharynx and Larynx Cancer, mouth ulcer, and oral cancer are some of the mouth diseases. However, the most common mouth problem that causes halitosis is xerostomia or dry mouth. Dry mouth is caused by inadequate saliva production that is rooted from medication or may be an effect of organ failure.

Throat conditions must also be regarded in knowing the halitosis cause. Throat ailments that can cause halitosis are tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis, adenoiditis, pharyngeal pouch, achalasia, esophageal stricture. Throat is the air passage before it reaches the mouth and so if the throat becomes infected by virus or bacteria, the air that passes it smells bad.

Halitosis also occurs if a person suffers nasal and lung diseases like chronic sinusitis, chronic rhinitis, tuberculosis, lung abscess, and more. The smell of the breath is brought through the air breathed out by the person. The foul breath is caused by the bacteria or virus of the disease.

Aside from these sicknesses, chronic diseases also affect breath smell. Diabetes, liver failure, kidney failure, blood defects, digestive problems and many respiratory diseases are causes of halitosis. When a person has diabetes, the smell of his breath is a combination of grape and nail polish smell. Liver failure, on the other hand, produces the odor of feces or decomposing smell. Kidney failure and diseases make the breath smell like rotting fish because of the inability of the organ to filter a chemical called creatinine.

Improper digestion also causes halitosis. The smell of the breath is like feces when a person is not able to discharge feces because of constipation. However, indigestion might be caused by colon blockage. When the colon is blocked, total digestion of food does not occur making the food to congest only in the intestine. Instead of going straight to the anus, the food decomposes in the colon creating foul odor that is being breathed out through the throat to the mouth.

These are some halitosis causes that people can be wary about. Some causes are manageable and can only be treated by proper dental hygiene but some are also serious that must be given proper medical attention. Whatever be the cause of halitosis, the thing is, it is something that should be given attention and cure so that the next time you hear the word halitosis, the first thing that will come to your mind is just memory.

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