Halitosis or halitosis is a disease that causes bad breath. A large number of people are facing this problem. Moreover, very often such an unpleasant odor can cause serious psychological problems.
Halitosis: what is it?
The feeling of bad breath when exhaling from the mouth usually occurs after eating, or when a person is very hungry. If such a problem occurs, no one is in a hurry to see a dentist. Everyone is trying to cope with it on their own.
To make the unpleasant odor disappear, chewing gums and various menthol products are often used. However, this rarely leads to a positive result.
The cause of the formation of an unpleasant odor is explained by a malfunction in the body, and a serious disease of the internal organs may appear.
Halitosis: symptoms of occurrence
First of all, it is necessary to understand that the medical term - halitosis, appeared recently. This concept denotes the occurrence of severe odor from the oral cavity.
Halitosis is a disease whose main symptom is a pungent breath. In this case, the person does not feel any deviations:
- severe pain;
- burning sensation;
- colic.
Symptoms of halitosis are various odors emanating from the mouth:
- rotten eggs;
- rotten cabbage;
- rotten fish;
- stale meat;
- garlic
- acetone;
- sulfur;
- naphthalene;
- sweat
- urine.
In other words, halitosis is any bad breath coming from the mouth, at any source of occurrence.
In principle, the appearance of halitosis can be of a one-time nature when acute odors were present in the food. But it can also be a symptom of the onset of an internal disease.
How to determine the presence of halitosis at home
To independently determine the occurrence of halitosis, you need to connect the palms of the hands together and exhale in them several times. Then just sniff them. In the presence of a strong unpleasant odor, we can talk about the appearance of halitosis, which requires immediate treatment.
Before starting to treat halitosis, it is necessary to determine what caused the disease. For example, a smoker may need to quit a bad habit.
The causes of halitosis are many, so you need to undergo a complete medical examination to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Halitosis: causes
Poor oral hygiene is considered one of the main causes of the onset of the disease. When a person does not brush his teeth, ignores rinsing his mouth, various deposits, the so-called tartar, appear on the teeth.
What causes halitosis? The next reason is the presence of caries and other diseases associated with the teeth and their surface. When pus appears on the gums, when you exhale, a strong putrid smell is felt.
Poor dental prosthetics are also what cause halitosis. Leftover food remains under the crown or poorly made dentures. They gradually accumulate in open spaces where it is impossible to get with a toothbrush. The food begins to rot, a pungent odor appears.
Another cause is gum disease, or periodontal disease. This disease requires urgent treatment, as it can cause very serious chronic diseases:
- diabetes mellitus;
- kidney disease
- gastrointestinal pathology;
- liver disease
- pancreatic dysfunction.
Another cause of halitosis can also be diseases of the nasopharynx:
- chronic tonsillitis;
- rhinitis.
Pungent odor causes alcohol and tobacco. Usually, everything dries up in the mouth, salivation becomes minimal.
The causes of halitosis can be found in severe stress, a nervous breakdown, and so on. Doctors advise reducing the intake of the following products in their diet:
- meat;
- coffee;
- red wine;
- garlic.
Types of Halitosis
This phenomenon of modern medicine is divided into several types:
- pseudohalitosis;
- true halitosis;
- halitophobia.
I must say that with pseudogalitosis, not a strong smell is detected, it is rarely noticed by surrounding people. Usually, household factors that are not associated with a violation of human health are considered to be the cause of the appearance of such symptoms of halitosis.
When a person has a severe nervous breakdown, it constantly seems to him that he constantly exhales an unpleasant odor. It is halitophobia
Important! Halitophobia does not require any treatment, a sick person needs the help of a psychiatrist. Only he can help him.
When a person exhibits true halitosis, a strong stench is felt. The disease is divided into several characteristic types:
- Pathological. Caused by systemic diseases. Very often this is due to diseases of the oral cavity.
- Physiological. It arises due to ignoring the hygienic rules for caring for the oral cavity. This is especially true for people who smoke, as well as those who regularly consume alcohol and specific foods.
The appearance of a heavy odor and the occurrence of halitosis are directly related to the presence of anaerobic bacteria. Therefore, in modern medicine, this disease is divided into subgroups, depending on the cause of the appearance:
- Local. Caused by diseases in the oral cavity.
- Common. There are certain diseases of the body.
How is halitosis diagnosed?
As mentioned above, when an unpleasant odor is found, many simply try to get rid of it with the help of fresheners or mint chewing gum. However, if halitosis becomes a symptom of a serious illness, you should immediately consult a doctor and begin treatment.
To determine the intensity of the smell, doctors use a special device - a halimeter. This device not only performs diagnostic operations, it is used to determine the effectiveness of the treatment process. To begin treatment, it is necessary to visit doctors of specialized specialization:
- Endocrinologist.
- Gastroenterologist.
- Laura.
- Dentist.
If there is no disruption of the digestive tract, there are no diseases of the nasopharynx, it is necessary to undergo treatment at the dentist. Cure all teeth, determine the condition of the gums, and observe the hygienic rules for caring for your oral cavity.
Sometimes a microbiological analysis is performed to accurately determine the occurrence of halitosis. It shows the composition of saliva and plaque.
How is halitosis treated?
How to treat halitosis? Since bad breath is not considered an independent disease, it is only a kind of informant about the malfunction of the body, the most important thing is to find the cause of such a smell.
First, a visit to the dentist for dental treatment and cleaning the oral cavity of plaque and stones will be mandatory.
Then, various tests are carried out to find the root cause of the appearance of halitosis. The doctor can prescribe treatment only after detecting the source of the disease.
Traditional medicine in the treatment of halitosis
How to cure halitosis on your own? Treatment at home is possible, but it is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor, as the cause of halitosis can be a serious illness. Traditional medicine can be an addition to drug therapy.
Hydrogen peroxide
To get an antiseptic solution, you need to dilute a couple of peroxide tablets in warm water (one glass). The resulting solution must rinse your mouth after eating.
Herbal treatment
How to cure halitosis? Home treatment involves the use of a variety of herbs. Very many plants are distinguished by their strong antibacterial properties. These include the popular phytonoots:
- Leaves of magnolia.
- Sagebrush.
- Chamomile.
- Oak bark.
In addition, to cope with halitosis, often use herbal preparations, which include:
- St. John's wort
- daisy flowers;
- birch leaves;
- Oak bark.
In a glass of boiling water, it is enough to brew a tablespoon of this vegetable mixture and rinse your mouth.
To freshen your breath, you can chew:
- parsley;
- cloves;
- black cumin;
Antibiotics for the treatment of halitosis
What else is prescribed for the diagnosis of halitosis? Tablets (antibiotics) related to the metronidazole group:
- "Tinidazole";
- Ornidazole
- Nimorazol;
- Panidazole
- "Flunidazole".
Such pill treatment should be constantly monitored by a physician. The fact is that if the patient is diagnosed with dysbiosis, after the end of the course of treatment with pills, the unpleasant odor returns again.
To treat halitosis, the doctor usually prescribes several drugs.
- Triclosan. Tablets kill all microorganisms located in the oral cavity.
- "Cetylpyridine." Antiseptic, kills viruses, is part of the conditioners.
- "Camphomen". The composition of this universal tool includes:
- Furatsilin.
- Menthol.
- Eucalyptus (oil).
- Camphor.
- Castor oil.
- Olive oil.
- Freon.
- Alcohol.
The drug is inhaled in diseases of the nasopharynx.
- "Remodent". Means for the prevention of caries and other dental diseases.
Conclusion
If it is correct to treat the appeared halitosis, this will bring positive results. In order to never encounter such a concept, you must always monitor your health, heal all diseases in time, and be sure to look after your oral cavity.