Even if most people think bad breath is caused by cavities or digestive system problems, it may also be caused by otorhinolaryngologic diseases like the sinus infection, tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess. Bad breath may be caused by different diseases and it may be a symptom of other diseases but it also affects social life and cause lack of self-confidence.

Test Your Breath

If you have no idea if you have bad breath you can test it with this easy method. The accuracy of this method is very high but if your bad breath is caused by stomach problems, you may not able to catch how your breath smells.

Lick the inside of your wrist and smell it. Some people think you should wait 5-10 seconds before smelling but in my opinion, you shouldn’t wait and smell your wrist as soon as you lick it. Even if you have cavities or infection, your tongue is able to absorb the odor and tell you precisely how your breath smells.

Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Cause Bad Breath

Oral hygiene determines how your breath smells but most people forget to include tongue when it comes to oral hygiene. If you don’t brush your tongue, you can’t fully prevent bad breath or you can’t even protect your teeth from decaying. Think your tongue as a sticky gum that holds bacteria in your mouth. Brushing your teeth doesn’t kill those bacteria that dwell on your tongue.

The sinus infection can cause bad breath because it is kind of infection and you keep swallowing pus coming from your sinuses, that’s why it also causes stomach problems and no matter how hard you brush your teeth, you may not be able to get rid of bad breath since it is not coming from your mouth anymore.

Yogurt Is A Must If You Have Bad Breath

As you may know, there are good bacteria and bad bacteria. While we want to get rid of bad bacteria, we also want to keep good bacteria in out mouth. One of the easiest ways to get rid of bad breath other than brushing your teeth or tongue is eating yogurt, meaning plain yogurt, not flavored yogurt. Yogurt contains all kinds of good bacteria which are good not only for your mouth but also for your stomach.

You May Also Eat Lemon

Having bad breath after waking up is quite common, especially if you keep your mouth open during sleep for some reason. Lack of saliva is the main reason behind your bad breath after you wake up. In the morning, you can drink water or some other beverages to keep your mouth moist. If you think your mouth is drier than it should be, lemon can solve this situation thus it increases saliva. You can drink lemon water (not lemonade, no sugar!) after brushing your teeth and you can also drink it after you wake up.

How To Prevent Bad Breath

• Don’t forget to brush your tongue while brushing your teeth.
• Floss your teeth because toothbrush may not be able to reach between your teeth.
• When you drink something sweetened, rinse your mouth if you are not able to brush.
• Drink water as much as possible, it not just keeps your mouth moist but also dilutes your stomach acids if you have any stomach problems.
• Eat yogurt to boosts good bacteria in your mouth and stomach.
• Chew mint leaves or cloves after meals. They prevent bad breath not only with their nice smells but also their antiviral and antibacterial properties.