Four Signs that You Could Be Having Bad Breath

Bad breath, also called halitosis, is a condition that affects many people. The problem is that it is not very easy to know that you have this problem unless someone gets the courage to "give you the bad news". Should you wait for such a person or are there signs that can alert you to the possibility that you could have halitosis? This article discusses four signs that should lead you to suspect that you have halitosis.

If Your Mouth is Open When You Sleep

People sleep with their mouth open for several reasons such as finding it hard to breathe through the nose (due to causes like a nasal allergy). Once the mouth is open, it quickly dries up and that leads to halitosis because bacteria will accumulate there without being flushed out by saliva. You can solve this cause of bad breath by visiting your doctor so that what is causing your breathing problems is solved.

If You Chew or Smoke Tobacco

Tobacco makes your mouth dry, and the mouth remains dry since your body channels most of the moisture in your mouth towards removing the tobacco from your respiratory tract. As a result, you will develop bad breath since there will be no saliva to clean your mouth on a regular basis. The solution for this cause is to quit smoking or stop chewing tobacco.

If Your Tongue Has a White Coating

If you look at your tongue in the mirror and you see that it has a white coating, take that as a sign that you may have halitosis. Dentists say that sulfur compounds that have found their way to your tongue's surface cause the white coating you see. Those compounds result in halitosis. You need to see your doctor so that he or she prescribes some medication to combat those sulfur compounds.

If You Suffer From Gastric Reflux

Gastric reflux (the digestive acids that find their way into the upper part of your stomach and throat) plays a big role in causing halitosis. It makes you swallow saliva rapidly in order to get rid of that burning sensation in your throat, so your mouth will remain dry. The result of that dryness is that bacteria will accumulate and cause bad breath. See your doctor so that the reflux problem is resolved.

Look out for the signs above so that you get an early warning that you may have halitosis. In case you still have any doubts, see a dental care professional, such as Hillarys Dental Care, for confirmation and treatment of halitosis.


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