If people cover their noses every time you tell a joke or speak about something then chances are you have Halitosis. Halitosis is actually the medical term for bad breath. Bad breath can be a huge problem and it can have a huge impact on your social life. A deflated self-esteem is just one of the end products that severe halitosis can offer to a person. That is, if the person is actually aware about his or her problem.

For people who are not aware about the, pardon the term, offensive stench of his or her breath, the problem escalates to higher level. In most cases, people who have halitosis are unaware about their condition. How can you actually tell someone about his or her bad breath?

Well, there are many evocative ways that you can try such as giving your halitosis-inflicted buddy a personal oral hygiene kit as birthday present. But why beat around the bush? If you are a true friend, you can just tell your pal about the condition and teach him or the ways on how to deal with it properly. Before dropping the bomb, however, you must first have ample knowledge on what causes bad breath.

Knowledge on the cause of halitosis will help you deal with the condition effectively even without asking for professional medical help. Basically, bad breath is an outcome of odor-producing bacteria that builds up in the mouth cavity. The accumulation of bacteria is due to morsels of food that are left in the mouth or in between your teeth.

This happens when you fail to floss or brush your teeth on a regular basis. The offensive odor in your mouth is caused by the sulfur compounds that come from the build up of bacteria. Though all type of food morsels can cause bad breath, onions, garlic, and other food types that contain oils with high pungency are the prime suspects for halitosis.

This occurs when the oil from these types of food travel to your lungs then exits via your mouth. Another primary cause of bad breath is incessant smoking. Frequent smoking can cause nicotine build-up in the mouth cavity. Nicotine dries out the mouth and it also decreases the level of saliva production. Since saliva is a natural oral cleaning agent, its absence can cause your mouth to be unhealthy due to bacteria accumulation and thus, bad breath.

If you do brush regularly but still, your breath reeks of dying rat carcass, then the foul odor must be coming from your lungs. As we have mentioned a while ago, the food that we eat, after digestion, are absorbed by our blood and travels via our blood stream to the lungs. This means that even extensive brushing will not totally eliminate bad breath. In truth, brushing, flossing, and even gargling with a strong mouth wash solution merely mask the persistent odor.

Bear in mind that the odor is there to stay till the foods have completely passed through your system. It goes without saying that poor oral hygiene habits is the major cause of bad breath. Lack of a proper oral-cleaning routine, which is basically comprised of brushing and flossing makes your teeth, gums, and tongue vulnerable to bad breath-causing bacteria.

Another cause of bad breath is tooth decay. Rotting dentures due to neglect result to a very unpleasant smell that every fly will fall in love with, to say the least. Though some will tend to dismiss halitosis as a mere condition that can be dealt with just simple trip to the dentist, the infliction can actually mean more.

An overpowering stench in your mouth can also be a caution or a sign that you may have been inflicted with a gum ailment called periodontal disease. This gum disease is a result of a plaque buildup on teeth in which the bacteria cause toxin-formation in the mouth cavity. Apart from these causes, bad breath may also be a result of other factors such as ill-fitting dental devices, oral yeast infections, dental caries, and other abnormal oral conditions such as xerostomia.

Xerostomia is a medical condition characterized by dry mouth. Since saliva is necessary to keep the mouth moist and therefore capable of neutralizing plaque-based acids, a dry mouth means the accumulation of dead cells on the cheeks, gums and tongue. The failure to remove these dead cells means that your mouth will be more prone to bad breath causing germs. It is also worth mentioning that dry a mouth can be a direct side effect of past medications. In these cases, it is best to consult a dentist or a specialist.

There are many other factors that can directly or indirectly cause bad breath. The most notable diseases that can trigger halitosis are respiratory tract infections such as chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, liver problems, bronchitis, and pneumonia. To combat bad breath, proper oral hygiene habits and eating healthy foods consisting of fruits and vegetable are necessary.

Drinking plenty of water everyday will also do wonders in eliminating bad breath but if symptoms of chronic halitosis persist even after following these basic procedures, it is best consult your dentist. In essence, having bad breath is no joke. It tends to deliver a big blow on your social skills.

If you think or feel that you have it, do not hesitate to seek professional medical help right away.

Courtesy of ezinearticles.com by Marc Savage