13 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Bad Breath ‘Halitosis’!
Medical And Natural Treatments For ‘Halitosis’:
Bad breath is the general name for the medical condition known as halitosis. Bad breath often happens after eating strongly flavored foods, such as onions and garlic. Bad breath that’s of oral cavity source can be traced to a sulfur compound produced by bacteria. 13 13 13 13
Halitosis or chronic bad breath is:
Something that mints, mouthwash or a good brushing can’t solve. Unlike “morning breath” or a strong smell that lingers after a tuna sandwich, halitosis remains for an extended amount of time and may be a sign of something more serious.
Bad Breath Sufferers,
They should feel confident to seek treatment because of the high achievement rate in managing the problem. It is obvious from this that there is no one easy bad breath cure, but, entertainingly, bad breath remedies used by our grandparents are still very popular and often work fairly well, usually by reducing the number of bacteria in the mouth. 13 13 13 13
Temporary and Chronic Bad Breath:
The subject of bad breath cure is kept under covers, but the best bad breath solution is to meet the problem head-on, admit that there is a problem, identify the cause, and then deal with it with a will. The cause of bad breath could be temporary, like when you eat odorous things like onion, garlic, fish or meat, and spicy curries.
Smoking and consumption of alcoholic liquor also create their own odor, but people conveniently exclude them from consideration! What thou sowest, that thou reapest; what thou eatest and drinkest, that thou smellest!
The morning breath is a passing phenomenon and the normal brushing takes care of it. The transitory bad breath can be controlled and prevented by thorough gargling, brushing of teeth after the meal and before retiring, chewing of mint, and what have you.
II. Chronic:
But Chronic Bad Breath, called Halitosis in medical parlance, is quite another cup of tea. It is caused by the bacteria that are active in the tongue. They are beneficial as they help break down the proteins. But as the bacteria die, their dead cells release a sulfur compound that causes a typical odor. Doctors have even invented an odor meter that can measure the amount of such sulfur by-products of our oral factory.
Things That Can Cause Halitosis:
The mouth tells a hundred tales:
The cause of bad breath is not far to seek. For the most part, it lies in the mouth and in our lack of oral hygiene.
- Medications (including allergy medications) cause bad breath.
- Bad breath can be linked with food, poor dental hygiene, tobacco use, and certain medical situations.
- It can have a systemic or oral basis.
- Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath because when you leave food particles in your mouth, these pieces of food can rot and begin to smell.
- Sometimes sinus troubles, and seldom liver or kidney problems, can cause bad breath.
- Smoking is also the main cause of bad breath.
- Gum disease.
- Excessive use of alcohol-based mouthwash like Listerine.
- Throat infection.
- A deficiency in vitamin B/and or Zinc may be the cause of your bad breath.
- Sinus infections are another source of odor and they are treatable with sinus irrigators.
- Ulcers in the mouth have to be investigated and the cause dealt with.
Other Causes:
1. Crash Dieting:
Fasting and low-carbohydrate diets are another possible cause of bad breath. They cause the body to break down fat, which produces chemicals called ketones that can be smelled on your breath.
2. Diseases:
Such as some cancers and conditions such as metabolic disorders can cause a distinctive breath odor as a result of the chemicals they produce. Chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) can be associated with bad breath. Some diseases like gingivitis, diabetes, lung abscess, liver disease, etc.
Hormones and Bad Breath: What’s the Connection?
When you first awake or after garlicky meals, your breath might not be as fresh as you’d like. But if your breath is consistently foul-smelling, it might be your hormones causing the issue.
Women are especially prone to a hormones-bad breath connection. Learn how pregnancy, menopause, and some contraceptives might play a role in hormone-related bad breath – and how you can deal with it.
Life Stages, Hormones, and Bad Breath:
During certain stages in your life, you might be subject to changes or an imbalance in your hormones. And this can mess with the way your body reacts to bacteria or make you more prone to oral bacteria-breeding conditions.
A. Hormonal Birth Control:
If you take a form of hormonal birth control, you’re elevating the levels of certain hormones – estrogen and progestin – in your body to prevent pregnancy. The American Academy of Periodontology notes that some medications – specifically oral contraceptives – can affect your oral health by changing your body’s reaction to bacteria. And this reaction increases your risk for gum disease and tooth decay.
Gum disease is a leading cause of – you guessed it – bad breath, thanks to the bacteria and decay it causes. So, if you’ve recently started or changed your birth control, it may be the culprit behind your bad breath.
B. Pregnancy:
Throughout pregnancy, you’ll experience a distinct shift in your hormone balance. The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that during pregnancy, hormones might alter your body and how it reacts to bacteria. This can result in increased instances of gum disease.
C. Menopause:
If you’re in the midst of menopause, you’ll experience a lack of estrogen. This estrogen deprivation can result in unpleasant side effects such as hot flashes and mood swings. Another side effect that affects your oral health: dry mouth. This condition leaves your mouth ripe for bacteria to develop and grow, causing bad breath.
What to Do:
Noticing a change in your hormones that seems to be causing bad breath? You might need to schedule visits to both your primary care physician and your dental office. It would also be a good time to step up your oral health care routine.
If Taking Hormonal Contraceptives:
Check-in with your prescribing doctor to inform them of your side effects. At this stage of life – or if you’re pregnant or menopausal – ensure you take these steps to help kill the bacteria feeding off hormonal changes, which result in tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath:
- Clean between your teeth daily with dental floss or another type of interdental cleaner.
- Brush twice daily with plaque-removing fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean your tongue by gently scraping or brushing off bacteria.
- Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash.
If Pregnant:
Continue to schedule dental checkups; it’s essential to get regular dental cleanings to remove plaque and tartar. That will help you avoid the dangers of gum disease, including bad breath, gum disease, and even pre-term labor.
Make sure to discuss any concerns you might have with your OB/GYN. A study published in the journal JDR (Journal of Dental Research) Clinical and Translational Research states there’s evidence of a connection between periodontal disease and some birth or pregnancy complications.
The hormones 13 13 13 13 13 13
-bad breath connection is another demonstration of how oral health affects your entire body – and vice versa. No matter your life stage, keep your medical and oral health care professionals informed of any hormone shifts. And set up a consistent oral hygiene routine. That way, you can make sure that you’ll continue to have a healthy mouth and a great smile no matter what hormonal changes you undergo.
If Menopausal:
Talk to your doctor about hormone therapies to help manage any unpleasant side effects of menopause. Your doctor might prescribe synthetic versions of hormones to help your body get back into balance.
Management And Treatments:
The way to deal with bad breath depends on the degree of the problem. The management can range from simple natural methods to more complex clinical ones.
1. Simple Natural Methods:
Being healthy drinking lots of water, eating healthy food and drink, reduction in coffee and alcohol intake, not smoking all helps to provide a normal oral environment less prone to halitosis (bad breath).
Proper technique, and daily tooth brushing, and an interdental cleaning routine (by flossing and/or using interdental products to clean in between the teeth) are required to remove the dental plaque from the teeth and gums. this is always the first place to start in managing any bad breath problem.
Our,
Favorite interdental cleaners are the interdental brushes and the easy to use. Others prefer good old-fashioned dental floss. Of course, by visiting your dentist regularly you can ensure that tooth decay and gum disease are prevented and/or properly treated if present.
In Addition to This,
The removal of the anaerobic bacterial coating on the back of the tongue is needed to eradicate the major cause of VSC production in the mouth. While this can be done with a toothbrush, most people find it more comfortable to use a special tongue cleaning device.
2. Medical Methods:
The Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSC) produced in the mouth by the anaerobic bacteria can be neutralized, and the bacteria themselves destroyed, by using specially designed chemical toothpaste and mouthwashes.
One of the most effective chemicals in this regard is called Cloralstan ( Chlorine Dioxide ), which produces oxygen that creates an unfavorable environment for the anaerobic bacteria as well as binds with the SVC to neutralize the sulfide smell. Over a short period of time of using these methods, the production of the VSC reduces and the bad breath goes away.
Unfortunately,
Some toothpaste and mouthwashes, as well as so-called fresh breath mints, claim to remove bad breath. But all they do is mask the VSC smell with a pleasant fragrance which very soon dissipates leaving the user no better off at all.
In addition to this, mouthwashes that contain alcohol can actually lead to bad breath by causing the mouth to dry out. The use of Alcohol-Free mouth rinses, particularly the world-famous CloSYS products, for treating and preventing bad breath are highly recommended.
3. Probiotic Methods:
As described, a more complex method of managing a more severe variety of bad breath is to try and produce a bacterial environment in the mouth that is composed mainly of the good bacteria and not the bad bacteria.
This method of changing the type of population of bacteria by substituting the harmful type with one that does not produce harm (or VSC) is known as the probiotic approach. Once again the easiest way of implementing this change in the bacterial flora or makeup of the mouth is through the use of specially designed toothpaste, mouthwashes, and lozenges.
Here’re 13 Natural Home Remedies For Bad Breath:
Home remedies for bad breath will not work if the cause of bad breath lies deeper. People who suffer from diabetes, liver disease, bronchitis, inflammation of the nasal-sinus tract, tuberculosis, certain types of cancer, and so on emit trademark odors which the doctors can identify. It is clear that bad breath is only a symptom and it is the cause that has to be identified and treated.
1. Brushing Your Teeth:
It might have been a habit taught to you by elders when you were still rebellious and carefree, which you might have forgotten completely until you developed complaints of bad breath.
However, if you can get back to your basics and set things straight at the elementary level, brushing your teeth should be the first home remedy for bad breath that you should resort to.
Remember,
That food particles that stick between your teeth, as well as other candy or chocolates that would smear your teeth in sugar, are natural recipes for bad breath, and developing a regular habit of brushing your teeth twice a day would be among the prime home remedies for bad breath.
It would not only aid as a prevention tool and cure for bad breath, but would also ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy for a long while to come.
2. Rinsing Your Mouth:
So, what could you do when you do not have a toothbrush and paste handy and would want to minimize the scope for bad breath?
Home remedy for bad breath doesn’t get any simpler, given that you could eliminate many of the food particles that could stay on in your mouth and cause embarrassing bad breath just by rinsing your mouth thoroughly.
Take a few sips of water, swish it all around your mouth and spit it out for a fresh feel especially after your meals.
3. Carry a Toothbrush:
That doesn’t cost much to do either, given that all it takes is some mindful action on your part to carry a toothbrush and mini toothpaste with you, especially when you know you have an appointment, a meeting, or a date waiting for you.
4. Saltwater: Saltwater is,
- One of the universal home remedies for bad breath and for a lot of other ailments.
- In the case of bad breath, you need to gargle warm water, with an adequate and tolerable amount of rock salt, added to it.
- Salt has the inherent capacity to nullify bacteria and to sterilize the area that it is exposed to.
- Regular gargling of warm water and salt every morning immediately after you brush your teeth and every night before you go to bed is a useful and effective home remedy for bad breath.
5. Mint Leaves: Mint Generally
- Refers to spearmint, which is a flowering plant with a host of health benefits.
- It has traditionally been used to treat infections in the chest as well as of the stomach, while mint leaves have been powdered and used in the ancient ages to whiten teeth.
- Also, mint has a fresh aroma, which would come in handy as an effective home remedy for bad breath.
- All you need to do is to have a bunch of fresh mint leaves at hand, which you could keep chewing, especially after meals.
6. Parsley:
Another herb that is widely cultivated and is used in cuisine as a spice and as a vegetable is parsley. Parsley leaves are known for their strong flavor and are used as a garnish on food, and is widely used as key ingredients in soups and sauces.
And More Importantly, 13 13 13 13
This tasty herb is a medicinal plant and is known for its anti-microbial properties, with one of the chemicals found in it, Apigenin, having been known for its anti-cancer properties.
Like mint leaves, chewing a bunch of parsley leaves regularly, or after you have had strong-smelling food such as garlic or onion, is an effective home remedy for bad breath. However, it is advisable to use caution in the case of pregnant women, as consumption of parsley in large quantities is not advised for pregnant ladies.
7. Yogurt And Buttermilk: Yogurt And,
- Its dilute cousin, buttermilk, is known widely for their best for the health and the digestive system.
- They are known for their inherent cooling properties and are good at keeping the natural balance of the body intact, according to the Ayurvedic forms of medicine.
Since bad breath is not one that emanates from the mouth alone, and since the reasons for bad breath could lie deeper in the body, perhaps in the gastrointestinal tract and in the digestive system, having large quantities of yogurt or consuming liberal quantities of buttermilk on a daily basis is thought to be a good home remedy for bad breath. 13 13
8. Fenugreek Seed Tea:
Another natural remedy for bad breath is to consume Fenugreek seed tea on a regular basis.
- Fenugreek seeds are available as whole dried seeds as well as powder, which are known for their
- health benefits in aiding digestion and in treating digestion problems.
- A spoonful of Fenugreek seeds could be soaked in two cups of water for a few minutes and can be heated to bring to boil.
- The blend could be strained and the decoction could be consumed as fenugreek seeds, which is a handy home remedy for bad breath.
9. Clove:
A simple home remedy for bad breath would be to chew a piece of clove. Clove is known for its strong flavor and has been extensively used in Indian cuisine for its aroma as well as the health benefits of clove.
Of course, not everybody may readily agree with the taste and flavor of clove, but it is a good home remedy for bad breath nevertheless. One of the compounds found in clove extract, Eugenol, is known to have powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and is an antioxidant. 13 13 13 13
10. Lemon is :
Another natural remedy for bad breath features, the commonly available citrus that is refreshing and enticing. As mentioned earlier, you could drink Fenugreek tea for bad breath, and you could also add a tinge of lemon for taste and freshness, even as lemon acts in eliminating bad breath.
Another way to use lemon as a home remedy for bad breath is to squeeze lemon onto a glass of water, mix it well and gargle it for half a minute, as an instant cure for bad breath. In other cases, drinking plain lemon juice with a dash of salt added to taste would act as a useful home remedy for bad breath.
11. Cardamom:
The herbal spice is known for its strong and peculiar aroma. Cardamom is widely used in cooking, to add flavor and fragrance to dishes, and it has widely accepted medicinal properties. For one, cardamom is good on the stomach as it aids digestion, and provides active relief from flatulence and gas accumulation in the system.
Further, Cardamom’s health Benefits Also,
Include the promotion of blood circulation to the lungs. Cardamom could be held in the mouth and chewed gently for the freshness of breath, as the fine aroma sweetens your mouth and acts as an effective home remedy for bad breath.
12. Fennel Seeds:
- A simple home remedy for bad breath or halitosis is in the form of even simpler-looking seeds called fennel seeds.
- Fennel seeds could sometimes be found at the checkout counters at eateries, since they have the peculiar property of sweetening the breath, especially after meals.
- Also, Fennel seeds are known for their ability to relieve gas locked up in the digestive system, prove to be a good remedy for flatulence, cure sour throat, and turn out to be a useful home remedy for bad breath.
- You could munch a teaspoon or two of fennel seeds after food or when you feel like freshening your breath, for good results.
13. Fennel Tea:
Given the goodness of fennel seeds on the digestive system and its usefulness in treating bad breath, you could also opt for fennel tea, where you could heat up a few fennel seeds in water, filter out the seeds and use the solution as herbal mouthwash, turning out to be an effective home remedy for bad breath.
Healthy Habits Save Us Of Embarrassment:
Adam and Eve also must have wondered how to get rid of bad breath because they had not invented the toothbrush. Perhaps they were eating plenty of fruits, greens, and other raw food which kept their mouth and gastro-intestinal tract in constant renewal.
Holistic experts say that it is not only the state of the mouth but the entire gastro-intestinal highway that should be cleared regularly of toxins and putrid matters if a healthy and odorless breath is to be secured.
Are we,
Drinking enough water and maintaining the fluid level in the body? A tongue that runs dry is said to harbor bacterial cells that work overtime during the night. Are we flossing every night and getting rid of food debris that lies between teeth? Irrigators and dental cleansing kits are now available and they make for effective oral hygiene.
On The Other Hand,
Keep in mind that although there are tons of home remedies for bad breath that you can try or can use to help resolve the problem, it doesn’t mean that you have to take your oral hygiene for granted. Nothing can replace brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. Home remedies are mainly used to supplement basic dental hygiene or if you are caught in a situation where brushing is not possible.
A note of Cheer:
The lasting bad breath remedy – bad breath solution lies in the intelligent appraisal of the problem, identifying the cause, and then initiating the treatment. The cheering news from doctors is that most cases of chronic bad breath have their origin in the mouth and can be successfully treated. They are purely a dental concern. But ten percent of the cases could have a deeper medical cause and will need appropriate treatment for the disease in question.
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
Sources