Nurfika Osman
Bad Breath Could Be a Warning Sign Of a Major Illness
Bad breath, or halitosis, is usually considered little more than a
social faux pas, but it could in fact be a warning sign of a serious
health problem.
“Bad breath needs to be addressed,” Nyoman
Selvi, a dentist, said on Tuesday. “It not only affects the people
around us and our interactions with them, but having bad breath can
also point to a serious matter.”
She said halitosis could be
caused by any number of illnesses, from pneumonia, bronchitis and
chronic sinus infections, to liver and kidney problems and diabetes.
“Even
people with gastritis can have bad breath because of high acid levels
in their stomach,” said Nyoman, who practices at Puri Medika Clinic and
Tugu Medika in Depok.
“Consistent bad breath cannot be
regarded as a trifling matter,” she said during a weekly health
discussion hosted by the KBR68H radio network.
“People tend to
ignore bad breath because they believe it is not a serious issue. They
think that they only need some mouthwash or a peppermint to make the
smell disappear,” Nyoman said.
She added that halitosis could also be caused by constipation or chronic acid reflux.
“Basically, they have to fix their systemic problems to make the halitosis disappear,” she said.
“If
bad breath persists even after brushing one’s teeth properly, flossing,
using mouthwash and avoiding foods with strong odors such as onions and
petai [stinky green beans], then it must be regarded as a sign of
serious problems,” Nyoman said.
Dania Sari, not her real name,
said she experienced regular halitosis despite brushing her teeth
regularly, flossing and using mouthwash.
“I have tried everything, including chewing gum, but it just doesn’t go away. It only disappears for a while,” she said.
“I am ashamed and I think my boyfriend is annoyed by it,” she added.
Dania said her bad breath made her self-conscious, especially when meeting new people at social functions.
“I’m afraid that I will make the situation worse and they will smell something bad coming from my mouth.”
Nyoman
said that 80 percent of halitosis cases were caused by mouth-related
illnesses, but that few people here made regular visits to the dentist
to look after their oral health.
Commonly, Nyoman said,
halitosis is a warning sign of gum disease, caused by the buildup of
plaque on teeth. If the gum disease goes untreated, it can lead to
further damage to the gums and the jawbone.
She said bad
breath could also indicate serious tooth decay, cavities, gingivitis
and also dry mouth (xerostomia), which is caused by a lack of saliva.
Nyoman
said halitosis could also be a symptom of oral cancer, which some
studies have shown may be linked to the prolonged use of mouthwashes
containing alcohol.
“Alcohol is dangerous and basically we
have good bacteria in our mouth to keep it odorless,” she said. “All we
have to do is brush our teeth properly and make sure all areas of our
teeth are brushed, including the inner side.” She added that it was
also important to brush the tongue.
“Please keep in mind that many of these mouthwashes only provide a temporary way to mask the unpleasant mouth odor.”
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afsafs
7:54 AM February 25, 2010Hello!
Yes, it possibly. But need to use lemon, thinks like listerine to remove that bad breath anyway.
I collected some more my tips at badbreathremedyblog.info