Bad
breath, medically called halitosis, could be due
to poor oral hygiene or may be a sign of other
health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse
by some types of foods, other unhealthy lifestyle
habits, lack of saliva swishing around in the
mouth, stress, dehydration, and stomach activity,
i.e. acid indigestion. Smoking or chewing
tobacco-based products can also cause bad breath,
stained teeth, reduced ability to taste foods, and
irritation of gum tissues. It is important to know
that breath does not come only from the mouth. Any
air passing over the sinuses, the back of the
throat, and even coming up from the stomach and
digestive system is expelled out of the mouth as
breath. But among the many diseases that can cause
bad breath, acid reflux is one of the
leading causes.
Not
everyone with acid reflux has bad breath,
although it is quite common. But treating acid
reflux is very important as bad breath is just one
symptom of the damage it may be doing to the
system. Acid reflux is caused due to relaxing of
the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) at the
junction of the esophagus and stomach. Normally,
the LES remains closed to prevent fluids from the
stomach reaching the throat. The LES relaxes in
cases of severe indigestion and allows acid into
the oral cavity along with a very severe form of
bad breath. When this acid reaches the oral
cavity, it causes bad breath that is rather
acrid-smelling.
As a
matter of fact, there does not seem to be a really
strong correlation between bad breath and acid
reflux per se. A relatively low percentage of
people with GERD experience halitosis. Instead,
there is an apparent connection between proton
pump inhibitors and chronic bad breath. The drugs,
probably, cause an overgrowth of odor-producing
bacteria in the mouth. Since many people
experience acid reflux in their sleep, chances are
that bad breath is related to GERD. Also, many of
the factors that contribute to bad breath are also
causal factors for acid reflux.
It
stands to reason then, that by counteracting the
causal factors of GERD, bad breath can also be
cured. As acid reflux is partially a lifestyle
disease, and may be controlled in some extent by
changes in diet habits and lifestyle. This would
involve a holistic medicinal approach which
involves making slow changes and incorporating
then into your life. In truth, the bad breath
associated with acid reflux may not be the biggest
concern where your health is concerned but it
would be easier to recognize and treat it rather
than allow it to grow into a bigger
problem.
