What Does Halitosis Smell Like?
The majority of the time, bad breath is caused by something you ate, but it can also provide clues about possible underlying health issues. If you have bad breath that doesn’t go away when you brush and floss your teeth, don’t try to diagnose yourself – leave that to the experts. Call your dentist for a thorough examination, and if they suspect an underlying condition, they’ll refer you to the proper specialist. If it turns out that you simply need to establish better oral hygiene practices, they can help you with that, too.
In most cases, bad breath can be directly traced to strong-smelling foods and drinks, like garlic or coffee. Bad breath is also caused by bacteria, which naturally occur on all the surfaces of the mouth and teeth, multiplying as they feed off residue from the delicious foods we eat. As they metabolize, these bacteria emit foul-smelling gases called volatile sulfur compounds. Brushing and flossing can help reduce the aromas of the foods we eat, and they can also help limit the amount of bacteria in the mouth, but these habits must be practiced consistently. Smoking is also a known cause of halitosis, and it’s also known to make gum disease worse; since gum disease also creates bad breath, this can be quite a foul double whammy. Dry mouth can also lead to halitosis and is most often caused by smoking or by certain medications, though in some rare cases it is the result of a salivary-gland disorder.
When halitosis is caused by an underlying condition, beyond the everyday things that go on in our mouths, there are some common characteristics that different types of halitosis share, and some general kinds of odors to look out for. The source of bad breath could be relatively local, coming from the tissues of the mouth itself, or it could be emanating from the digestive tract, and it could be persistent and quite offensive.
- Sweet, fruity breath could indicate diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition that could occur with low-carb diets.
- Abscesses in the lungs, throat, or mouth may emit the smell of decay or rotting tissue. This could be caused by respiratory infections, bronchial or tonsil conditions, or infected teeth or gums. Advanced gum disease can cause rotten-smelling breath, and some rare medical disorders can also cause the breath to smell of rot or decay.
- The smell of acetone, or nail polish remover, could indicate diabetes, and it could also indicate diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Sour-smelling breath is a possible byproduct of GERD, a condition that allows partially digested food to accumulate in the esophagus and potentially the mouth or throat.
- If the flow of waste in your intestines is blocked, it’s possible for your breath to smell like feces. Along with some other symptoms, this can indicate a bowel obstruction, which requires immediate attention. These symptoms include bloating, nausea and vomiting, and cramping, along with the obvious constipation.
- When people have certain kidney diseases, their breath may smell like urine or ammonia.
- Some liver diseases generate a musty odor.
There are also several rare disorders that can affect the smell of the breath, causing it to smell like maple syrup, fish, and other distinctive aromas. This variety, and the relative rarity of these disorders, underscore the importance of a lifetime habit of routine dental examinations. In many cases, a child’s dentist might be the first to suspect a rare disorder, and a senior citizen’s dentist might first suspect kidney disease; in all cases, allowing for early diagnosis and treatment could dramatically affect more than just the smell of someone’s breath.