Bad breath - Definition and Overview

Halitosis, breath odour, or most commonly bad breath are terms used to describe noticeably unpleasant odours exhaled in breathing. Though specific odours can be caused by sometimes serious medical conditions, bad breath is typically innocuous in itself, and only causes problems in interpersonal relations (one's own breath odour is usually undetectable due to the process of habituation). Whereas odours indicating underlying pathology can stem in the stomach, lungs, or bloodstream, most bad breath arises in the mouth and upper throat.

Though the causes of breath odour are not well understood, the most unpleasant odours are thought to arise from food trapped in the mouth which is processed by by normal mouth flora. The anaerobic respiration of such bacteria can yield either a putrescent smell, or that of sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and thiols.

Home Care

Bad breath can be reduced by using hydrogen peroxide combined with yoghurt containing active bacterial culture. Hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 1.5% can be taken as an oral antiseptic by gargling 10 ml, about two teaspoons. Hydrogen peroxide is commonly available at a concentration of 3% and should be diluted to 1.5% by mixing it with an equal volume of water. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer which kills most bacteria, including useful aerobic bacteria. Unless yoghurt is eaten or aerobic bacteria is added by some other means, foul smelling bacteria will eventually reproduce, so on its own the effects of hydrogen peroxide are temporary. Yoghurt with active bacterial culture contains beneficial aerobic bacteria, which does not have a bad odor. This bacteria helps digestion and by occupying the host, prevents other bacteria from returning. So eating yoghurt colonizes the host with good bacteria, especially after most of the previous bacteria were killed by hydrogen peroxide. This combination displaces odor causing bacteria for a long time.

External link

• NIH site on bad breath (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003058.htm)

Example Usage of breath