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Conditions

Halitosis

Bacteria from bad breath

There’s no shame in having halitosis (or bad breath, as it is more commonly known). In fact, 95% of us suffer from bad breath at some time in our lives, and one in four adults suffers from bad breath on a regular basis. A quick way to test the potency of your breath is to lick the inside of your wrist with the back of your tongue, let it dry for a few seconds, and then smell. If you subsequently find yourself recoiling in horror from a foul stench, then you should perhaps consider visiting your dental hygienist. Bad breath usually stems from poor oral hygiene (including neglecting the tongue area, which hosts the bacteria that cause bad breath). However, smoking and drinking too much alcohol can also contribute. Sprays, mints and chewing gum will only temporarily mask your bad breath, whereas improving your oral hygiene will ultimately pay-off.

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Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

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I have been suffering from bad breath for a long time too. I've tried everything going on the market and they work for a while, then I'm back to normal 'bad breath'. I've tried Therabreath, netti pot now I'm on to corsodyl toothpaste and mouthwash. Please someone help me, I find it very embrassing speaking to people sometimes I really avoid talking at all, my self esteem is so low and this have such an effect on my confidence. When I visit the Dr he treat me for cattarrh. Please can someone help or suggest and other traetment out there on the market.





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hi i suffer from bad breath. I produce to much acid in my stomach. doc give me omeprazole, ranitidine but nothing works. please help





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HI guys, i went to my doctors this morning and they gave me a course ov anti biotics, will let you know if they help. Has any one tried these there called metronidazole?





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I want to kill myself because my partner of 30 years can't stand to be near me, nor can my family and my work collegues!! I don't go to any family gatherings and my grandaughter does not want to come near me! I can't take it anymore, I used to be really outgoing but have become withdrawn and unsociable As soon as anyone is near me they look like they want to throw up!!! I have spent over a thousand pounds to be told that I have plaque below the gum line and my jaw bone is dropping please help me!!! Because if this carries on I won't be here for much longer!!





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I know how you feel Aleesha. Go to your Doctor and tell him/ her about your suffering. I have had the same problem for many years. I have quit smoking and that has helped a bit. I have tried all the mouthwashes and tooth pastes and even the expensive ones dont help. I have had my tosills surgicaly removed with no improvements. I tongue scrape several times a day and floss. i drink plenty of water and green tea. Nothing i do helps. Its about time the medical world does some thing about finding out whats wrong with us, and finding a cure. This condition is NOT NORMAL and is unbearable for those who suffer from this awful condition. Check out Bloodborne body odor and halitosis web page and TMAU.org.uk for futher information. Hope this helps you. x

I too suffer from chronic bad breath. Recently I had a cat scan done and found out there was large amounts of feces in the intestines. I was told to take more fiber like Metamucil and drink saline laxitives such as magnesium citrate. I'm slowly beginning to notice a change, however the odor is still there, especially after eathing. Nevertheless, I do see some improvements. Perhaps your odor is intestinal related as well??

I have a problem with tonsil stones that drives me crazy. I don't have bad breath all the time, usually when I am having sinus trouble. I have begged my husband to tell me when he smells my breath, but he won't do it because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings. For the past couple of months I have been using a sinus rinse/neti pot in morning and before bed. I drink 2 oz of water mixed with 2 oz of apple cider vinegar. I am using a water pik with vinegar water and I haven't had a problem with the stones since. I still am not sure it is because of this new routine or I'm just not having a problem at the moment, but none of these things can hurt.

HI. Are you okay? I hope you are still here!! please still be here... I also suffer from it,but usually in the mornings. If I dont brush quite a few times its still there throughout the day, Even during brushing the taste of it makes me feel sick. I was looking online. I found somethng, don't know if uv tried it but they say make your own mouth wash with..Mix extracts of sage, calendula, and myrrh gum (all available at health food stores) in equal proportions and gargle with the mixture four times a day. Keep the mouthwash in a tightly sealed jar at room temperature. Even when you can't brush, you can rinse. U can carry this about with you,So if you feel you cannot talk to people, have some of this, alos carry spices & herbs etc like cloves & chew on them,that way when you chat to people they will only smell the gloves etc. Also another tip I seen was carry your tooth brush. I know its hard but what if it can't be cured?!? what about trying to live with it, but that doesn't mean you can't speak to people.Yes its embarrassing & causes other problems in life, but try and give these tips a bash. If you chew on cloves,rince with the home made mouth wash or shop bought mouth wash etc throughout the day I think it'll be less likely for others to smell it. Also clean your toungue & brush & floss teeth throughout the day(every chance you get).. I hope something will help for you. Please comment again so we know your okay!! Id also advise you to see your GP dentist aswell.. Speak with family members or someone you feel you feel comfortable with,tell them how your feeling. If you cant, why don't you speak with simaritans, they are a good help. Take care xx

Some people like myself suffer bad breath as a result of a condition which affects the back of the nose(the point where your throat closes in order to swallow). A build up of mucus runs from the back of the nose and down the throat varying in consistency, and it's usually fairly constant. The mucus can vary from being thin like watert, to a thick, difficult to swallow mucus. A glad in the head over produces this mucus as a protection. Different things can trigger it. For some it may be during summer when they suffer more due to pollen. Unfortunately, I think I'm allergic to damp old Britain so I have it year round, unless I go on holiday abroad to a drier climate. The condition is called Catarrh, or Post Nasal Drip. There are a variety of ways to treat it from saline nasal douching to laser surgery. My fear with surgery is that unless the gland that produces the mucus is removed, it will carry on producing the mucus, and any effect surgery may have will only be temporary, however I've not researched surgery so my fears could be completely unfounded. I'm looking to buy an electric, nasal and sinus cleanser which uses a saline solution called a Sinupulse. I've read up about it and it looks promising. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd really like to hear.





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hi i have a very unusual problems which is also bad breath related..when i sleep at night i get a build up of silivea in my mouth which leads to spitting into a bin several times throughout the night..this has been happening now for 5 years and is gettin worse... i wake up in the morning and the smell would knock a horse..i tred leaving chewing gum in my mouth at night time to stop the smell but nothin works...ive done everthing but someone says it could be my organs thats causing the smell...is this true and why am i creating all this silivea whilst trying to sleep...please help...





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Hi, I have really bad breath all the time and it is bringing me down so much. iv had problems with my nose in the past it can be constantly blocked or constantly runny. Iv been to specialists in the past and have been told that this problem is down to asthma and I was also told to use a product called nasonex for my nose. I have been doing everything I have been told and also constantly trying new products to freshen my breath but nothing has worked for me at all. please help :(





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I have a hole at the left side of my throat near my tonsil which collects plaque. It smells horrible and i have to constantly scrape away this plaque with my finger. Is there anything that can be done about it





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i have bad breath any solution please.





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Hi all. Please see my posts below about Profresh. It seems like there are a lot of distressed people on here & i would love to be able to help at least one person. I always wish that someone had told me about Profresh sooner so I could hsve enjoyed more of my life. Anyway! Heres an update: I tried the Profresh toothpaste recently...it worked fantastic but tastes disgusting! I think il keep it for nights out etc but def not day to day use! Laura xx





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i have tried that laura and unfortunutly it doesnt work for me, i have tried everything there is, cant belive docotrs wont help with this in any way, there answer is just brush more and use mouth wash i do this sevral times and still nuthing! x

I'm sorry to hear that Profresh didn't work for you Charlie. It only works if your halitosis is due to an overgrowth of bacteria on the back of the tongue. The fact that it hasn't worked for you suggests an underlying physiological cause. I'm not an expert but I would research post nasal drip & tonsil stones etc. Sorry if you have already done this & this is useless advice! Best wishes, Laura.





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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