Sometimes, even the best oral hygiene in the world cannot help you from getting rid of bad breath. This usually happens when the condition that causes it is not directly related to the state of your oral care. One such cause is due to infections. In this group, there are many types of infection that cause your breath to smell. It is very important to understand that in such a situation, the only way to get rid of bad breath is to treat the infection. This might involve antibiotics and it is crucial that you consult a doctor before taking up any medication yourself.
Below are some examples of such infections that might affect your breath conditions.
Strep Throat
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the tissues located in the back area of your throat (also known as pharynx) and the adenoids or tonsils. It is a common disease and it is very common cause of bad breath.
Foul mouth odors are actually a symptom of the infection. The tissues mentioned above will get inflamed and irritated and this will cause severe sore throat. The most common symptoms are a fever that is higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, difficulty and pain in swallowing, different areas of the throat and tonsils presenting yellow or white spots and swollen lymph nodes present inside the neck.
Children can also develop strep throat and, as a result, may suffer from headaches, body aches, nausea, stomachaches and vomiting. It is easy to differentiate from colds as strep throat does not come with the associated symptoms of runny nose, coughing or sneezing.
In most cases strep throat will go away on its own in a few days but may also require antibiotics in order to eliminate the threat of possible complications like rheumatic fever. To eliminate this risk, be sure to consult a specialist as soon as symptoms appear.
Nasal Polyps
Nasal Polyps are a mass of swollen tissue that is mucus covered, which grows out of the sinuses into the nasal passages. More than one nasal polyp can appear and they will block the passage, making it very difficult to breathe and smell. It will cause the person suffering from it to only use the mouth for breathing, which will eventually dry the mouth.
This condition usually appears in individuals who suffer from respiratory allergies or chronic sinus infections. Nasal sprays that contain corticosteroids are used to treat small polyps and if they do not respond to such a treatment option, surgery is needed in order to remove them. The problem is that in most cases nasal polyps do return even after being properly treated. We can thus experience a constant struggle with the condition and bad breath would be the least of our worries in this situation.
Sinusitis
Another highly common infection that causes bad breath is sinusitis. People affected by this condition will tend to notice that their mucus usually have a really bad odor of its own. Let us understand how this comes about.
Mucus is made out of interlinked layers of protein. When mucus covers the back areas of the throat and tongue, it will create an environment that is oxygen free. This condition is known as post nasal drip and it is a direct cause of bad breath in people suffering from sinusitis. Anaerobic bacteria can feed on it and often that post nasal drip can cover large areas of the mouth allowing bacteria to easily multiply and produce waste products. These result in the foul smell we are familiar with. Patients suffering from sinusitis can also experience a constant need to swallowing because of mucus gathering at the back of the throat.
When talking about sinusitis and bad breath, we are dealing with two agents that cause foul odors: mucus and anaerobic bacteria. This is why the bad breath exhibited by patients is one of the strongest of all bad breath cases caused by various infections.
Closing Thoughts
Although all of these infections are well known to cause bad breath, it is important to understand that other infections can also have the same effect on our body. These examples include lung infections and mouth infection. Sometimes they are even linked to each other. For instance, if you are suffering from sinusitis and you are exhibiting dry mouth and throat, this could lead to mucus reaching the lungs because the road to the stomach is not moist enough to guide it properly. We will thus get a complication of sinusitis that will manifest itself as an infection of the lungs.
The best way to handle any type of infection, both internal and external, is to consult a doctor. There are different tests that need to be performed in order to understand which treatment solution will work best. Also, there is the possibility of developing various complications that can lead to even more problems such as having to undergo surgery. Hence, it is always advisable to consult your doctor when in doubt.
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