What Your Bad Breath Is Trying To Tell You

You’re not drinking enough water

Dehydration is the leading cause of bad breath other than poor dental hygiene, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not drinking enough water means food (and the bacteria that feed on it) hangs out in your mouth longer, breeding and heightening the stench. Fortunately the fix is as simple as the problem: Drink up! Water is best, but doctors add that sugar-free gum or candies can also help stimulate saliva flow.

You have a serious illness

Bad breath may smell equally stinky to our untrained noses but according to researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder, not all bad breath is created equally—and the presence of certain gasses in your mouth can indicate disease. For instance, excess methylamine may signal liver and kidney disease, ammonia may be a sign of renal failure, elevated acetone levels can indicate diabetes, and nitric oxide levels can be used to diagnose asthma, according to the scientists. A separate study found that a certain mix of bad breath gasses can even indicate malignant throat cancer. You can’t tell just from a sniff test but if you have chronic bad breath it might be worth getting a more sensitive test done in your doctor’s office.

You’re at risk for heart disease

Gum and heart diseases are closely linked, with gingivitis being an early warning sign of cardiovascular problems, according to a study done by the International & American Association for Dental Research. And one of the major signs of gum disease is bad breath. Treat your gum disease and not only do you ditch the noxious mouth fumes but you also improve your heart health. Don’t miss these other silent signs of clogged arteries.

You have tonsillitis

One of the hallmarks of sore-throat disease is persistent bad breath. The same bacteria that give you bad breath are the ones that also infect your tonsils, giving you recurrent sore throats. Tonsillectomy, a surgery that removes the two glands in the back of your throat, can help treat the sickness and bad breath, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

You’re at risk for pre-term delivery

Pregnant women need to pay particular attention to bad breath, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. Women with gum disease—often signified by halitosis—are more likely to have premature or low birth weight babies. This is why it’s so important to stay on top of your dental hygiene and checkups when you’re expecting, the group says. Here are other secrets dentists wish patients knew.

You have a stomach ulcer

When you think ulcers you probably think of terrible stomach pain, problems eating and heartburn. But you may be overlooking another common symptom of the malady: bad breath. Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria known to cause stomach ulcers and also responsible for a large proportion of gastric cancers, can also make your mouth mega malodorous, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. Here are other reasons your stomach pain is acting up.

You’re overweight

You can now add bad breath to the list of health problems caused by being overweight, according to a study from Tel Aviv University. The researchers found that the more overweight a person is, the more likely their breath will smell unpleasant to others. They’re still investigating why this is the case. It may have to do with biological dysfunction or it may be another example of the social stigma endured by the obese.

You need to eat more yogurt

Bad breath, or halitosis, is caused by an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in your mouth. But do you know what else is packed with bacteria? Yogurt! The humble dairy snack is a microbial superhero that can help fight off the stinky germs in your mouth and replace them with breath-friendly bugs.