Do you hesitate to talk to someone because of your bad breath? Are you searching for some home remedies to cure your bad breath? Then we are here to show you some causes and a few home remedies that will help you deal with your bad breath.
What is bad breath? What causes bad breath?
Bad breath, also called halitosis, is mostly a sign of bad dental hygiene, dry mouth, or other mouth conditions. It can also be a sign of other conditions, such as diabetes and liver and kidney diseases.
Following are some of the reasons for bad breath:
– Gum disease: Gum disease includes gingivitis (gum inflammation), trench mouth (advanced gingivitis), and periodontitis (untreated gingivitis causes periodontitis).
– Bad oral hygiene: The most common cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. The food substances stuck in your teeth are broken down by bacteria; this action results in a bad smell.
– Dry mouth: Dry mouth can be caused by smoking or certain medicines. Your saliva helps wash your mouth; if your mouth is unable to make sufficient saliva, it can cause your breath to smell bad.
– Tonsil stones: Food stuck in your tonsil can harden into calcium deposits known as tonsilloliths/tonsil stones.
– Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD): A digestive disease in which the acid of the stomach returns to the food pipe (oesophagus).
– Cancer: Mouth cancer or cancer between your nose and mouth can also be responsible for causing bad breath.
– Diabetes
– Infection in the nose, throat, or lungs: Patients having Pneumonia cough up liquids that may smell foul.
– Sjogren’s syndrome: An autoimmune (the immune system attacks healthy cells) disease-causing dry mouth, dry skin, dry eyes, and muscle ache
– Kidney or liver disease
Suggested Home Remedies for Bad Breath:
1. Lemon Juice
Curing bad breath with a lemon rinse has been used for generations. The high acidic content in lemons prevents growth of bacteria on your tongue and gums.
What to do: Stir one tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of water and rinse your mouth with it thoroughly. You can also add a bit of salt to it and rinse your mouth before going to bed. This remedy will help to solve the problem of dry mouth which is one of the main reasons behind bad breath.
2. Parsley
Parsley contains chlorophyll that can help control bad breath.
What to do: Dip a handful of fresh parsley leaves in vinegar and chew them thoroughly for a minute or two.
You can also put parsley leaves through a juicer and sip the juice anytime you need to refresh your breath. The parsley will also aid digestion by reducing the production of intestinal gas.
3. Yoghurt
Yoghurt decreases the bacteria that produce bad/foul breath. In a human study, the results indicated that yoghurt might reduce harmful bacteria and oral malodour (unpleasant smell).4 Therefore, you may eat yoghurt to fight bad breath.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar makes a wonderful remedy for bad breath because of its acidic properties.
What to do: Stir one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink it before eating your meals. The vinegar will help in digestion as well as cure bad breath.
You can also drink one tablespoon of diluted apple cider vinegar after each meal.
You can also gargle often with apple cider vinegar mixed in a cup of water.
5. Baking Soda
Baking soda is great for preventing /getting rid of bad breath. Brushing your teeth with baking soda also reduce the acidity in your mouth and prevent bacteria from building up on the tongue.
You can also gargle with baking soda dissolved in warm water to kill odor-causing bacteria
Maintaining good oral health is essential for tackling bad breath, regular intake of water is also essential for keeping your breath fresh. After eating make it a habit to swish water around your mouth for a few seconds, this loosen food particles stuck between your teeth and helps clean up your mouth.
Note that if these do not help with the condition,seek proper medical attention as this could be as a result of an underlying health problem.
