Halitosis

About

Halitosis is an embarrassing condition that affects a person's self confidence. It is usually caused by bad oral hygiene.

Halitosis is a condition where a person suffers from oral malodor or bad breath. It reduces a person's self confidence and can cause embarrassment to the sufferer while communicating with other people. As a result, the affected person avoids social inter-actions and could be psychologically affected.

Halitosis is caused due to breakdown of food particles, saliva, blood or cells by bacteria. Most of the cases are caused by poor oral hygiene. Dental caries, mouth ulcers and mouth cancer are other oral causes of halitosis. Halitosis is also frequently caused by nose and throat infections. Other conditions like lung infections, fever, liver and kidney failure can also result in halitosis.

Improving oral hygiene with regular brushing of teeth, cleaning of tongue and using mouthwashes can help to improve halitosis. In some cases, treatment of the underlying cause of halitosis results in a cure.

'More than 90 million people suffer from chronic halitosis or bad breath. In most cases it originates from the gums and tongue.' (Source: www.valiasr-dental-clinic.com)

Some patients suffer from halitephobia. These patients have the delusion that they suffer from bad breath when it is not actually present. They get obsessed with cleaning their mouth repeatedly with mouthwashes and keep using chewing gums and mints. They also try to keep their distance from others and avoid social interactions. These patients require psychological support.

Reference:

1. S R Porter, C Scully. Oral Malodour (halitosis). BMJ 2006; 333:632�5.

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