Why Does My Breath Stink?

It might seem like an embarrassing question to ask, but you are not the only person who wonders where exactly that smell is coming from! Without getting too scientific, there are five main reasons why you might want to chomp down on some Doritos to improve your breath!
Diseases and infections in your body can lead to halitosis (bad breath). In fact, for a number of conditions including lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, asthma, diabetes, and some blood and liver diseases, there are certain breath smells that are listed as symptoms. There are also a number of medications that can affect the smell of your breath, as many of us have experienced with certain fish oil pills!
Ingested substances – food and drink – can also cause bad breath, as they are digested and absorbed into your blood, which then transfers in your lungs to your breath. Smoking, alcohol, onions, and garlic are four of the top troublemakers in this category.
“Sinus breath” is caused when something is affecting your sinuses or sinus cavity. This could be post-nasal drip, sinusitis (basic sinus infection), cleft palate, and mouth breathing. Mouth breathing often leads a having a dry mouth (xerostomia) and the bad breath follows.
“Stomach breath” is usually related to various stomach disorders, such as acid reflux, GERD, heartburn, and bowel obstructions.
Finally, there’s just plain old “exhaustion breath.” This is that bad breath you have after a long day of work mixed with coffee, eating without brushing your teeth, stress, and talking.
Whatever is causing your bad breath, your dentist can talk with you about solutions today!