The embarrassing secret you discover when wearing a mask - bad breath

The normalization of epidemic prevention and control has made more and more people discover the secret of their bad breath through wearing masks. According to statistics, the incidence of bad breath in China is as high as 27.5%, and about 1 in 4 people suffer from bad breath. Chewing gum, mouthwash, and anti-Helicobacter pylori toothpaste have gradually become necessities of exquisite life. But it is only a temporary solution, and the temporary freshness may even cover up the warning signals sent by the body. Don't take it lightly!

1. Why does bad breath occur?

1. Due to lifestyle, diet or disease, food residues are easily retained, forming tongue plaque or dental plaque, which is conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria; or because the amount of saliva secretion in the mouth is reduced, the antibacterial and self-cleaning ability of the oral cavity is weakened, and then Gram-negative bacteria increase: bacteria multiply in large numbers and cause bad breath.

2. Due to the decline of organ function, endocrine disorders, decreased immune function and imbalance of bacterial flora, the normal function of the oral mucosa is affected.

3. Local tissue blood supply obstruction caused by disease causes anaerobic bacteria to grow and multiply, or produce purulent secretions, which will also emit an unpleasant odor through metabolism and blood circulation, along with breathing.

2. How to improve bad breath?

1. Change unhealthy lifestyles, such as drinking too little water, poor oral hygiene habits, staying up late, dieting to lose weight, etc.;

2. Reduce the intake of special foods with strong taste, such as tobacco, alcohol, garlic, leeks, durian, stinky tofu, etc.;

3. Be alert to the following diseases and seek medical attention as soon as possible: (1) Periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, mucosal diseases such as oral ulcers, oral diseases such as caries, pulpitis, residual roots and crowns of teeth; (2) Nasopharyngeal diseases such as sinusitis, atrophic rhinitis, acute pharyngitis, nasopharyngeal abscess, suppurative tonsillitis, laryngeal cancer; (3) Respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, lung abscess, asthma, pneumonia; (4) Gastrointestinal diseases such as acute or chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal metabolic disorders, constipation; (5) Systemic diseases such as endocrine disorders, liver or kidney dysfunction, uremia, diabetic ketoacidosis, etc.

3. Special smell

1. Patients with lung abscess or bronchiectasis may exhale the odor of rotten meat;

2. Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection, acute or chronic gastritis, and peptic ulcer may exhale a sour odor.

3. Patients with pyloric obstruction and advanced gastric cancer may exhale the smell of rotten duck eggs;

4. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis may exhale the odor of acetone;

5. Patients with uremia or renal failure may exhale a rotten apple or feces-like ammonia or urine odor;

6. Patients with liver diseases such as cirrhosis may exhale the odor of wound decay or mud;

7. People with syphilis may exhale a foul odor.

8. Due to the appearance of tiny necrotic tissues in the body, patients with early-stage cancer may exhale a variety of characteristic volatile organic compounds through metabolism and blood circulation, such as 2-acetylpyrrole, 2-(dimethylamino)cyclohexanone, decane, carvacrol, 2-ethylhexyl acetate, diphenylethylene glycoside, etc. The complex components are mixed together to produce an unpleasant odor.

Pharmacists remind you: The most important thing for fresh breath is to maintain oral hygiene - brush your teeth well, clean your tongue and use dental floss. In daily life, pay attention to drinking more water, eat less sweets and fried foods; use serving chopsticks when dining out, and be careful of Helicobacter pylori infection~ Let's freshen our breath together and get closer to each other.

References

[1] Yael Adler. Secrets of the human body: serious things that cannot be said [M]. Beijing Science and Technology Press, 2020.

[2] Zhang Qun, Liu Xuenan, Chang Qing, Ao Shuang, Zheng Shuguo, Xu Tao. Detection of volatile sulfur compounds in oral cavity of preschool children and its related factors[J]. Journal of Peking University (Medical Sciences), 2015, 47(06):983-989.

[3] Zhang Jing. Analysis of factors related to bad breath & case report[D]. Wuhan University, 2016.

[4] Gong Yuhua, Pan Weijuan, Wei Benjuan, Yu Li, Guo Canjie. Study on the correlation between gastric Helicobacter pylori infection and halitosis[J]. Progress in Modern Biomedicine, 2015, 15(01): 66-68.