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Halitosis Symptoms

Halitosis, which is another name for “bad breath,” is caused by oral bacteria being present in your mouth. There are many common Halitosis symptoms that you may be suffering from if you have this problem. These symptoms include:

1. You may have a white or yellow film on the tongue, which is caused by bacteria and nasal mucous accumulating. These are usually the heaviest in the latter areas of your tongue. Unfortunately, simply removing this food does not usually completely do away with a person's Halitosis problem. This is because some of the worst bacteria are found in your saliva, as well as in other areas of your mouth, besides your tongue.
2. You have a chronically dry mouth, which will actually make your bad breath become more concentrated in your saliva and thus become stronger and more obvious at further distances as your mouth becomes more conducive to oral bacterial growth.
3. You have tastes that are bitter, sour or metallic. These are usually caused by sinus drainage, medications that you are taking, dental infections and leakage from dental restorations.
4. You have post nasal drainage due to either sinus conditions or allergies. This usually contains a large amount of bacteria from your sinuses, which are broken down into amino acids that can become foul smelling.
5. You have white nodules on your tonsils that you may not even know are there because these are oftentimes swallowed unknowingly. These nodules have a bad odor though and can thus cause you to have bad breath.

Of course, there are certain risk factors that place you at higher risk of developing Halitosis. These things include:

1. Poor oral hygiene can put you at risk for Halitosis because when you do not brush and floss your teeth regularly and properly, food particles remain in your mouth. It is also important to see your dentist on a regular basis to have any plaque removed that regular brushing and flossing cannot get as when this builds up it can also cause you to have Halitosis.
2. High protein foods, lactose intolerance and the consumption of coffee can all put you at an elevated risk for Halitosis because of the high acidic levels in these foods, which take longer to break down.
3. If you use tobacco you are at a higher risk for developing periodontal disease, a decreased sense of taste and gum irritation. All of these things can also lead to Halitosis.
4. There are also some underlying medical conditions that can cause Halitosis. These include a respiratory infection (nose, windpipe or lungs), chronic bronchitis, having a chronic cough, Sinusitis, diabetes, a liver disorder, a kidney disorder or a GI disorder.

Now that you know what can put you at a higher risk of developing Halitosis, along with what the symptoms are, you can be on the lookout for this problem. The sooner you discover it, the easier it will be to diagnose and treat.