Halitosis

Clinic

• Also called Bad Breath, is a symptom in which a noticeably unpleasant breath odor is present
• It can result in anxiety and also associated with depression and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.
• It may be divided into genuine and non-genuine cases.
  • 85% of cases come from inside the mouth.
  • 15% due to nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, esophagus or stomach disorders.
  • Rarely, bad breath can be due to an underlying medical condition such as liver failure or ketoacidosis.
• Non-genuine cases occur when someone complains of having bad breath but other people cannot detect it

Causes

Fetor hepaticus: A rare type of bad breath caused by chronic liver failure. Lower respiratory tract infections Kidney infections and kidney failure Carcinoma Trimethylaminuria Diabetes mellitus. Metabolic condition

Dental decay /Recent dental extraction sockets / Acrylic dentures Interdental food packing Oral infections Oral ulceration Fasting Stress/ Anxiety Menstrual cycle Smoking Alcohol Volatile foods Xerostomia

Halitophobia

• One quarter of the people seeking professional advice on bad breath have an exaggerated concern of having bad breath known as Delusional halitosis
• They are sure that they have bad breath, although many have not asked anyone for an objective opinion.

Remedies

Bad Breath + Moist Mouth	Merc	Highly offensive odor from the mouth with a constantly moist mouth due to increased saliva. Salivary glands are overactive and produce saliva in high amounts. The saliva is also offensive. The odor of breath is so severe that it fills the whole room. Along with excessive saliva, the thirst for water also increases. Merc Sol is also helpful in the treatment of Bad Breath arising out of dental conditions like tooth decay and gum infection with spongy, bleeding, discharging gums. Bad Breath with ulcers in the mouth as well. A sweet metallic taste may be present along with Bad Breath in all the conditions mentioned above.	Oral Halitosis + Oral Lichen planus + Salivation + Aphthous stomatitis
Bad Breath + Dry Mouth	Puls	She has no desire to drink water in spite of a dry mouth, which adds to the offensiveness of the odor. The tongue seems to be covered with thick mucus. The taste of mouth is also varied, ranging from salty, bitter and foul or in a few cases, no taste at all.	Pulsatilla suits hot-blooded patients with a Desire for cool open air. Thirst for water is absent.
Due to decayed teeth or Cavities	Kreos	Complain of bleeding from gums along with decayed teeth. Bitter taste in mouth is frequently noticed.
Bad Breath + Gingivitis	Hep	Gingivitis + Pyorrhoea Alveolaris (discharge of pus and/or blood from gums). Only pus is discharged from the gums with offensive breath. Hep helps treat the root cause and aids in the absorption of the pus from gums, thereby reducing the intensity of Bad Breath.
	Carb-v	Carbo Veg is the best remedy to treat foul breath associated with discharge of both pus and blood from gums. If pus and blood from gums with Bad Breath are accompanied by salivation, then Merc Sol is the best remedy.
Bad Breath + Constipation	Carb-ac	The accompanying symptoms are bloated abdomen due to constipation. The abdomen is painful due to excessive wind in it. The person may also complain of decreased or extreme loss of appetite. Nausea and bad taste in mouth are the added symptoms.

Other remedies

Due to Throat Complaints	Bell	Highly recommended in the very acute stages of throat infection with Bad Breath The throat, including tonsils, is markedly inflamed with a high fever.
	Hep	Bad Breath arises in throat complaints where pus collection appears on tonsils, letting out a bad smell.
Morning	Nux-v	Gastric complaints, including acidity and constipation; Sensitivity to cold air and a Desire for stimulants, including coffee, alcohol, spices
	Puls
Bad Breath after Eating	Sul	Hot-blooded with heated sensations in body with Bad Breath. A bitter taste in mouth may be present along with Bad Breath.
	Nux-v
Specific Odor of Bad Breath	Nux-v	Sour odor
	Rheum
	Ars	Garlic-like odor
	Asaf	Onion-like odor Chronic sufferers of wind or gas in the abdomen
	Lyc
	Nit-ac	Urine-like odor
	Benz-ac
	Graph
	Bell	Stool-like odor
	Bapt