Halitosis is an unpleasant breath odor that emanates from the mouth. Bad breath affects not only your self-confidence but also your relationships. Here, we will discuss the different causes of bad breath and introduce some simple yet effective ways to help you reduce or remove unpleasant odors and get you back to smelling fresh.
10-Second Bad Breath Self-Test
First, let us assess whether we have bad breath. There are two simple ways to perform a self-test:Method 1: Smell Your Breath
You can cover your mouth and nose with your hands, then exhale through your mouth, sniffing to see if it smells bad. If there is a peculiar odor that doesn’t smell like normal bad breath, you should consult a doctor.Method 2: Smell Your Saliva
Lick your wrist with the middle of your tongue and smell it after about 10 seconds. If it smells unpleasant, you may have bad breath.Causes of Bad Breath
There are many reasons for bad breath. In general, it is mainly caused by problems inside the mouth, while it is only sometimes due to problems outside the mouth.1. The Higher the Sulfur Content, the Worse the Smell
The leading cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. If you do not rinse your mouth and brush your teeth after a meal, there will be food residues, and the volatile sulfides produced by food residues in the mouth can easily cause bad breath.I once discussed this issue with a biochemist. He said that someone had done an experiment and found that the “sulfur” in some molecules was the primary cause of the odor of the molecule. The smell disappeared after the sulfur atom in the molecule was removed and replaced by oxygen atoms.
2. Staying Up Late, Anger, Too Much Fire in the Body
Staying up late is also a leading cause of bad breath. This bad habit will cause the body to generate fire, called “deficiency fire” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Deficiency means the body is weak, and fire means the body has too much internal heat.3. Oral Disease
Oral diseases such as periodontal disease, tooth decay, ulcers, mucositis, and gum disease can cause severe bad breath. If periodontal patients have loose teeth, it is not unusual for them to have foul-smelling breath.4. Different Smells Indicate Problems in Specific Organs
Halitosis caused by something outside the oral cavity may be related to an issue with the viscera. Problems with viscera may also cause some nasty smells. By understanding what type of smell is coming from the patient, TCM practitioners can deduce the patient’s ailment. For example, liver disease usually produces a foul smell; heart disease, a burnt smell; spleen disease, a sweet smell; lung disease, a fishy smell; and kidney disease, a rancid smell. According to my clinical experience, the patient is highly likely to have uremia whenever I detect the smell of ammonia.In addition, from Western medicine’s viewpoint, if you detect a sour smell, it may be acute or chronic gastritis, or peptic ulcer. The smell of rotten eggs can mean gastric outlet obstruction or advanced gastric cancer.
TCM Solutions for Bad Breath
Some people rely on chewing gum to eliminate bad breath, but chewing too much gum will cause excessive gastric acid secretion. I recommend a simple yet effective TCM recipe for halitosis.1. White Cardamom
The Chinese medicinal herb white cardamom, which has a fresh aroma and warms the stomach, can be found in TCM stores. You can put a small white cardamom pod in your mouth in the morning, noon, and night to relieve or eliminate bad breath.2. White Cardamom Honeysuckle Tea
Put 10 grams (0.4 ounce) of white cardamom, 20 grams (0.8 ounce) of honeysuckle, and a few tea leaves into a thermos bottle. Add boiling water, cover, and drink it once it’s steeped. The tea will reduce your bad breath or make it disappear entirely.3. Tea Leaf
If you ate onion, garlic, or another smelly food earlier, chew a piece of tea leaf in your mouth to temporarily remove the peculiar smell.4. Celery
If you ate meat but forgot to brush your teeth and there is a taste of rotten meat in your mouth, you can also chew a piece of raw celery to improve your breath. Chewing tea leaves helps with this smell, too.5. Durian Shell
The strong taste of durian lingers in your mouth after you’ve eaten it. You can put a little water in the durian shell, then drink it or rinse your mouth to reduce the remaining durian smell. You can also wash your hands with the same mixture to remove the durian smell from your hands.Tips to Avoid Bad Breath
- Eat less inflammatory food: Inflammatory foods include deep-fried, pan-fried, and other fried foods, as well as hot and dry foods such as biscuits and peanuts. Do not eat too many spicy and pungent foods, such as onions, ginger, garlic, and curry.
- Stick to light fare: To avoid heavy breath, having a light daily diet can help. Steamed, blanched, or cold salad is a good option. You can also choose to eat bitter gourd, white bamboo shoots, winter melon, and other less inflammatory foods.
- Drink plenty of water after coffee: Moreover, when you drink too much coffee, your saliva decreases, and the unpleasant smell in your mouth will become stronger. Drinking plenty of water after having coffee is recommended to reduce the smell significantly.