How to get rid of bad breath

Being human, means you are susceptible to certain “human” conditions Smelling is unfortunately one of them.

Smells are manifestations of what’s going on inside your body. This usually means on a physiological level but “can” also mean on a psychological level. By physiological, I mean eating badly, not detoxifying and so on. By Psychological, I mean negative thoughts and emotions.

We will address all of these on the forum but let’s first eliminate the most likely causes.

Bad breath
Oh the dreaded bad breath! You know what’s the worst thing about it? That the person with the problem usually doesn’t even know about it. People are also very reluctant to tell them so a person with bad breath may go on for years or even a whole lifetime without anyone telling them.

A good way of seeing if you have bad breath is to periodically lick your wrist and then smell it after a few seconds. This will give you a good indication.

Bad breath is usually caused by a specific group of factors. Bad breath can come from teeth, gums, throat, oesophagus, stomach or intestines. Causes can be infections, toxins or diet.

Mouth area
Visit a dentist! If you have bad breath, a likely cause can be gum trouble or teeth trouble. Infections, rotten teeth, gum disease can all be a cause. If the dentist tells you something horrific such as you need to have all your teeth out, get a second opinion and sometimes a third opinion.

A friend of mine in Iran was told by his dentist that they have to take all his teeth out due to gum trouble. Needless to say, he was horrified. He went for a second opinion and the specialist said the same. He then went for a third opinion and the 3rd doctor said the same.

On his way back from the 3rd doctor he decided to stop at the Attari (local herbalist in Persian) at the end of his road. The Attari gave him some herbs which he took for a month. His gums were healed and he didn’t have to have any teeth out! As simple as that.

So go to a dentist but don’t do anything dramatic such as pulling all teeth out unless you get a second opinion.

Sometimes you may find that a dentist can fix your problem and no more bad breath. It could be an infection which they usually give you anti-biotics for (not my favourite drugs) or it may be a cavity.

If you have bad dental hygiene, you may want to look at that too. Always brush your teeth at least twice a day. One at night and once in the morning and if possible, after lunch too. Also very important for you to BRUSH YOUR TONGUE at least twice a day. Brush it from the base up a few times. This is very important for getting rid of bacteria and bad breath. You will find that brushing your teeth and tongue regularly really helps clear up bad breath in a majority of cases.

Stomach region
People with really bad/foul breath may have a problem in the stomach. There is a difference in the actual smell of the breath between teeth problems and stomach problems but you have to have a sharp nose and experience.

Ulcers and ulcer-like problems can be a big cause of bad breath. Diet, stress and overall body health are a contributory factor here.

If you are getting a lot of stomach problems, cramps, indigestion, weakness or pain in the stomach, you must visit your doctor. They may advise a course of antibiotics (yes, here they are again!) to get rid of the problem.

Don’t under-estimate this as a cause of bad breath. Unfortunately, if you don’t follow a strict diet, the problem may come back and along with it, your bad breath!

A good diet here is a vegetarian diet, separating carbohydrates from proteins; so you have each at a different sitting.


Intestinal problems
Constipation is also another major cause of bad breath. If you imagine all those toxins and left-over food sitting in your intestines, they will sooner or later start rotting and the smell will work its way into your mouth, as well as other areas.

You must try and get rid of constipation at all costs. You can read more elsewhere on the forum.


Other factors

Eating/drinking regularly
Another MAJOR cause of bad breath is not eating/drinking regularly. Have you ever interrupted a workaholic half way through what they are doing? Chances are that they haven’t eaten or drank anything for hours and have bad breath. This is temporary bad breath but not good nonetheless.

I personally believe that the reason for this is that the body goes into a mini detox and starts throwing toxins out – bad breath being a clear indication of this.

My advice to you is to eat at least “something” regularly and drink regularly too.


Toxicity of the body
This is also a major cause of bad breath. A generally toxic body will smell and it will smell from everywhere, including the mouth. You must try and bring down your general level of toxicity. This is dealt with elsewhere on this forum.

Bringing phlegm up
Quite a few people have some very strange oral habits. Bringing phlegm up and spitting it out is NOT hygienic. You are brining bacteria and other toxins into your mouth region – toxins which are better left where they are!

If you are ill, then you may want to occasionally (once or twice a day only) bring some phlegm up and spit it out. But brining phlegm into your mouth is a definite no-no and not recommended. It is a sure way of getting bad breath.


Foods
It goes without saying that certain foods will give you bad breath. Heavy meat eaters will have a bad “meat” breath. Spicy foods, onions, garlic and alike can also give you bad breath. So can milk and dairy products. Watch your food and adjust accordingly. If you are a big meat eater, you may want to cut down on meat consumption.
Tea and coffee can also give you bad breath but this is a temporary bad breath, rather than a chronic problem.

Smoking
Smokers have horrible breath. Even if they don’t realise it or don’t want to admit it, their mouths are nothing like the mouth of an ordinary person. You can even smell a smoker at night if you are next to them. Their whole body, lungs and insides give out this horrible smell of smoke and its left-overs.

Smoking is a sure way of having bad breath, any time of day. Chewing gum does not cover it and brushing rarely covers it. Ask anyone who is with a smoker and they will tell you otherwise. If you have bad breath, you may tackle every aspect mentioned here but as long as you smoke, you will have bad breath. It may not be the “infection-smelling” breath of someone who has an ulcer or mouth problems, but it is “bad” breath nonetheless.



Active things you can do for your mouth
Brush your teeth and tongue. Use a mouthwash. Rinse with Tea-tree oil occasionally. Drink water. Stop smoking.