Is Bad Breath a Sign of Illness?

The most common reason for bad breath is poor oral hygiene and/or diet and lifestyle habits, such as smoking.  If you do not brush and floss your teeth twice daily and/or schedule regular examinations with your dentist, you increase your risk of developing gum disease or other oral health issues. Gum disease occurs when bacteria builds up on your teeth and in the pockets of your gums. Your tongue and tonsils can also trap bacteria and food particles, which can result in halitosis.

It is important to be aware that, although halitosis is commonly the result of poor oral hygiene and/or lifestyle habits, it can also be an indication of an underlying health issue. One of the important things to be aware of in determining the underlying cause of your halitosis is what your bad breath smells like. The five most common types of bad breath people with halitosis have include:

• Rotten Egg Smell: If your bad breath is close to the smell of rotten eggs, this may be an indication that there is an issue with your digestive track, such as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), which can release egg-smelling gas when breaking down sulfur.
• Sweet or Fruity Smell: Bad breath that has a sweet or fruity smell may indicate ketoacidosis, which is complication of diabetes, and/or kidney failure. Because patients with diabetes or kidney disease do not produce enough insulin, they are more likely to produce ketones, which often resemble acetone and produce a sweet or fruity odor.
• Fungus or Moldy Smell: Microbial buildups, infections, or growths in the sinuses can result in breath that smells like fungus or mold. Patients with a sinus infection can experience thick mucus dripping to the back of the throat from the sinuses or nose. When breathing, this overabundance of metabolites, foreign particles, and microbes can cause an unpleasant smell that is similar to fungus or mold.
• Fecal Smell: If your breath has an odor similar to feces, this likely indicates that you have a bowel obstruction, which occurs when your small and/or large intestines are no longer able to process waste. If you are experiencing constipation along with breath that smells like feces, there is a very high chance that you have a bowel obstruction, which should be addressed immediately.
• Fishy Smell: If your kidneys are damaged and no longer able to filter waste, toxic chemicals can build up throughout your body, which can cause your breath to develop a fish smell.

Prognosis

If the underlying cause of your bad breath is due to issues such as GERD, sinus infection, vomiting, or poor oral hygiene, the prognosis is very good and bad breath should be resolved or cured within a few weeks, provided proper steps are taken on your part to practice good hygiene and that you follow any additional aftercare instructions. If the underlying cause of your bad breath is due to something more severe, such as a liver failure, ketoacidosis, or intestinal obstruction, the prognosis has the potential to be significantly worse, and even fatal. As such, it is important to be mindful of any changes in the way your breath smells and seek immediate care if you notice any significant changes to your breath that are not cleared away through normal methods. If there is an underlying health issue causing you to have bad breath, the sooner that issue is identified and treated, the greater likelihood you have of a positive prognosis.

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