Health Information

There is nothing wrong with the way Danny looks. He is good looking, with an awesome smile and gorgeous hair. But why is it nobody wants to be his friend, let alone go with him on a date? As Amanda, one of his ex-es confides, ‘It’s his breath. He has dragon breath.’ Halitosis, or dragon breath, is another word for bad breath. Although it’s not a life threatening condition, it does put a damper on people’s social life. believe it or not, there are people who seriously consider committing suicide because their smelly breath is isolating them from the world.

80-90% of halitosis is caused by problems in the mouth. There are bacteria in the mouth, and it’s normal, they keep harmful fungi (that can cause scurvy), from growing. The bacteria live off the food bits that are left between teeth or between teeth and gum. As a by product of their activity, these bacteria release chemical compounds with sulphur in it, and this is the main culprit of halitosis. The number of bacteria can get out of control due to any of the following:

- Mouth dryness
Breathing through your mouth (for example when your nose is blocked) and taking certain medications (like some anti-hypertensive and anti-depressant drugs) can cut the production of saliva. The saliva actually acts as a potent germ killer. If there is not enough saliva in the mouth to wash away the bacteria, it will make the breath smell worse. Mouth fresheners that contain alcohol can also make the mouth drier and instead of ‘freshening’ the breath, makes it stink.

- Lack of Mouth and teeth care
Normally you have to brush your teeth and tongue carefully at least twice a day after meals. When people don’t brush, the bacteria will have plenty of time to work on the food bits in your mouth and create serious problems. The problem is worse at the back of the tongue, where there is a layer of mucus where food can be deposited and decay, causing an awful smell. When there are caries (holes in the teeth), the problem can get even worse. Sometimes food gets lodged in the holes and this in turn becomes a fertile feeding ground for the bacteria. Bacteria can also work on the food stuck on the space between teeth or between teeth and gum.

- Post nasal drip
This is the accumulation of mucus that drips from the back of the nose. This can happen in people who often experience runny nose, either from a cold or an allergic reaction.

Besides the problem with bacteria in the mouth, there is also the problem of your diet and overall health habit. Cigarette smoking makes the mouth drier and this, of course, can make matters worse. The food you eat can also cause bad breath. You can easily tell when someone has been eating jengkol or petai from their breath, right? Some food, like garlic and onions, are metabolized (processed) into sulphurous compounds that are carried by the blood to the lungs, and can be identified in the breath. When people don’t eat enough vegetables and fruit, they can get constipated. The sulphurous metabolites produced by the bacteria in the colon can be absorbed into the blood and from there to the lungs, and from there, of course, to the mouth. So you see, the smell of your breath also depends on the food you eat.

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