How are stomach problems and bad breath related?

Halitosis – an unpleasant odor from the mouth of varying intensity – is a problem for many people. There are many causes of halitosis, and one of them is disruption of the intestines, stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

In order to stop an unpleasant odor, it is not enough to simply muffle it in various ways , it is necessary to find and eliminate the cause. Only a specialist can handle this, so self-medication in this case can be not only inappropriate, but also quite dangerous.

Masking an unpleasant odor can only relieve the existing problem for a short time and is not a cure for the patient.

Symptoms of stomach diseases

Bad breath itself is not a disease, but only a symptom indicating diseases of the internal organs. As a rule, this is gastritis, an ulcer or an infection. All these pathologies, in addition to bad breath, are accompanied by additional symptoms.

For example, with gastritis the following is observed :

• sour or bitter belching, which may result in foul breath;
• dull abdominal pain, which usually occurs either on an empty stomach or immediately after eating;
• coating on the tongue is white, sometimes there is a yellow coating;
• heartburn.

Colitis is accompanied:

• rumbling and bloating;
• increased gas formation;
• diarrhea;
• pain during defecation;
• cutting pain in the abdomen.

With pancreatitis there is:

• hiccups;
• bluish skin;
• flatulence;
• dyspeptic disorders;
• pain in the left hypochondrium and in the epigastric region.

Biliary dyskinesia has the following symptoms:

• bitter taste in the mouth;
• pain in the gallbladder area;
• darkening of stool and urine;
• dyspeptic symptoms;
• lack of appetite.

If a person has reflux esophagitis, in addition to an unpleasant odor when breathing, he experiences frequent heartburn and pain after eating hard foods.

Peptic ulcer disease is accompanied by clinical signs similar to those of gastritis, but their intensity is many times stronger.

Halitosis and its varieties

The disease is usually divided into three subtypes:

• True. It manifests itself as a really strong unpleasant aroma from the mouth and does not go away even after thorough brushing of teeth, treatment and following a proper diet. True halitosis is long-lasting and may even be accompanied by belching and severe gastrointestinal problems.
• Pseudohalitosis. It manifests itself as a barely perceptible odor, but it can be inconsistent. In most cases, it is associated with non-compliance with the diet and proper brushing of teeth, as well as an unbalanced diet.
• Halitophobia. The patient invents a problem for himself and does not want to put up with the idea that he does not have any disease. In this case, psychological help may be needed.

Most often, an unpleasant odor occurs after a night's sleep and can appear along with a strong plaque on the teeth and tongue. Sometimes halitosis manifests itself against the background of hunger.

Etiology of the phenomenon

The oral cavity is part of the digestive tract, and that is why pathologies of the stomach and other gastrointestinal organs can cause unpleasant breathing .

The cause of gastritis and peptic ulcers is considered to be the Helicobacter bacterium, and a recent experiment conducted by scientists showed that the connection between this bacterium and halitosis is very direct. It is the vital activity of Helicobacter that leads to the appearance of a rotten and sulfurous odor from the mouth.

In addition to Helicobacter, some foods can cause bad breath.

• Everyone knows that onions and garlic are the most common cause of this problem. It is due to the fact that these products contain volatile compounds of an element such as sulfur, and it is this that provokes the unpleasant odor.
• Milk is very rich in protein molecules, and they are an ideal food for anaerobic bacteria. They break down protein and release amino acids, which again are volatile sulfur compounds.
• Coffee contains acids, and after drinking it, an acidic environment is created in the oral cavity, which is favorable for the growth of bacteria.
• Alcohol provokes dryness in the oral cavity, which, in turn, gives impetus to the active production of sulfur; in addition, in such an environment, bacteria develop much faster, since the less humidity and oxygen in the oral cavity, the better the conditions for anaerobic bacterial flora.

Causes of odor

If the unpleasant odor is not associated with dental caries, gum disease or poor oral hygiene, the reasons should be looked for in the following:

• gastritis of all forms and peptic ulcer;
• poor functioning of the gastric sphincter, due to which undigested food again enters the stomach and begins to rot, which causes heartburn, bad breath, diarrhea;
• poor nutrition, most often accompanied by constipation or diarrhea;
• pancreatitis;
• renal failure, the smell is accompanied by pain in the organ area;
• liver and gallbladder diseases;
• diabetes mellitus of all types.

The main causes of problems

By the smell of your mouth you can determine the disease that provoked it, for example:

• rotten - gastritis or helminthiasis;
• sour – pancreatitis, ulcer;
• bitter - stagnation of bile;
• putrefactive - colitis, enteritis or diverticulum of the esophagus.

Important! Bad breath alone cannot be the basis for starting treatment. The patient must donate blood for general and biochemical analysis, undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs and undergo fibrogastroscopy of the stomach.

Medicines

To treat bad breath from the stomach and get rid of it, it is necessary to use medications - Almagel, Omeprazole, Festal, Ursosan, Rennie tablets. The drugs affect the secretion of enzymes, the production of gastric juice, and have an enveloping property. If the stomach hurts, then special medications are prescribed that eliminate cramps.

Despite the effectiveness of using these medications, you should not self-medicate; it is better to consult a specialist, since any medicine has contraindications and side effects, and only a doctor, after weighing the risks and positive aspects, determines which medication is appropriate for treating the disease, especially when it comes to a child.

Factors influencing the occurrence of odor on an empty stomach

Halitosis can be observed not only with pathology, but also on an empty stomach . This happens due to the fact that proteins and fats begin to be intensively processed, and ketones also begin to be produced, which have a rather characteristic odor.

The smell of your mouth on an empty stomach is very similar to the smell that appears with diabetes.

Prolonged fasting leads to the fact that the body begins to send signals to the brain that there is a lack of glucose, and it urgently needs to be replenished. As a result of prolonged fasting, vitamin deficiency develops ; the mechanism for the appearance of an unpleasant odor is also associated with the active breakdown of proteins and fats and the formation of ketones.

How to eliminate odor while fasting

When a phenomenon such as hunger occurs infrequently, you should not worry; the smell will disappear after a certain time.

Those who continue their diet and limit themselves to various microelements useful and necessary for the body should take action and eliminate the unpleasant odor.

There are several simple and effective ways to help eliminate the symptom.

To remove unpleasant odor from your mouth, you need to follow these instructions every day:

• Drink more water. In addition to accelerating the metabolic process during a diet, a large volume of fluid inside the body makes it possible to muffle the unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.
• Use chewing gum regularly. But, you need to take into account that mints only enhance and emphasize the smell, so you need to choose chewing gum with a different taste. This technique is suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to frequently brush their teeth throughout the day.
• Use lollipops. They make it possible to neutralize the unpleasant odor from the mouth that comes from fasting.

The above measures will not help completely remove the smell, but for a certain time it will provide an opportunity to get out of an awkward situation.

Anyone can experience the problem of bad breath. To eliminate it, it is necessary to carefully study the probable causes that provoked the appearance of symptoms.

In any situation, you need to eat in a timely manner and not limit the body in beneficial microelements that allow the digestive process to function properly.

Diagnostic measures

To make a correct diagnosis and begin treatment appropriate to the situation, a thorough diagnosis is necessary; symptoms alone cannot be the basis for diagnosing a pathology, since a number of diseases are accompanied by similar symptoms, but have fundamentally different treatments.

The following diagnostic methods are prescribed:

• blood and urine analysis - general;
• blood test - biochemical;
• fibrogastroscopy of the stomach;
• if cancer is suspected, a biopsy and histological analysis are necessary;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• lithotripsy - identification and removal of stones in the bile ducts.

Additional studies may be required to help more accurately determine the optimal treatment regimen for the disease.

Treatment

If the bad odor persists for a long time, you should consult a therapist, who will prescribe general tests and, based on them, draw conclusions about the causes of halitosis. After this, a referral will be issued to a more specialized specialist who can cope with the underlying pathology.

Doctors who can help eliminate the cause of the odor:

• ENT;
• dentist;
• gastroenterologist;
• endocrinologist;
• surgeon.

In most cases, the reason lies in the oral cavity itself: it is enough to heal the aching tooth for the smell to go away.

How to cure: drug treatments

Drug treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is prescribed only by a specialist based on the results of tests and studies.

Therapy will of course vary depending on the disease, stage and reasons that caused it, but in most cases the gastroenterologist prescribes:

1. Amalgel - this remedy reduces the effect of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and relieves pain.
2. Omeprazole - needed to improve gastric motility.
3. Pancreatin and Festal - help improve the enzymatic activity of gastric juice, and also eliminate the process of rotting food coma in the stomach.
4. Ursosan is an antibacterial agent that leads to a balance of beneficial and opportunistic microflora in the stomach.
5. Amoxicillin - relieves inflammation in the mucous membrane, negatively affects pathogenic flora. Antibiotic.

Types of bad breath

The unpleasant smell due to stomach problems can be different, it depends on the degree of the disease itself.

Putrid smell

It is also often referred to as a “rotten egg” smell. This is a symptom of such a serious and chronic disease as stenosis. Here are the reasons for this condition:

• Motility is impaired and normal tone of the gastrointestinal tract is absent.
• There is an inability of the stomach tissues to properly and completely break down the incoming food due to weak muscles. It lingers in the stomach and is not pushed into the intestines.
• The internal glands of the stomach do not work well. The secretion of special enzymes and electrolytes is disrupted. This condition is characterized by low stomach acidity and insufficient production of gastric juice.

In such cases, a feeling of heaviness, bloating, discomfort and pain in the abdominal cavity are typical.

Sour smell

It appears when, on the contrary, a lot of gastric juice is released and acidity increases. As a result, the inner lining of the stomach is corroded by hydrochloric acid.

One of the symptoms is the occurrence of hiccups and belching, thus causing the release of air from the stomach into the esophagus. These are the main reasons for such a specific smell.

Nutrition adjustments

Diet is a very important point in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The patient must constantly adhere to dietary nutrition, since chronic pathologies can worsen precisely due to errors in nutrition.

The diet rules are as follows:

• food intake should be carried out in fractions - 5-7 times a day;
• It is better to wipe the first dishes;
• dairy products are allowed to be consumed only with reduced fat content;
• It is advisable to steam the main courses;
• preference should be given to dietary varieties of meat and fish;
• It is recommended to consume more jelly from dry or fresh fruits;
• Confectionery products should be excluded from the diet.

You should limit your consumption of the following foods:

• sour apples;
• cabbage;
• grape;
• plums;
• carbohydrates;
• sugar;
• spicy and smoked dishes;
• difficult to digest foods.

Prevention

To prevent the creation of the described situation, it is possible to take the following preventive measures:

1. Compliance with oral hygiene regulations.
2. Walking in the fresh air with sufficient oxygen intake.
3. Regular sports and physical exercise.
4. Undergoing regular preventative medical examinations.
5. Compliance with all the gastroenterologist’s instructions to prevent such situations in the future.

Bad breath can ruin your mood in the here and now and cause self-doubt in the long run. Especially if you don't know why it appeared.

The condition, well known to doctors as halitosis, can have both minor and serious causes. In the latter case, diagnosis and treatment are required, so a visit to a specialist is definitely not possible. On the other hand, if you are sure that everything is in order with your health, here are three things that could have caused everything to happen:

Research shows that the most common cause of bad breath is bacterial plaque, especially on the teeth, gums and tongue. And while poor or poor hygiene is often to blame, a common trigger is dry mouth—an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive and thrive. This also explains the fact that most people’s breathing in the morning (since saliva production stops during sleep) can hardly be called pleasant.

Although this state of affairs is less common compared to the previous reason, it may still work in your case. Extremely bad breath—much worse than normal—could be a sign of lung disease, according to dentist Harold Katz in Medical Daily. In addition, bad breath can be a symptom of diabetes, respiratory tract infections, inflammation of the tonsils and some other diseases. Plus, in some cases, the side effects of the medications you take as recommended by your doctor can also be associated with bad breath.

How to get rid of it using folk remedies?

Folk remedies are an excellent addition to the treatment of pathologies of the stomach and other organs of the digestive tract. They allow you to adjust their functionality and are relatively safe. The recipes presented below are divided into those that directly combat the odor itself, and recipes that improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Important! However, it is not recommended to prescribe yourself treatment with traditional recipes. For some diseases, treatment with traditional methods can only worsen the situation and lead to complications.

In what cases can they be used?

Everyone understands that some serious diseases cannot be cured with herbs . But with mild stages of gastritis and colitis, it is quite possible to get by with gentle treatment with medicinal herbs. Many of them have antiseptic properties, which means they will perfectly eliminate inflammatory processes.

Traditional recipes can be used as a supplement to main therapy, as well as for short-term relief from bad breath.

Recipes

To mask an unpleasant odor at home, you can prepare the following medications:

1. Cloves, cinnamon, mint, parsley . 300 ml of water, a teaspoon of cloves, the same amount of cinnamon and peppermint extract, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped parsley. Bring water to a boil, then add all the listed ingredients into it. Boil for 5 minutes, strain and cool. Store the liquid in the refrigerator and, if necessary, rinse your mouth to freshen your breath.
2. Juniper . It is recommended to chew juniper fruits - 3-5 pieces at a time. This will not only help freshen your breath, but also significantly improve digestion.
3. sage, chamomile and mint one tablespoon at a time . Brew the herbs with half a liter of boiling water, leave and rinse your mouth.
4. Anise, dill, fennel . Halitosis can be eliminated with star anise, dill seeds and fennel seeds. It is recommended to chew these spices for a long time and then swallow them.

For digestion:

1. Tea with calendula . Brew several dried flowers of the plant with a glass of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes and drink after each meal.
2. Flax seeds are an excellent natural remedy for stomach problems. Every morning, we recommend brewing 3 tablespoons of seeds with a glass of boiled water (60-70 degrees). Take half a glass 2 times a day half an hour before meals.
3. Honey, lemon, ginger . Place half a liter of liquid honey in a half-liter glass jar, add the zest of 1 lemon, a teaspoon of ginger powder and fill everything with vodka. Leave for a month in a dark, warm place. Then strain, bottle and refrigerate for another month. Take 25 ml after each meal.

Below is a video with practical tips on how to get rid of bad breath:

Self-treatment

To get rid of halitosis, you need to fight the key disease, the halitosis symptom. But what should you do if, while treatment is taking place, the unpleasant odor coming from the stomach does not want to go away? The doctor prescribes therapy for the underlying disease, without giving recommendations on how to get rid of the problem. In addition to taking prescribed medications (pills), there are a number of things you can do that can speed up your recovery and combat halitosis.

1. Cleaning the tongue. To standard brushing of teeth in the morning and evening, you should add a procedure for cleaning the surface of the tongue. The best time is evening, the tool is a teaspoon. With careful, attentive movements, the tongue is cleared of whitish coating. It brings discomfort, but gives an effect.
2. Hygiene devices with high quality. You should not save on your own teeth. Maintaining a better oral position is truly beneficial for people with halitosis. You should keep your appliances in order, preventing infection from entering the oral cavity while brushing your teeth with dental floss or brushing.

A person’s opinion about bad breath is subjective, but even taking this factor into account, it is imperative to combat halitosis. Fortunately, the disease is treatable and does not require special attention.

Which doctor should I contact?

A gastroenterologist treats diseases of the digestive tract. If you have problems like this, you should contact him.

It is very important to promptly diagnose the disease that leads to bad breath. If you ignore the symptoms of pathology, you will not be able to avoid the development of complications .

Regarding the prevention of halitosis caused by pathologies of the stomach and intestines, you should:

• avoid overeating (after each meal there should be slight hunger);
• chew food thoroughly (thus, digestion will proceed faster and the risk of putrefactive processes will be reduced to zero);
• drink a lot of water (liquid will facilitate and accelerate the removal of rotting products from the gastrointestinal tract).

Halitosis is an unpleasant but treatable condition; the main thing is to start taking the right measures in time.

Drug treatment

Sometimes, when halitosis occurs, drug treatment is required. The drugs used in this case include:

• Almagel. Used for gastrointestinal diseases. Perfectly coats the gastric mucosa, relieving inflammation and eliminating harmful bacteria. After several days of use, the unpleasant odor from the mouth disappears.
• Omeprazole. Perfectly improves the functioning of the gastric tract, promoting accelerated digestion of food, which prevents the formation of halitosis.
• Amoxicillin. An excellent antibiotic that can kill an overly acidic environment, making it possible to establish the correct microflora of the intestines and stomach. In this case, amoxicillin is quickly eliminated from the body naturally.
• Ursosan. Prescribed for abnormal functioning of the biliary tract.
• Festal. It improves the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, promoting the removal of toxins from the body.

All drugs are prescribed strictly by a doctor in individual dosages. You should not self-medicate to avoid complications, including death.

If you regularly experience bad breath from the stomach, treatment should only be prescribed by an experienced doctor, based on the results of the examination. For therapy, medications are often used, in particular such as:

• "Phosphalugel";
• "Mezim Forte";
• "Omeprazole";
• "Almagel";
• "Festal".

"Phosphalugel" is an antacid that helps eliminate excess hydrochloric acid. In addition, it has an enveloping and absorbent effect. This medicine is taken to treat gastritis. The standard dosage is 1-2 sachets 3 times a day. For the treatment of infants, it is recommended to take 1 tsp. at the end of each feeding.

If you experience bad breath from the stomach, treatment with Omeprazole helps get rid of heaviness in the stomach and also promotes better digestion of food. Another good drug is Mezim Forte. The drug is taken to facilitate the digestion of food. The dosage is determined separately for each patient and depends on how severely the digestion is impaired.

To treat the disease, antibiotics, drugs that reduce acidity, drugs to restore the mucous membrane are used, and, if necessary, antispasmodics and painkillers are prescribed. Only an experienced doctor who can determine the dosage of the drug and prescribe a course of treatment should select medications.

Causes of the problem

Why bad breath occurs due to the stomach: gastritis - an inflammatory process that affects the mucous membrane of the organ - causes a deficiency of enzymes necessary for the complete digestion of food, it stagnates in the stomach, and putrefactive processes develop. They are the cause of bad breath.

So, what diseases can be accompanied by a strong foul odor from the mouth:

• Ulcerative lesions, inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis). As a result of the fact that the sphincter located in the lower part of the esophagus is weakened and does not close properly, a putrid odor enters the oral cavity.
• Inflammatory process in the intestines (the body tries to get rid of toxic substances not only through the digestive, but also the respiratory and excretory systems).
• Malfunctions of the liver and pancreas (including enzymatic deficiency).

In modern medicine, there are three main types of halitosis (the first two of them should not be treated):

• halitophobia;
• pseudohalitosis (physiologically caused or pathological);
• true halitosis.

In the first case, the cause of the problem is the patient’s usual suspiciousness. As a rule, such people seek medical help with a complaint of bad breath immediately after waking up. Obviously, it can be removed with regular dental hygiene. Pseudogalithosis is determined by the nature of nutrition and is temporary (episodic) in nature. Thus, a foul odor is a consequence of the presence of onions, garlic and other products with a strong odor in the diet, as well as insufficient thorough oral care.

How to get rid of unpleasant odor from the stomach?

Regardless of the degree of stomach disease, odors appear due to the proliferation of bacteria. Following some tips will help you get rid of them.

To do this, you need to use cleaners that reduce the activity of sulfur compounds that cause unpleasant odors.

The cause of unclean breath must first be determined. The main reason is a coating on the tongue, which reveals stomach diseases, in particular gastritis of various forms. Treatment can be carried out with medication, following a diet and folk remedies.