Causes of Bad Breath: Throat Conditions

If you have bad breath, throat conditions and illnesses may very well be the cause of it. Of course, I am not speaking necessarily of the bad breath you get after eating a meal or the bad breath you get in the morning when you wake up. Rather, I am talking about the kind of bad breath that lingers around, always interfering with your social life and making you turn red in front of others. If you know what kind of bad breath I am talking about, then this information is for you.

I have to tell you, chronic bad breath is one of the most annoying things that can happen to someone in terms of social relations. This is why there is a treasure trove of information about hygiene, oral health, and dental products on the market today. The difficulty comes with narrowing down the cause of your halitosis, which is where this article comes in.

Throat conditions actually constitute a pretty frequent source of chronic bad breath – or halitosis – in the world today. When I say throat conditions, I am referring to anything that affects your throat beyond normal, everyday wear and tear – such as illnesses, diseases, and infections. Below I will cover three specific throat conditions that are fairly common causes of bad breath and poor oral health, so you can be armed with as much information as possible.

1) Strep Throat- If you have ever had this condition, then you know just how miserable it can make your life. Strep throat is like the mother of all sore throats. Your voice becomes raspy, fluids build up in the back of your mouth, your throat feels like sandpaper, and it hurts to talk or swallow anything, even water. Strep throat is caused by the streptococcus bacteria, which infects your throat and makes it painfully sore. This also causes bad breath (which admittedly may seem like the least of your worries at the time.)

2) Tonsillitis- Like with strep throat, bacteria can infect your tonsils – those fleshy pieces of lymphoid tissue at the back of your mouth that help maintain your immune system. They frequently come under attack from hostile bacteria and become infected, and when this happens, tonsillitis results. Debris from your throat, as well as infected cells, can become lodged in your throat and putrefy. When this happens, tonsil stones form. These stones will make your breath reek as long as they are in your throat, and they keep coming as long as you have tonsillitis.

3) Sinus Infections- While not taking place in your throat, sinus infections can result in mucus dripping down into your throat and causing an awful smell. This is what we call a post-nasal drip, and it can be very uncomfortable.

So, now that you know what throat conditions cause bad breath, you can take the next step towards a bad breath cure. Obviously, no amount of brushing or flossing will solve these problems. You will have to see a doctor to resolve these issues. He or she will more than likely put you on antibiotics if the condition is serious enough to warrant that kind of treatment. You may even have your tonsils removed (which is sure to keep you from ever having tonsillitis again!).  But no matter which condition causes your bad breath, know that halitosis is a warning sign that something could be wrong. Just remember that of all the conditions that cause bad breath, throat conditions are some of the most common out there.