Health Experts Speak On Meaning Of Bad Breath When Wearing Coronavirus Mask

The Academy of General Dentistry has said that bad breath exhibited by some people when they wear face masks can be a sign of diseases and conditions, some serious. We present below some of the reasons as stated by the academy.

1. You’re not brushing right

When food is trapped between your teeth and under your gums, bacteria get busy breaking it down, leaving behind putrid gases that smell like rotten eggs or worse.

2. You ate or drank something smelly.

Foods like Coffee, Garlic, Fish, Eggs, Onions, Spicy food can easily cause bad breath. Many of the foods that contribute to stinky breath do so by releasing sulfides which smell like rotten eggs.

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3. You eat a lot of sweets.

Dentists say sticky candies such as gummies and caramels are the worst offenders. Plain Chocolate is recommended.

4. You’re on a low-carb diet.

Eating a lot of protein and few carbs forces your body into ketosis, when your system begins to burn fat cells for energy. The process creates waste products called ketones. Try drinking extra water to flush ketones out of your body.

5. You’re a mouth breather.

At night, saliva production is decreased, which is why many of us wake up with a rotten taste (and smell) in our mouths, even after diligent brushing and flossing. Mouth breathing or snoring further dries out the mouth, making your breath even fouler. Called xerostomia, dry mouth also potentially harmful as one might develop a sore throat, hoarseness, difficulty speaking and swallowing, problems wearing dentures and even a change in your sense of taste.

6. Your medications are partly to blame.

Hundreds of commonly used medications can dry out your mouth, contributing to rank breath. Some of the most common culprits are meds that treat anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, pain and muscle tension.

7. You’ve got a stuffy nose or allergies.

As your nose gets stuffy, you’re more likely to be breathing through your mouth, drying out tissues and reducing saliva flow.

If you have allergies, the struggle to stop the constant drip-drip-drip with an antihistamine can lead to bad breath, as well. Many of the prescription and over-the-counter meds used to combat colds, flu and allergies dry up more than just the nose.

Dentists recommend scraping the back of your tongue with a specially designed scraper and rinsing with a mouthwash containing chlorine dioxide.

8. You smoke or chew tobacco (or other things).

If you’re a smoker, you probably have no idea how the odour of tobacco clings to your clothes and belongings and especially your breath. Breathing in hot fumes dulls your senses, diminishing your ability to smell and taste.

Obviously, hot air will also dry the mouth. The loss of saliva, combined with the odour of tobacco, creates the infamous “smoker’s breath.”

9. You drink alcohol.

That, my wine-loving, beer-drinking, cocktail-imbibing friends, includes alcohol. Fight back by sucking on sugar-free candies or chewing sugar-free gum, as both stimulate saliva production. Don’t forget to drink water and brush and floss as soon as you can.

10. You have an underlying medical condition.

Do you have heartburn, acid reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD)? Puking up a bit of food or acid into your mouth can easily create bad breath.

More: CNN