Got bad breath and allergies at the same time? There’s nothing new with that. Bad breath and allergies are closely related in a way that the other is caused or triggered by the other. Yes, people who are suffering from allergies may tend to develop bad breath.
Let’s find out how bad breath and allergies are related.
Bad breath is in the first place caused by the buildup of bacteria in the mouth. This too is caused by a number of factors, and one of the most common is dryness of the mouth.
According to some studies, a dry mouth serves as a perfect hub for odor-causing bacteria. It is in this condition actually where bacteria causing bad breath to thrive and grow in numbers. The bacteria typically settle on the side, back, and top of the tongue and the more their number is, the more intense the bad breath. Well, the connection between bad breath and allergies emerge as allergies can cause mouth dryness. The idea behind this is that people who are suffering from allergies may tend to intake medications that may temporarily leave a disgusting odor into the mouth. Most of the medications prescribed for allergies may also trigger dryness of the mouth, then creating a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and proliferate. If this happens, bad breath no doubt occurs.
Several experts have further noted that bad breath and allergies in closely linked in a way that when a patient takes an anti-allergy medicine, chances are the medication may alter saliva production. The less saliva you have, the dryer your mouth is. It is interesting to note and understand that our saliva typically contains oxygen which in turn keeps our mouth fresh and clean. Now, the production of saliva is altered due to certain anti-allergy medications, the more the oral bacteria develop. The bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they can’t thrive and produce volatile sulfur compounds that cause bad breath in the presence of oxygen. So when you have less saliva in your mouth, lesser oxygen is present, creating an environment perfect for the odor-causing bacteria to buildup.
Another idea that may explain the connection between bad breath and allergies is the idea of postnasal drip. Postnasal drip is said to be the formation of mucus into the back portion of the person’s tongue. This happens when an area in the person’s soft palate is opened and this is so common with people who have allergies. The mucus is actually the portions where the bacteria live, and when the mucus is discharged it creates a foul smell and even a foul taste. Worse, the oral bacteria will feed upon the discharge, creating their own stinky waste products. This condition which is usually common among allergy patients is what adds the problem of bad breath.
So that’s basically how bad breath and allergies are closely related. If you want to eliminate bad breath, start eliminating allergies.
