Around 40 million people in the country suffer from chronic halitosis, i.e., bad breath; still, numerous individuals don’t seek help as they are embarrassed by the condition. Although a majority of bad breath problems are usually caused as a result of your oral health-related issues, some of them may even be caused due to other health issues which can be a sign of serious diseases at times. A number of studies suggest that 5%-10% of bad breath causes are due to diseases outside the mouth, which means there are roughly 2-5 million people whose bodies are warning them of serious health issues.

Proteins that are broken down in your mouth cause around 90% of bad breath. When bad breath occurs as a result of oral health problems, it usually smells like rotten eggs, which is caused due to cysteine breakdown on the gums or at the front of the tongue. This may be a sign of poor oral hygiene. Some of the different types of bad breath are

• Tonsil breath
  Tonsil stones or tonsillitis might be the cause of your bad breath. Bad breath due to tonsillitis can occur in chronic, acute, and recurrent forms. At times, food debris, bacteria, dead cells, and mucus end up getting trapped in the crevices of your tonsils. These materials eventually build up and calcify resulting in the formation of tonsil stones. Tonsil stones may contain compressed compounds of sulfur, bacteria, and mucus. The presence of these foul-smelling volatile compounds of sulfur in a person’s breath, which usually accompanies a tonsil infection is the prime indicator of a tonsil stone.

• Sinus breath
  Sinusitis can be defined as an inflammation of your nasal sinuses. It may be an acute short-term inflammation caused due to an infection or a long-term chronic condition complicated as a result of structural problems in the nose or allergies. The jelly-like soft overgrowth of the sinus lining, i.e., nasal polyps, grows through the tunnel linking the sinuses to the nose. They cause a blocked airway more than often, which can then lead to sinus infections. These infections can later cause bad breath. Similarly, mucus, which is a thick wet substance that moistens the respiratory system and helps trap and destroys bacteria or viruses before they can cause infection, is also known to cause bad breath.

• Lung breath
  Lung conditions and infections such as pulmonary abscess, tuberculosis, emphysema, pneumonia, and bronchitis can often be causes of bad breath. People who have asthma are more likely to suffer from dry mouth as it restricts air flow which causes sufferers to breathe from their mouth very often.

• Gut breath
  The digestive system causes a number of bad breath problems. Bad breath caused by the gut is usually a sign of imbalance in the digestive system. Any condition in which air from the stomach is allowed to move up into the esophagus and the oral cavity may cause halitosis. Some of the examples of these conditions are bloating, burping, constipation and bowel obstruction.

If you are suffering from bad breath, the first step is to go for a dental examination. There are also a number of natural remedies and supplements available in the market today that can help reduce halitosis.