Every person is part of society. It is difficult to imagine situations in which we can do without communication, be it communication with friends, colleagues, love relationships, business interviews and much more. You need to look good in any situation, but that’s not all. Your breath odor is very important. It should be fresh and not disgusting. If your breath smells like shit, then this is bad not only from an aesthetic and social point of view, but also indicates the presence of serious health problems. In this article we will indicate the reasons why this phenomenon may occur, and also learn how to get rid of it. Please read the information provided carefully to ensure you are as safe and equipped as possible.
How to test yourself?
Quite often, a person does not even realize that he has an extremely unpleasant odor from his mouth. If your breath smells like shit or another unpleasant odor emanates, this indicates the presence of quite serious and dangerous diseases. So check yourself right now. In any case, there is no need to panic; today almost any pathology can be treated.
So, in order to understand that you have bad breath, follow these steps:
- The simplest, but not free, way is to buy a special device with which you can determine the freshness of your breath.
- The check can be done very simply and trivially. Bring your palm to your mouth and exhale air into it, then smell it.
- Dental floss can also help. Use it, then also bring it to your nose.
- You can ask a loved one to help you. Breathe on him and ask him if his breath smells like shit.
- Also pay attention to the appearance of the tongue. If it is completely white, or there are small white dots on it, then this will indicate the presence of an unpleasant odor almost 100%.
In what cases is there no reason to worry?
If you're wondering why your breath smells like shit, think about what you recently ate. Very often this happens after the stomach begins to digest food with a specific smell, for example, onions or garlic. This phenomenon will go away on its own in a couple of days. But if you add to all this an alcohol-containing drink with a curd dessert, the smell will be simply incredibly terrible. If this “pleasant aroma” does not disappear within a few days, then this may indicate serious problems with your health.
How to distinguish a normal smell from a problematic one?
If an unpleasant symptom occurs exclusively in the morning and goes away after brushing your teeth, then we are talking about a physiological norm. If bad breath is observed after hygiene procedures and becomes protracted, then this deviation requires the closest attention from parents.
In addition, it is worth noting that the above risk factors can be eliminated. However, if hygiene is maintained, respiratory infections and specific foods are excluded, and the unpleasant symptom persists for a long time, this is a good reason to consult a doctor.
In this case, altered breathing can signal very specific diseases. Let's look at which ones further...
Breath smells like shit: possible causes
There are several reasons that contribute to the occurrence of strong odor from the mouth. Such reasons are extremely dangerous, as they indicate the presence of diseases. So, most often a child’s breath smells like shit due to diseases of the digestive or respiratory systems, as well as due to pathologies of the oral cavity itself.
The presence of an unpleasant odor is a symptom that should never be ignored.
Types of pathologies
Quite often, an unpleasant odor in the mouth appears as a consequence of diseases of the digestive system such as ulcers, gastritis or enteritis. Pathology can also occur due to improper digestion and stagnation of food. There are diseases in which food begins to accumulate in pouches on the walls of the esophagus. This is what makes your breath smell like shit.
The causes of the phenomenon may also be associated with diseases of the respiratory system. The presence of such an unpleasant phenomenon may indicate that the patient has serious pneumonia, which has already acquired a purulent character. Bad breath also indicates serious forms of pneumonia and tuberculosis.
Also, the smell of feces from the mouth occurs if the patient suffers from purulent tonsillitis, sinusitis or other dangerous diseases that affect the throat or nose.
Risk factors affecting fresh breath
Let's start by identifying the reasons that negatively affect healthy breathing. At the same time, we note that microflora imbalance can occur even in healthy children. This happens for a number of reasons:
- failure to comply with hygiene rules, as we have already outlined;
- dry mouth due to insufficient saliva;
- insufficient water and fluid intake;
- breathing through the mouth, out of habit or due to nasal congestion;
- oral infections (untreated caries, gum disease, etc.);
- consumption of foods with a pungent odor (garlic, onions) or those that provoke fermentation (legumes, grapes);
- taking medications;
- hormonal imbalance;
- smoking (relevant for teenagers).
Thus, in most cases, the cause of bad breath is problems in the oral cavity, infections and poor diet.
Pay attention to your teeth
According to dentists, it is problems with the oral cavity that most often lead to bad breath. Diseases such as caries, pulpitis, thrush, stomatitis, periodontal disease and many other ailments can cause an extremely unpleasant odor.
In the first place among all causes is caries. As is known, this pathology occurs as a result of the proliferation of bad bacteria that can destroy tooth enamel. If the disease actively progresses, this leads to the appearance of carious cavities in the tooth, in which quite a large amount of food can accumulate, which gradually begins to rot. It is impossible to clean such a cavity with a toothbrush at home.
Food can also get trapped in pockets in the gums. They cannot be seen with the naked eye, making them extremely difficult to clean. Food that begins to decompose causes your breath to smell like shit. Treatment for such a phenomenon should be based on the cause that caused it. Keep in mind that even if you use mint paste and mouthwash ten times a day, it will not solve your problem. It is very important to take an integrated approach.
Diagnosis and treatment
To diagnose ENT diseases, an otolaryngologist uses hardware and laboratory tests. These include:
- rhinoscopy – to examine the nasal cavity;
- radiography and computed tomography - to assess the condition of the sinuses;
- examination of nasal secretions to determine the causative agent of inflammation;
- Blood and urine tests will complement the clinical picture.
In the process of collecting anamnesis, the doctor is interested in the following questions:
- How long has the child been complaining of discomfort?
- What time of day does the smell appear and how long does it last?
- What foods did the child eat?
- how much water does he drink?
- Does the smell go away after brushing your teeth?
- What chronic diseases does he have?
- what medications does he take?
Treatment does not imply the elimination of the symptom itself, as such, but the therapy of the specific disease that provoked its appearance. If, as a result of examination and diagnostic measures, pathologies of the nose or nasopharynx were identified, the doctor will prescribe adequate drug treatment, which may include:
- antibacterial therapy (taking antibiotics);
- vasoconstrictors and antihistamines;
- special medical procedures;
- physiotherapy: inhalations, UV and UHF therapy;
If necessary, the otolaryngologist can refer a small patient to specialized specialists if the solution to this problem falls within their competence (dentist, gastroenterologist, etc.).
Solving dental problems
So, if you have halitosis (fecal odor from the mouth), it is very important to first consult a dentist and cure all pathologies associated with diseases of the teeth and gums. Be sure to tell your doctor about the problem that is bothering you. Please note that caries is a fairly common pathology, and quite often it is difficult to notice with the naked eye.
Therefore, do not ignore visits to the dentist, because he will not only be able to help you get rid of oral diseases, but also, if necessary, determine your further actions.
Can the child himself determine the presence of a problem?
The taste buds on the tongue do not detect odors, and any comment about stale breath from others can upset the baby. If the child is over 5-6 years old, he can be taught several rules for self-diagnosis of oral odors. What is needed for this? You can determine the smell in one of the following ways:
- The child needs to cup his hands and bring them close to his face, so that air space appears between his lips and palms. When you exhale through your mouth, you can feel the smell (if any).
- Use a dry toothbrush to “walk” over your teeth and tongue. There may be some residue left on the bristles of the device. You can smell it just a few seconds after the procedure.
- You should collect the plaque at the root of the tongue with a teaspoon. If there is a specific smell, it will be felt within a few seconds. This procedure can be dangerous if it is carried out by the child himself, so parents can do it for him.
Intestinal diseases create the cause of odor
Treatment of serious pathologies of the body
If your breath smells like shit, treatment options may vary. It all depends on the origin of such a phenomenon. If the cause of bad breath is the presence of certain diseases of the digestive system, it is very important to get tested and check the acidity of the stomach. Depending on the results obtained, the doctor will be able to select the necessary medications.
If a patient has pathologies of the respiratory organs or respiratory tract, accompanied by the occurrence of inflammatory processes, then in this case one cannot do without antibacterial drugs, which are usually selected on an individual basis, taking into account all the characteristics of a particular person’s body.
Please note that local treatment will not give any results. Of course, you will be able to get rid of the unpleasant odor for a while, but it will be very short-lived. It is very important to eliminate the cause itself, and then the effect will disappear on its own.
Unpleasant smell in the morning
During sleep, all processes in the body, if they do not freeze, then occur much more slowly than during wakefulness. This also applies to the work of the glands responsible for the production of saliva. But this process is one of the most important factors in the fight against bad breath.
During sleep, the volume of saliva production decreases significantly. It becomes insufficient to protect teeth and gums from pathogenic bacteria. As a result, after a few hours of sleep, the concentration of microorganisms increases several times, and their waste products create a not very pleasant odor.
The human oral cavity is home to a huge variety of bacteria. Depending on the species, they can cause the smell of cadaverine and hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and putrescine. In other words, during the night a whole “bouquet” of terrifying aromas accumulates in the mouth, which makes morning kisses far from the most romantic.
Important Tips
Let's look at what you can do if your breath smells like shit. Dentists will tell us what to do. Such recommendations will help freshen your breath at least for a short time, as well as keep your mouth clean and fresh. Here are some of them:
- Never ignore brushing your teeth. Do this twice every day. Also use dental floss and toothpicks regularly, and don't forget to rinse your mouth with antibacterial products. They eliminate a large number of pathogenic microorganisms.
- Visit your dentist in a timely manner, even if you think you do not have caries. After all, such destruction of tooth enamel is not always noticeable.
- Eat fresh apples regularly. They will not only massage your gums, but also disinfect your mouth.
- If you do not have the opportunity to brush your teeth in the morning or evening, brew black tea and rinse your mouth thoroughly. Dentists also recommend rinsing your mouth every time after eating. This should be done using purified water.
Use of traditional medicine methods
If the smell of feces occurs due to inflammatory processes, then they can be eliminated with the help of traditional medicine. However, it is best if such measures are auxiliary.
You can rinse your mouth using mint, oak bark or sage. Such herbs not only perfectly eliminate unpleasant odors, but also relieve inflammation quite well.
You can also use tea tree oil. As you know, such a product has an incredible antibacterial effect. Therefore, add a few drops to a glass of water and rinse your mouth thoroughly before going to bed.
Strawberry and sorrel leaves also have a good effect. Chop the leaves thoroughly and add a glass of boiling water to them. Let the drink brew for several hours, then rinse your mouth with it after eating.
However, do not forget that traditional recipes are not suitable for everyone. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor before attempting self-treatment.
Poor oral hygiene and bad habits
In half of young patients, the appearance of an unpleasant odor is associated with poor oral hygiene. Also often the cause is the child’s consumption of a large number of sweets, which negatively affect the condition of the teeth.
If there is no proper hygiene, food particles remain on the surface of the dentition, tongue, and in the interdental space, plaque accumulates, causing inflammatory processes. The food slowly decomposes, causing a foul odor. Therefore, for fresh breath, you should thoroughly clean the surface of the dentition, using special toothpastes for children, and rinse your mouth with water after each meal.
