Cleanliness, perfection, and fragrance are the embodiment of a modern, civilized person. Bad breath – or halitosis, in medical terminology – can hinder that image you are trying to project. Not only that, but it can also seriously hamper you from forming social relations with other individuals as you might be too embarrassed to talk to anyone or others are turned off by the offensive odor.
How to solve this problem?
Well, the only way to really solve this problem is to identify the cause. There are many possible causes of bad breath from the foods that you eat to improper oral hygiene (or lack thereof) and certain underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, periodontal disease (gum disease), among others.
But perhaps second only to foods and hygiene, the most common factor associated with bad breath is the sinus drainage. Experts say that 85 to 90% of people with bad breath have this stench coming from their mouths. Rarely do you see cases where bad breath comes out of the nose. When they do, this condition is actually caused by sinus drainage bad breath.
What is Sinus Drainage Bad Breath?
Sinus drainage bad breath is little more than a symptom of sinusitis, a condition where in the sinuses become infected or inflamed. It can be due to a viral infection, as in the case of colds, or to allergens, as in the case of allergies. Sometimes, sinusitis may even be related to asthma attacks. Whatever the cause, sinusitis more often than not leads to sinus drainage bad breath.
How Sinus Drainage Bad Breath Occurs
Whenever a person gets sinusitis, the mucus lining of the sinuses become irritated and start to produce excessive amounts of mucus. A normal person regularly produces mucus to keep the nasal passages clean and clear. However, when these mucus linings are irritated, they go on overdrive and produce too much mucus, causing a common sinusitis symptom called postnasal drip, which in turn could lead to sinus drainage bad breath.
Furthermore, the infection causing sinusitis may also cause inflammation of the nasal passages. These nasal passages connect with the nose through your sinuses to let air into the lungs. When these nasal passages are inflamed, the channel is narrowed as a result of congestion, thus adding to the whole problem by blocking the normal drainage of mucus. As a result, the mucus gets trapped within these nasal passages and starts to attract bacteria, which thrive on dark, damp places.
These bacteria will proliferate and excrete waste products that contain noxious sulfur compounds causing sinus drainage bad breath.
Treatment
In order to treat sinus drainage bad breath, you may consider medications usually taken to treat the symptoms of sinusitis. Over the counter nasal sprays, antihistamines, and decongestants work by relieving inflammation and congestion and drying excess mucus.