Did you know that stress is a major cause of bad breath? If not, read this article to know why stress is bad for your oral health.
While occasional foul breath is common, persistent and noticeable bad breath is embarrassing. This oral health condition, medically termed as ‘Halitosis’ is neither good for your personal life nor social life, it badly affects both. Sometimes, you can control it by not eating foods like onion and garlic that leave behind this foul smell. But in some cases, this medical condition isn’t easy to control. Well, most of us, in general, think that mouth odor is only caused after eating something but that is half true. There are many causes of bad breath. One main cause is stress. Yes, stress causes bad breath. Among all the other cons of stress, bad breath is one. To know how stress and bad breath are linked, read ahead.
How Does Stress Cause Bad Breath?
There are scientific reasons why stress is said to cause bad breath problems. In stressful situations, the body threat and activates the sympathetic nervous system for protection. It turns on the ‘fight or flight’ mode to conserve energy to fight the threat where a lot of functions are turned off to save energy.
Have you noticed that when you’re stressed, there is less saliva in your mouth? The production of saliva is also reduced by the body in the ‘fight or flight’ mode which lowers down the saliva level in the mouth. As the saliva evaporates, your mouth gets dry, releasing odorous gases that give a foul smell to your breath. Therefore, people who take unnecessary stress deal with halitosis.
Other Factors That Cause Bad Breath
- Dehydration
- Certain food items such as onion, garlic, etc.
- Eating a high-protein diet
- Eating tobacco
- Dry mouth
- Poor oral hygiene
- Bacterial infection
- Medicines
Bad Breath Home Remedies
Well, you cannot control the body’s natural mechanism that causes bad breath but you can definitely minimize the smell by trying out these easy home remedies.
1. Gargle
Gargling with salt water kills the bacteria in the mouth and removes the fine food particles present in the mouth. For this, simply add a teaspoon of salt to lukewarm water and gargle with this every day after brushing.
2. Use baking Soda
Baking soda present in the kitchen is quite useful. By its use, bad breath is removed. Hydrogen peroxide present in it eliminates bacteria present in the mouth. If you wish, you can brush with baking soda once after brushing with toothpaste.
Also Read: DIY Natural Mouthwash at Home In Easy Steps
3. Chew Basil and Mint Leaves
Tulsi or Basil plant is a mine of medicinal properties. Chewing its leaves every day removes the bad smell of breath. Similarly, mint leaves are an excellent mouth freshener that can help you get rid of bad breath in minutes. The chlorophyll present in them helps in fast stopping bad breath.
4. Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon is a staple spice that is easily found in our kitchen. Drinking cinnamon tea, with some added spices may relieve the bad breath problem to a great extent.
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