Bad breath is caused by anaerobic bacteria that live in the back of the tongue and other areas of the mouth not exposed to oxygen. Every person has over 170 different types of these anaerobic bacteria living in their mouths. Yet even so there are many people who go through life without bad breath even when they do little more than ordinary mouth care.
Therefore, bad breath must be caused by something more than just the presence of bacteria in the mouth.
Normally, the bacteria present in our mouth are responsible for the break down of proteins found in our diet, saliva, mucous and phlegm. During the process, they release volatile sulfur compounds as waste products. These volatile sulfur compounds are highly odorous but the smell is not noticeable in individuals without bad breath. It is only when under certain conditions that the bacteria break down proteins at a much higher rate and excrete volatile sulfur compounds that the odor becomes highly noticeable and offensive.
But in addition to bacteria in the mouth, bad breath may also be a symptom of a problem in the person's bowels. Constipation bad breath, for instance, occurs when there is irregularity in the person's digestive system, causing the stool to become hard and extremely difficult to eliminate. While the condition itself - constipation - is not considered a cause of bad breath, constipation bad breath can be an indirect signal that there is an imbalance in the body processes which must be corrected.
Constipation bad breath could be due to several causes from dietary to hormonal or be even a side effect of medications and anatomical. Incidentally, normal bad breath (that is, bad breath not caused by digestive problems) may also be due to a side effect of drugs you are taking, which could dry up the mouth, causing bad breath.
Treating constipation bad breath consists in treating the constipation itself. If the problem is dietary in nature, then changing your dietary habits, laxatives, and fiber therapy could help treat the constipation and in the process the symptom of constipation bad breath. Enemas and surgery though rare may also be used to treat acute cases of constipation.
In addition, nearly any form of bad breath is treatable just by improving oral hygiene. In fact, it is safe to say that almost all cases of bad breath have something to do with a lack of proper oral hygiene on the part of the person. You may brush your teeth every after meal but if you are not doing it properly, then dental tartar and food debris could still collect in your mouth, proving as breeding ground for bacteria to proliferate. Therefore, it is important that you also make some changes in your oral hygiene practices if you want to get rid of constipation bad breath.
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