What does Halitosis Smell Like?

Bad breath. You have had it and you have been around someone else who really needs a mint, but what’s the difference between bad breath and halitosis?  Bad breath happens when you have a meal with plenty of garlic and onions.  Halitosis happens when the bad breath is persistent and is not improved after brushing, flossing and rinsing.  In fact, halitosis may not just be bad breath, but a symptom of a more serious condition related to digestion issues, infections or even major organ problems.

Here are five different types of smells and what they may mean, other than a visit to the dentist:

Fishy Smell

Your body uses your kidneys as a filter, like you use to make coffee.  The filter keeps the grounds from coming into your cup and your kidneys keep toxins from entering your blood stream and the rest of your system.  If your coffee filter gets a hole, then coffee grounds get in your cup of coffee and can even ruin the cup.  If your kidneys fail to filter out toxins, they build up in the body causing more problems than a bad cup of coffee.  The result of your body not being able to process waste is fishy smelling breath.

Fruity or Sweet Smell

If you are a diabetic, you should be weary of fruity or sweet-smelling breath.  The failure of kidneys can cause a sweet odor and can be a symptom of diabetes.  Additionally, when the body is not producing enough insulin, the body goes into ketoacidosis or the burning of fats.  The result is the production of ketones which smell like acetone on the breath or fruity to people around the suffering diabetic.

Fecal Smell

While it seems improbable, if you are suffering from a bowel obstruction, your breath will take on a fecal smell.  When the small and/or large intestines can no longer process your digested food into waste, stool starts to back up.  If you have been suffering from constipation and your breath starts to have a fecal smell, then you should seek medical attention for the possible bowel obstruction.

Moldy or Fungus Smell

When you get an infection in your sinuses and you have microbial buildups, then your breath can take on moldy or fungal smell.  If you notice that you have sinus pressure and an overproduction of yellowish green mucus, the drip from your nose down your throat is the cause of your bad breath.  You are exhaling microbes and their accompanying build up resulting in bad breath.

Rotten Egg Smell

If your breath has taken a sulfuric turn, then you should talk to your doctor about your digestive tract.  The rotten egg smell comes from the breakdown of microbes that live in your digestive system.  It may be as simple as addressing acid reflux with an over the counter antacid or with a stronger medication if it is more persistent.  There may be other issues within your gut that the doctor will need to examine if the rotten egg smell does not improve.

More on Halitosis : Is Halitosis A Sign of Illness?