Bad Breath Symptom

What is the most common bad breath symptom? Well, since people tend not to be able to detect their own bad breath, the most common symptom is probably the reaction that it provokes in other people. When someone has bad breath, others tend to keep their distance while holding a conversation. They may avert their faces, offer a mint or gum, or politely move away. In more embarrassing exchanges, people may cover their noses or make comments about the odor. The more sensitive, usually friends, will tactfully mention that you are having a breath problem and suggest that you invest in some mouthwash.

All of this proves that our noses are the best bad breath detector, at least for the odor on the breath of other people. If you suspect that you have bad breath due to some other bad breath symptom, perhaps a bad taste in your mouth, or a concern about post nasal drip or raw throat, the most accurate way to find out whether you are right is to ask someone else. This can a sensitive and embarrassing experiment - many people are not too keen on sniffing someone else's breath even if it doesn't smell bad. Choose your partner or a trusted friend, or a doctor, to help you with this. Naturally, you should not ask anyone to test your breath if you suspect that you have a contagious upper respiratory infection as you may pass it on.

Some bad breath clinics use a human nose to measure breath odor, but others use a kind of technology that acts as a bad breath detector. This technology generally measures the amount of volatile sulfur compounds that are present in a person's exhalations. Volatile sulfur compounds are molecules containing sulfur that are produced by bacteria living in the mouth. Lots of volatile sulfur compounds on the breath equate to bad breath odor, the same bad breath symptom that is detected by the human nose. Both methods provide an estimate of the levels of volatile sulfur compounds, but the detector can provide a result that is more acceptable to patients because it is less subjective.

In the end, the major bad breath symptom is, in fact, bad smelling breath. Though it may be indicative that something is off balance in the mouth, it is usually not, in itself, a sign of anything dangerous. It's more of a social problem - if you have no indication that other people find your breath objectionable, you probably don't need any other bad breath detector.