Cure Bad Breath Caused by Sinusitis and Post Nasal Drip
There are many reasons for bad breath, Most of the problems appear because of improper oral hygiene. However, if you are experiencing bad breath from the back of the throat, it is likely to be due to sinusitis and post nasal drip. If this is the case for you, you should know some things about this condition and how to handle it properly.
What is Sinusitis
When we say “sinuses”, we are actually referring to the sinus cavities, which are basically holes in your skull that are filled with air and lined with membranes. While we are not really sure why we have sinuses, or what they do, we do know that they can become quite annoying. This occurs when we come down with a condition known as sinusitis. Sinusitis basically is when the ostia – openings between your sinus cavities and nasal cavities – become blocked or inflamed, usually due to some kind of infecting agent (bacteria, a virus, etc). The flow of mucus within your sinuses becomes disrupted; as a result, you become congested and develop the stuffy nose symptoms we all have come to loathe.
Sinusitis and Post Nasal Drip
Bad breath is not caused directly by sinusitis. What happens is that the inflamed sinuses will produce a lot of mucous that varies in thickness. It tends to drip down the back area of our throats, thus appearing on the back of the tongue and throat. This condition is known as post nasal drip.
Such mucus is made of mostly protein which is food for anaerobic bacteria living in the mouth. When these bacteria feed on these proteins, they release bad odors through their waste products. To make matter worse, the lack of moisture in the areas affected allows anaerobic bacteria to multiply easily. Mucus will also get attached to the back of the neck and will create an uncontrollable urge to swallow for the person affected. In order to get rid of bad breath that appears at the back of the throat because of sinusitis and post nasal drip, we will need to eliminate the condition that is causing mucus development.
In most cases post nasal drip is caused by an allergy, flu or common cold. In such a situation you might need to wait for the condition to cure itself and take some medicine if you are suffering from allergies. On the other hand we can also fight post nasal drip and try to reduce it (even eliminate it) while it still is produced by sinusitis. Doctors can prescribe different drugs in order to reduce bad breath and discomfort caused by the condition. Usually we will find a mix of three: Sudafed, Guaifenesin and antithistamines as the possible solutions for such a case.
Sudafed is a decongestant that you can purchase without a prescription and works by opening the sinuses. It also reduces the mucus that is secreted when inflammation is exhibited. Guaifenesin will work at removing mucus directly and will make it easier for the patient to swallow. You can also purchase it without a prescription and the most common names under which it is sold are Mucinex or Robitussin. As antihistamine, doctors usually prescribe Allegra, Claritin or Benedryl. They are recommended for night use and tend to make the patient sleepy, especially in the case of Benedryl.
Bad breath can be fought when dealing with the condition highlighted here. The only persistent irritation is your urge to swallow because of the mucus at the back of your throat. One way to relief this is to eat a piece of bread, celery or any type of bulky food. Most patients who suffer from chronic problems with post nasal drips will have celery near them at night so that they can sleep easier.
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Tags: Bad Breath, cure bad breath, mucus, post nasal drip, sinasitis, sinuses