Does saliva smell bad?

There is a liquid in the human mouth that plays a very important role in protecting the human mouth. Its name is saliva. Everyone has saliva in their mouth. The function of saliva is not only to protect the oral cavity, but also to improve the body's immunity. The saliva of normal people is transparent and has no odor. However, some people accidentally find that their saliva smells bad. So is saliva really smelly?

Some people accidentally discover that their saliva has a bad smell, so they become very nervous and think that their bad saliva is their own bad breath. In fact, saliva contains many substances, and bad saliva does not necessarily mean bad breath. In fact, there are many ways to detect bad breath yourself. You can try to detect whether you have bad breath.

Does saliva that smells bad when wiped off mean bad breath?

Bad breath does not mean bad breath, because saliva contains many substances. Bad breath is the unpleasant odor from the mouth that annoys others and embarrasses yourself. Don’t underestimate this minor problem of bad breath. It will make people afraid to interact with others at close range, thus causing inferiority complex, affecting normal interpersonal and emotional communication, and causing great distress.

Some people have severe bad breath and can smell their own bad breath; while some people only know they have bad breath through the reactions of others. How to test your breath yourself: Put your left and right palms together and make them into a closed bowl shape, covering your mouth and nose. Then exhale into your palms and then inhale through your nose. You can smell how your mouth smells.

Causes of Bad Breath

1. Oral diseases: People with oral diseases such as caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, oral mucositis, tooth decay, periodontal disease, etc. are prone to the growth of bacteria in their mouths, especially anaerobic bacteria, which decompose to produce sulfides, emit a corrupt smell, and cause bad breath.

2. Gastrointestinal diseases, such as peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, etc., may be accompanied by bad breath. Recently, we have also found that people infected with Helicobacter pylori, which causes many gastric diseases, have a significantly higher incidence of bad breath than those who are not infected. After the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, the symptoms of bad breath are significantly alleviated. The reason may be that Helicobacter pylori infection directly produces sulfides, causing bad breath.

3. People who smoke, drink alcohol, drink coffee, often eat spicy foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, or are addicted to stinky foods such as stinky tofu and stinky eggs are also prone to bad breath.

4. Dieting to lose weight, or being unable to eat due to illness, or the reduced salivary gland function of the elderly, or endocrine disorders in women during menstruation that lead to reduced saliva secretion, which is conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria, thus causing bad breath.

5. Bad breath in teenage girls: Some women in puberty have ovarian insufficiency and low sex hormone levels. The resistance of oral tissue decreases, making it easy to be infected by bacteria and cause bad breath.

Bad breath can be caused by poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, dry mouth, smoking, illness or eating certain foods. Bad breath occurs when bacteria accumulate due to poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease or insufficient saliva. Saliva is necessary for washing away food particles and bacteria. Certain medications, such as high blood pressure, psychiatric medications or specific diseases may also cause dry mouth. Occasional nasal or respiratory infections may also cause bad breath. If bad breath persists, ask a dentist to check whether it is related to dental diseases.