HALITOSIS AND OTHER BREATH ODORS

What are the various causes of bad breath and how can they be recalled with ease? The best method is to visualize the respiratory and upper GI tree, because this is where the substances (mucus or sputum and vomitus or regurgitant material) that produce these odors may be found.

HALITOSIS AND OTHER BREATH ODORS

HALITOSIS AND OTHER BREATH ODORS

In the mouth, pyorrhea due to poor dental care and infection may cause halitosis. A stomatitis (e.g., aphthous) may also be a cause. Sinusitis and atrophic rhinitis are causes in the nasal passages. Anyone who has a friend with large tonsils knows this is a frequent cause, especially when the tonsils become infected. Any form of pharyngitis may also cause halitosis. Carcinoma and tuberculosis of the larynx and lower respiratory tract may cause halitosis. More likely causes are bronchiectasis and lung abscess.

Proceeding down the esophagus to the stomach, one should recall the accumulation of food in diverticula and cardiospasm of the esophagus and the frequent foul odor of chronic membranous or granulomatous esophagitis associated with a hiatal hernia. Carcinoma of the esophagus may also cause obstruction and allow putrefaction of food that accumulates there. A chronic gastritis or gastric carcinoma may also cause halitosis.

A sweet odor to the breath may be found in diabetes mellitus and alcoholism. Uremia will often present with an ammoniac and urinous odor to the breath, whereas the breath of hepatic coma may be fishy (fetor hepatus). The feculent odor of a gastrocolic fistula and late states of intestinal obstructions should also be recalled.

Approach to the Diagnosis

The workup of bad breath involves a careful examination of the mouth and nasal passages. If this is negative, chest and sinus x-rays and upper GI series with barium swallow should be done. If the studies are still unrewarding, then endoscopy of the respiratory and upper GI tract would be indicated. Appropriate liver and renal function tests will be ordered when uremia or hepatic coma is suspected. If pyorrhea is suspected, refer the patient to a dentist.

Book Source Details

• Book Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care
• Author(s): R. Douglas Collins
• Year of Publication: 2007
• Copyright Details: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care, Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Other Book Chapters Related to Mouth symptoms

Read excerpts from these other book chapters related to Mouth symptoms:

Copyright Details: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care, Copyright © 2008 Williams & Wilkins.

More About Causes of Mouth symptoms

• Back to symptom: Mouth symptoms: Introduction (review 2896 causes)
• Next Book Extract About Mouth symptoms: TONGUE PAIN (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• All Book Extracts: All Online Book Extracts for Mouth symptoms

More About This Book: Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care Authors: R. Douglas Collins Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 0-7817-6812-8

 » Next page: TONGUE PAIN (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)

Rate This Website

What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

Website User Survey

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

• TONGUE PAIN (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• SWOLLEN TONGUE (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• Drooling (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Mouth lesions (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Throat pain (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))

Tools & Services:

• Bookmark this page
• Take a survey relating to Mouth symptoms
• Symptom Search
• Symptom Checker
• Medical Dictionary
• Give your feedback

Medical Articles:

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles

Forums & Message Boards

• Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
• I cannot get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• See all the Boards.

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Search The Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com