Does your mouth smell funky, despite brushing well? In that case, check if you have a blocked nose. Persistent bad breath could sometimes be a sign of underlying troubles such as sinus infections. Often, chronic halitosis originates from the nose tract and not the mouth. But luckily, a sinus infection is treatable and so is the stinky breath accompanying it. But what exactly is a sinus infection? Let’s find out.
What are sinus infections?
How does sinus infection cause bad breath?
How to treat sinus infection and bad breath?
What are sinus infections?
Sinusitis or sinus infection is a medical condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages become inflamed. Cold or allergies can trigger sinusitis, and in most cases, it gets resolved on its own. Chronic sinusitis, on the other hand, can be caused by some infection and last up to eight weeks.
Here are some of the common symptoms to look out for - headache, nasal congestion, facial pain, runny nose, and bad breath (no brownie points for guessing this one). You may also experience pressure behind your eyes and cheeks and occasionally have a stuffy nose as well. In acute cases, one can also experience fever, fatigue, cough, and postnasal drip.
How does sinus infection cause bad breath?
Sinusitis clogs up the nose and causes dryness in the mouth. Plus, the mucus in the infected sinuses smells bad, so it leaves an unpleasant odour when the air you exhale comes in contact with it, leading to bad breath. While a good oral care routine is important to not make the condition worse, halitosis that occurs due to an inflamed nasal tract does not go away on its own. Bad breath due to sinus can only go away when the sinus is treated.
How to treat sinus infection and bad breath?
There are various ways to treat a sinus infection. You can try the following tips to make sure the sinus goes away and so does the accompanying bad breath due to sinus -
Take a steamy shower: Here’s a sinus related bad breath home remedy you may not be aware of - take a hot shower. In a sinus infection, sometimes the mucus drains at the back of the nose, and drips down the throat and settles on the back of your tongue as well. This exacerbates bad breath because of the bacteria present in your mouth. So, it is a good idea to take a hot shower when you feel something is triggering the sinus condition. Hot water can help ease the postnasal drip that can happen in a sinus infection and therefore ease the sinus bad breath as well.
Over-the-counter treatments: If an acute sinus infection is triggered due to a specific thing, it may resolve naturally on its own. But you can still aid faster recovery with over-the-counter treatments such as antihistamine tablets, nasal sprays, lozenges, acetaminophen and so on to ease the symptoms such as sinus bad breath. But please note that it is not advisable to use nasal decongestants for longer than 3-5 days.
Antibiotics course: If the problem is persistent and chronic, then the best thing to do is visit the doctor. Your medical health professional can prescribe an antibiotics course to take care of the sinus infection and speed up the recovery. The doctor can also help you identify the causes of your sinus infection, such as allergies or cold. Going to the doctor is especially advisable if you are experiencing high fever, swelling around the eyes, and headache. This will help take care of the sinusitis bad smell as well.
Maintain a good oral care routine: This is important because you don’t want the bacteria in the mouth to mix with the bacteria-loaded mucus in the nasal tract and worsen the bad breath situation in an already smelly sinus infection. Brush twice a day and use dental-approved mouthwash to kill the bacteria. Make sure you also floss well each time you brush your teeth. Use fluoride toothpaste to prevent teeth damage and improve oral health.
Although bad breath caused by sinus infection does not go away on its own, sinus is still treatable. Along with all these measures to treat sinusitis, it is important to follow a good oral hygiene routine. It is also crucial to use superior dental products such as the Oral-B electric toothbrushes to do an effective and clean job and ensure that you deal with the bacteria in your mouth before it can make bad breath worse.
Interested in reading more about the causes of bad breath and remedies? Here’s a complete guide to bad breath causes and remedies.
