Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Bad Breath in a sneeze

05/16/2005

Question:

I am 31 Yrs old and I remember having this condition from as a kid. Every day ……and only once in a day ………..I sneeze ………and believe me there is the most awfull smell when it happens , I would like to make clear at this point that I dont suffer from cold or any allergies when this is happening…..also if I am able to hold the sneeze( in a hanky or tissue) it hardly smells……..but if nothing is around when the sneeze comes suddenly , the smell is so awfull it can vacate a large room of close to 100 people in a few seconds( I would also like to mention that the sneeze isnt like when you have a cold and there is mucous discharged its more like a fine spray distributed over a large circumference and its so fine that it will be difficult to trace where it is settled). I brush my teeth twice a day , i clean my tongue and gargle every day and I have to say there seems to be no problem till that one moment I dread every day , which is when i sneeze, there is no fixed time or place etc when this happens …its just a random moment once in every 24 hrs. HELP !!!!!

Answer:

Problems with perceived “bad breath” or halitosis are relatively common.  There can be several sources of the bad breath, including periodontal (gum) disease, tonsillar debris, material on the dorsal (top) surface of the tongue, and the paranasal sinuses.  If gum disease is causing this problem, this would have to checked out by your dentist.  Brushing two or three times each day doesn’t necessarily make one immune to periodontitis, although it certainly helps. 

Tonsillar debris is more difficult to assess.  The surface of the tonsils is very uneven, with many infoldings (tonsillar crypts) present normally.  Food debris and bacteria can get trapped in these crypts, and these can be a source of halitosis.  Tonsillectomy is essentially the only cure in this case. 

The degradation of keratin on the top of the tongue can also be a cause of bad breath.  Brushing or using a tongue scraper may help, but it depends on how effectively this is done and how often. 

The paranasal sinuses (there are basically four “sets” – frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid and maxillary) can become chronically inflamed in some people and serve as a source of halitosis.  These would have to be carefully evaluated by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist).  If evidence of infection or inflammation is found, this specialist should manage the problem accordingly.

Therefore, careful evaluation of the nose, mouth and pharyngeal areas is necessary to help determine the source or sources of the halitosis.  This may require seeing two or more specialists.  Only then can the condition be properly treated.

For more information:

Go to the Mouth Diseases health topic.