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CAN UNPLEASANT BAD BREATH BE A SIGN OF CANCER?
Take care of the bad breath! Sometimes the bad breath that develops due to insufficient oral hygiene, sometimes due to the drugs used, if it does not go away, the cause may be oral cancer.
Bad breath is often unpleasant, repulsive, nauseating, terrible smells, even in our language there is even a phrase such as ‘pulling bad breath’ for someone’s unbearable behavior.
In medicine, the feeling of a bad smell in the patient’s mouth or breath is called ‘halitosis’. Those who smell their mouths are often unaware of this smell. The main ones who are uncomfortable are those who live in the immediate vicinity of these people, such as mother, father, wife, friend.
But they also avoid making this clear, perhaps because they are afraid, maybe because they don’t want to offend this person.
The cause of bad breath is ‘hydrogen sulfide’ compounds caused by bacteria that reproduce in the mouth. Caries on the teeth, not washing the mouth well after eating, food residues in the mouth, gingivitis, spilled cells from the oral mucosa are the most important factors in the formation of odor.
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MEDICATIONS LEAD TO BAD BREATH
The formation of bad breath is also due to the fact that the saliva flow decreases and nutrients and fluids are not taken for a long time. Drowsiness is a good example of this. Bad breath, which is felt when you get up in the morning, is related to this condition.
Bad breath can also sometimes be a temporary condition caused by smoking and alcohol, sometimes by foods such as onions or garlic.
His nose is blocked, and there may be a bad smell due to dry mouth in those who breathe through their mouths. In febrile diseases, temporary halitosis may also occur due to this.
Young babies who are fed milk have a ‘sweet smell of milk’ in their mouth, but in the elderly, bad breath begins to develop due to a decrease in salivation.
Apart from these, bad breath is most often caused by poor oral and dental care. Dental caries, gingivitis, wounds in the mouth, salivary gland diseases, poor cleaning of dental prostheses, improperly made crowns and bridges are the main causes.
Diseases such as tonsillitis, chronic sinusitis, pharyngitis, nasal polyps, and nasal-nasal tumors can also lead to a bad smell in the mouth.
Depending on the medications, bad breath may also occur. Some cancer drugs, tranquilizers, diuretics, atropine-like drugs; they reduce the production of saliva and thereby reduce the ability of the mouth to self-clean, which leads to bad breath.
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HOW IS THE ODOR TEST PERFORMED?
A simple test can be done to determine whether the odor occurs in the oral cavity or is caused by other factors.
The patient is asked to exhale through the nostrils, tightly closing his lips. In this case, if a smell is heard at close range, there is a high probability that it is caused by systemic factors.
In contrast, if a smell is heard through the mouth when the patient exhales after blocking his nose with his fingers, closing his lips and stopping breathing for a moment, it is necessary to look for the cause in the oral cavity.
Bad breath can also sometimes be a symptom of a very serious illness or an important problem that disrupts a person’s social life.
There may also be bad breath in a lung abscess, diseases of the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. In a sugar coma, prolonged hunger, and especially in the vomiting of young children, the smell of ‘acetone’ is heard.
In patients in a liver coma, there is a smell similar to the smell of “mouse dead” or “cat urine”.
The smell of alcohol in an unconscious patient can be from an alcohol coma, as well as a head injury should be brought to mind.
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BODY ODORS APPEAR
In febrile diseases, a sour smell of sweat is heard after sweating. Some people’s sweat smells very bad. Especially when this smell is wanted to be covered with perfumes, an even more unbearable smell may appear.
Sometimes, as soon as you enter the patient’s room, the air can also fill with a sharp smell of urine. Prostate enlargement in male patients, bladder-vagina fistula in women, urinary incontinence due to old age can cause these odors. Elderly women who cough a lot with chronic asthma can also pass urine.
There is a bad smell from both the body and the laundry due to not washing in people with mental illness who are not well-groomed. Gangrene and extensive burns can also have a bad smell.
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DENTAL FLOSS SHOULD BE USED NECESSARILY
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of the odor. The exact treatment of bad breath due to an underlying disease is possible by controlling this disease.
Food should be swallowed after thorough chewing.
After eating, the mouth should be rinsed with water so that there are no food crumbs left in the oral cavity.
You should drink plenty of water or soda, but avoid sugary and carbonated drinks.
It is important to brush your teeth and tongue.
Dental december should also be cleaned regularly with dental floss.
Avoid smelling foods, cigarettes and alcohol.
Conditions such as tooth decay, gum disease that can cause odor in the mouth should be eliminated.
Chewing unsweetened mint or cinnamon gums and parsley can benefit against all kinds of bad breath.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ORAL CANCER?
A wound on the lips, gums, or inside your mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal
A lump or thickening on the cheek that you can feel with your tongue
Loss of sensation or numbness in any part of your mouth
White or red spots on the gums, tongue, or inside the mouth
Difficulty chewing or swallowing
A painful or indescribable pain in the mouth or a feeling of something being stuck in your throat for no known reason
Change of voice.
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WHAT IS ORAL CANCER?
Oral cancer is cancer that occurs above the lips (usually the lower lip), inside the mouth, behind the larynx, tonsils, or salivary glands. Although it is more common in men than women, it is more common in those over the age of 40.
Smoking in combination with heavy alcohol use is the most important risk factor. If it is not diagnosed early, it may require surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
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