Bad Breath From Lungs: Oral Hygiene May Not Be The Cause

Although the mouth might seem the obvious source of bad breath, that’s just the exit point! Your breath starts its journey way down in the lungs and travels up through your upper respiratory tract – your windpipe, throat, nasal passage, sinuses, and, of course, your mouth. It makes sense, then, that a problem anywhere in the lungs or respiratory tract can affect the breath as it makes its journey up and out. 

It’s not uncommon for respiratory conditions to create bad breath from your lungs and elsewhere in your respiratory tract. Identifying those conditions is crucial to help and treat your bad breath. They usually fall into one of into two categories: acute (sudden and short-term) conditions and chronic (long-term) conditions. .

Acute conditions that cause bad breath from the lungs and airways include: 

• Bronchitis – inflammation of the lungs and airways, usually caused by a viral infection.
• Pneumonia – a serious infection of the air sacs in the lungs, where oxygen and CO2 exchange take place.
• Sinusitis – swelling of the sinus cavities behind the nose, usually as a result of infection. 

When children have bad breath, they may be developing one of these short-term infections. Fortunately, recovering from these respiratory conditions also means your bad breath will subside as well.

Chronic conditions that can cause bad breath from the lungs include:

• Cystic fibrosis. Patients can experience bad breath as a result of thick mucus accumulation in the lungs, infection, and post-nasal drip.
• Asthma. Sufferers may breathe mainly through their mouth, causing dry mouth. Bacteria thrive in dry mouths,  so any condition that causes dry mouth means you are also susceptible to bad breath. Medicated inhalers for asthma can also cause dry mouth and bad breath.
• Lung cancer has a distinct bad breath odor of its own, consisting of a particular combination of exhaled gasses. The National Center for Biotechnology offers additional information on this phenomenon.

Sinus infections, allergies, or post-nasal drips can cause the mucus in your mouth to resemble the smell of mothballs. Fortunately, there are some solutions:

• Rinse your sinuses with warm water to clear out the mucus from the area.
• Take allergy medication if prescribed by your physician.
• Take an antibiotic if prescribed by your physician.

There are some solutions for bad breath caused by  chronic lung conditions as well.

• If you have cystic fibrosis try nasal irrigation, antibiotics, or nasal steroids, as recommended by your physician.
• For asthma, stay hydrated to avoid dry mouth.
• If you have lung cancer, see your oncologist for specific recommendations.

If you’re not sure what’s causing your bad breath, or your efforts to freshen your breath don’t seem to be working, it’s time to see your dentist. They can uncover any oral hygiene or health causes that might be contributing to bad breath, recommend steps you can take to fix the problem, and offer you any treatments you may need. 

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.