Bad breath in a child is an important diagnostic symptom!

The appearance of an unpleasant odor from the mouth, medically called “halitosis,” is a signal of trouble in the growing organism. Kaliningrad residents can notice this symptom when communicating with a child, laughing or kissing.

In most cases, odor occurs due to poor hygiene, which disrupts the balance of microflora in the mouth and increases the number of pathogenic microorganisms. During the decomposition of bacteria, compounds of hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen are formed, which are exhaled along with the air.

In this situation, the problem can be solved with the help of hygiene and does not pose any danger to the child’s health. However, there may be other reasons for the appearance of a specific odor from the mouth. In what cases should parents be wary - we will find out further...

Risk factors affecting fresh breath

Let's start by identifying the reasons that negatively affect healthy breathing. At the same time, we note that microflora imbalance can occur even in healthy children. This happens for a number of reasons:

• failure to comply with hygiene rules, as we have already outlined;
• dry mouth due to insufficient saliva;
• insufficient water and fluid intake;
• breathing through the mouth, out of habit or due to nasal congestion;
• oral infections (untreated caries, gum disease, etc.);
• consumption of foods with a pungent odor (garlic, onions) or those that provoke fermentation (legumes, grapes);
• taking medications;
• hormonal imbalance;
• smoking (relevant for teenagers).

Thus, in most cases, the cause of bad breath is problems in the oral cavity, infections and poor diet.

Prevention

Cleaning the oral cavity to prevent pathologies is the most important procedure. Its regular implementation minimizes the risk of anomalies. Also, the basis for the prevention of dental diseases is a proper diet.

• Parents should teach their child proper hygiene from early childhood.
• Introducing fruits and vegetables into the menu helps cleanse the mouth.
• If there are signs of plaque or redness on the gums, you should visit a doctor. It is recommended to show the toddler to the dentist every month.
• It’s good when the mother monitors whether the child rinses the mouth after eating.
• It is imperative to strengthen the child’s immunity in order to prevent acute respiratory infections.
• When leaving home, take a bottle of water with you.
• Avoid physical activity immediately after eating.
• If the baby is active, you can allow him some sweets.
• Animal fats should be limited, since a lot of energy is spent on processing these products.

In most cases, bad breath can be eliminated with good oral care. Instill useful skills in your little one from the first days of life to save him from unpleasant procedures.

How to distinguish a normal smell from a problematic one?

If an unpleasant symptom occurs exclusively in the morning and goes away after brushing your teeth, then we are talking about a physiological norm. If bad breath is observed after hygiene procedures and becomes protracted, then this deviation requires the closest attention from parents.

In addition, it is worth noting that the above risk factors can be eliminated. However, if hygiene is maintained, respiratory infections and specific foods are excluded, and the unpleasant symptom persists for a long time, this is a good reason to consult a doctor.

In this case, altered breathing can signal very specific diseases. Let's look at which ones further...

Is there any reason for parents to worry?

The causes of fecal odor from the mouth of both adults and children are most often associated with problems with the digestive system. This symptom appears more often due to the habit of overeating. Especially if the menu included foods that had a specific smell. A foul amber may appear after eating a large amount of onions, garlic or wild garlic.

Proper nutrition plays a major role in building intestinal microflora.

If a child eats a lot of fried, fatty foods, as well as sweets, this becomes the main reason for the proliferation of harmful anaerobic bacteria. This disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and a white coating appears on the mucous membranes of the esophagus and larynx. It is he who is the main carrier of the unpleasant odor. In addition to these factors, doctors identify such causes of strong odors as: tuberculosis, pathologies of the upper respiratory tract, dental pathologies, salivation disorders, etc.

Proper nutrition is the key to health

List of diseases that can be detected

Despite the fact that halitosis is not a disease, it is an important diagnostic symptom by which a specialist can assume the presence of a certain disease in the body. Suspected health problems may include:

• diseases of the nose and nasopharynx: sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, adenoiditis;
• food allergies or respiratory rhinitis causing nasal congestion;
• dental diseases of teeth and gums;
• Gastrointestinal diseases: gastritis, increased stomach acidity, intestinal dysbiosis, etc.;
• endocrine disorders: diabetes, thyrotoxicosis, etc.

As can be seen from this impressive list of diseases, solving breathing problems can fall within the competence of a variety of highly specialized specialists: otolaryngologist, dentist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist.

What to do if a small child has terrible breath during an acute respiratory viral infection

When seasonal viral diseases (including sore throat) occur, severe inflammation occurs in the baby’s nasopharynx. It can appear on the tonsils, throat, nose (with sinusitis), lungs, depending on the specific disease. As a result, the inflamed areas become covered with plaque and pus, which creates stale, unpleasant breath. But don’t worry, halitosis goes away as soon as the children recover. Doctors always prescribe regular rinsing with antiseptic solutions (furacilin, rotokan and others), they quickly get rid of stench.

What can a smell “tell”?

As we mentioned earlier, unhealthy breath can quite eloquently indicate a certain nature of the disease. For example:

• a sour smell indicates problems with the stomach: high acidity, reflux or dysbacteriosis;
• the smell of a rotten egg - about a stomach ulcer or a violation of bile outflow;
• putrefactive – about diseases of the esophagus and low acidity of the stomach;
• acetone – about problems with blood sugar levels (diabetes) or dehydration;
• ammonia - about kidney disease, liver dysfunction and diffuse toxic goiter;
• boiled cabbage - problems with metabolism, liver and kidney diseases.

As a rule, already at the stage of collecting anamnesis and during the clinical examination, the doctor can make an assumption about the true causes of the problem.

Why does a child have bad breath, what does this phenomenon mean?

Osostomy never occurs by accident; there is always some reason behind it. Above we discussed some of them, based on the nature of breathing. Now we propose to consider several factors leading to this disease. Knowing them will help you prevent the next occurrence of halitosis.

Little moisture in the body

If the baby does not consume enough fluid, this negatively affects the functioning of all organ systems. In particular, saliva becomes more viscous, which is why it poorly wets food, and it cannot be digested normally. This provokes disruption in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Among other things, the salivary compartments themselves, due to their viscosity, are not swallowed completely, but remain on the root of the tongue, where they oxidize and emit a corresponding odor.

Newborns receive a sufficient amount of moisture from their mother’s milk; only in hot weather they need additional water. At 4-5 years old, a child needs to consume about one and a half liters of fluid daily.

Insufficient hygiene

Some parents neglect this procedure until the baby's entire set of teeth erupts (otherwise, what's the point of brushing them). But this logic is incorrect: even if only one incisor appears, it also needs to be looked after. You can do this until you are 2-3 years old; perhaps the baby will not immediately get used to the process and will have to work hard. But soon this will become a regular thing for him, just be patient. Then treatment for the child’s terrible bad breath will not be necessary.

In the third year of life, it is necessary to show children the correct technique for brushing their teeth, or even better, to master it themselves: it is easier for little ones to learn when they have the opportunity to repeat after their parents.

Poor nutrition

You need to understand that a child’s body cannot absorb everything that adults consume. He should not be given too fatty, fried or spicy food. Provide nutritious meals, increase it appropriately and do not forget about maintaining a drinking regime.

Stressful situation

The younger the child, the more difficult it is for him to experience strong emotions, especially fear. It also causes halitosis, as the oral cavity becomes very dry. This can be fixed quite easily: you just need to give the baby a little water. For better salivation, you can add a few drops of lemon to it, and soon the freshness of your breath will be restored.

Unpleasant smell in the morning

This phenomenon is also familiar to adults; it is again associated with a lack of moisture in the mouth during sleep. Reducing the intensity of salivation is a normal and natural process. You just need to brush your teeth in the morning for this trouble to go away.

Chronic rhinitis

Some children suffer from constant nasal congestion: their breathing is often difficult, and a lot of dried mucus accumulates inside. The latter provokes halitosis, but this is not so scary. You just need to humidify the air more often, ventilate the rooms and remove dust.

Foreign body in the nasal passage

Children experience the world differently than adults; it is important for them to taste things and put small objects where their size will allow. If they linger in the nose for a long time, a natural process of rejection occurs: the body tries to push the part out on its own and begins to intensively secrete mucus and pus. In this case, you need to very quickly take the baby to the doctor for removal. You cannot hesitate here, as there is a risk of suffocation.

Dental diseases

Even with baby teeth, unpleasant situations can arise: caries, stomatitis, gingivitis and others. They can cause a sharp putrid odor from the mouth of a child at 2, 3 or 5 years old, age is not important here. Therefore, they need to be treated immediately before the problem spreads to a large scale.

Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract

When children suffer from tonsillitis, tonsillitis, adenoiditis, bronchitis, pneumonia, halitosis almost always occurs. Purulent discharge can accumulate everywhere: in the lungs, nasopharynx. Because of them, the tonsils, throat, and tongue are often covered with plaque, which, as it oxidizes, begins to smell bad. This can be corrected by regular rinsing with antiseptic solutions (as prescribed by a doctor); if the situation becomes more complicated, then taking antibiotics is also added.

Gastrointestinal diseases

Digestive disorders cause odors of various types, they can be similar to solvent, sour milk, vinegar, etc. Here you will need the help of a gastroenterologist, who will most likely suggest slightly adjusting your diet. If the illness is serious, full treatment will be provided.

Teething

It causes a lot of stress in children because the process can be painful: the gums can become red, swollen and bleed. Sometimes they get infected, which leads to the release of pus. In such a situation, you need to contact your dentist, who should recommend a drug to reduce discomfort and relieve inflammation.

Diagnosis and treatment

To diagnose ENT diseases, an otolaryngologist uses hardware and laboratory tests. These include:

• rhinoscopy – to examine the nasal cavity;
• radiography and computed tomography - to assess the condition of the sinuses;
• examination of nasal secretions to determine the causative agent of inflammation;
• Blood and urine tests will complement the clinical picture.

In the process of collecting anamnesis, the doctor is interested in the following questions:

• How long has the child been complaining of discomfort?
• What time of day does the smell appear and how long does it last?
• What foods did the child eat?
• how much water does he drink?
• Does the smell go away after brushing your teeth?
• What chronic diseases does he have?
• what medications does he take?

Treatment does not imply the elimination of the symptom itself, as such, but the therapy of the specific disease that provoked its appearance. If, as a result of examination and diagnostic measures, pathologies of the nose or nasopharynx were identified, the doctor will prescribe adequate drug treatment, which may include:

• antibacterial therapy (taking antibiotics);
• vasoconstrictors and antihistamines;
• special medical procedures;
• physiotherapy: inhalations, UV and UHF therapy;

If necessary, the otolaryngologist can refer a small patient to specialized specialists if the solution to this problem falls within their competence (dentist, gastroenterologist, etc.).

Respiratory system diseases

Diseases that affect the respiratory system can also influence why a child has an odor in their stool. Often, with chronic inflammation of the adenoids in the mouth, plaque appears on the teeth and on the surface of the tongue, which causes the problem. Other diseases of the respiratory system include: chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, rhinitis.

In this case, with the active proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, not only an exacerbation of the disease occurs, but also associated symptoms arise, which include halitosis. To get rid of the problem, it is important to promptly treat diseases of the upper respiratory system.

Preventive recommendations

In conclusion of our review, I would like to draw the attention of parents to adjusting their children's diet. Our nutritional recommendations are as follows:

1. Let us remember that “bad” bacteria love a sweet environment, so it makes sense to limit the consumption of industrially produced sweets and sugar.
2. As a dessert, you can offer your child natural sweets made from dried fruits and nuts, as well as fresh fruit.
3. Replace carbonated drinks with pure water or herbal tea made from chamomile and mint.
4. To create beneficial microflora in the intestines, a child should consume more “live” fermented milk products: cottage cheese, kefir, yoghurts.

Parents need to understand that this delicate problem requires a qualified approach, since over time it can lead not only to problems at the physiological level, but also cause social isolation of the child.

Kaliningrad residents can make an appointment with a pediatric otolaryngologist by filling out an online form on our website or by calling: +7 (4012) 357-773 or +7 (4012) 973-100.

ethnoscience

If your baby’s mouth stinks, folk remedies will help. A rinse decoction prepared from medicinal plants will help: chamomile, oak bark, mint, sage. Using a decoction, rinsing procedures are carried out, thanks to which the problem is eliminated for a while.

You can also rinse with lemon juice, tea tree oil, a decoction of verbena stems, an infusion of strawberry leaves, and sorrel.

Can the child himself determine the presence of a problem?

The taste buds on the tongue do not detect odors, and any comment about stale breath from others can upset the baby. If the child is over 5-6 years old, he can be taught several rules for self-diagnosis of oral odors. What is needed for this? You can determine the smell in one of the following ways:

1. The child needs to cup his hands and bring them close to his face, so that air space appears between his lips and palms. When you exhale through your mouth, you can feel the smell (if any).
2. Use a dry toothbrush to “walk” over your teeth and tongue. There may be some residue left on the bristles of the device. You can smell it just a few seconds after the procedure.
3. You should collect the plaque at the root of the tongue with a teaspoon. If there is a specific smell, it will be felt within a few seconds. This procedure can be dangerous if it is carried out by the child himself, so parents can do it for him.

Intestinal diseases create the cause of odor