Phlegm Contributing to Bad Breath....? Posted: 02-05-06 14:39pm
Hello. I'm new to this forum, so
here's my 1st post. I am a 55 year
old caucasian, non-smoker, in great
health, (at least I think so) with
allergies to milk. I notice the
past several months, every morning I have
green phlegm 'stuck' in my throat, and my
wife has been complaining thru the day of
my 'very very bad breath'. She is
even saying that our bedroom is 'reeking'
with my bad breath smell. A
friend at a social get-together also
mentioned it (in a kind way, but hey, that
concern still hurts!)
my dietary habits have been unchanged for
years. I take multi-vitamins, etc.
I floss, no gum disease, dentists
can't find anything wrong, (and yes I
clean my tongue).
I personally think the bad breath is from
my digestive track, as I clear my throat
throughout the day, and spit out tiny bits
of green phlegm. A doctor placed me on
antibiotics (a few months ago) for a cold,
but except for the cold healing, my
phlegm problem remained. I've never
smoked, breathing is great, and I
exercise.
I have now been using soy milk the past
several months, but still the problem
persists. Only very occasionally
will I use milk, or creamer for coffee,
once a day. Could even that tiny
dosage of non-soy be doing me in? Am
I just 'getting old'? Except for this,
I definitely don't feel 'over the hill'!
Should I take acidophilus?? Don't
seem to have any pollen allergies.
Gosh... Any advice would be deeply
and tremendously appreciated.
Thank you,
martin
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backhome22
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 195 Location: MN
Posted: 02-19-06 12:47pm
It could be your sinuses...Sinusitis.
Often a cold brings it on and it stays
even after your cold is gone. Sinusitis
can produce green phlegm and bad
breath...Something like if you swallow the
phlegm, the acid in your digestive track
makes it smell it can cause bad breath
when it comes up. Sinusitis is treated
with a decongestant or antibiotic
depending on the severity, but to prevent
your sinuses from drying and burning you
can inhale steam from a bowl of hot water
or the shower a couple times a day.
Allergies can also cause post-nasal drip
with green phlegm. When phlegm is thick
it doesn't move around and sticks much
more than regular saliva, so it sits there
and becomes smelly. Try drinking a lot of
water and see if that reduces the bad
breath. I'm no doctor, but these could be
some causes of it.
