The X Factors Affecting Your Breath You Didn't Know About?

Many of us understandably get self-conscious about our breath at some point throughout the day. After all, bad breath is the type of problem that tends to sneak up on you - but it doesn't sneak up on whoever it is that you're talking to. While we're all aware that poor brushing and flossing habits can be a contributor to poor breath quality, there are many other factors that you might NOT know. 

Mouth-Breathing

Concerning your breath, the importance of the saliva that is naturally produced by your mouth cannot be overstated enough. Saliva is like your first line of defense - warding off the germs that cause bad breath all day long. When you breathe through your mouth, you make your saliva evaporate much faster than it normally would - weakening those defenses as a result. Lack of saliva is also why your breath tends to smell worse right when you wake up in the morning and after you hit the gym for exercise, too.

Your Sinuses

Another factor that can make your breath smell poorly has to do with blocked sinus passages. Your sinuses, along with post-nasal drip and other signs of a cold, could easily result in bad breath. While it's true that this will pass, you may take your bad breath as a warning sign that something bigger may be looming just on the horizon.

To Help - Start Chewing Gum

While gum is often scented to give your breath a bit of a boost, chewing gum also helps loosen food particles that get stuck in between those pearly whites that are known culprits of stinky breath. Chewing gum can also help positively impact the bacteria in your mouth that breaks down food, aiding things even further. Just make sure that you're chewing sugar-free gum so that you don't do any damage to your teeth in the long-term.