DHAKA: We all know about various causes of bad breath or halitosis and tips or remedies to control them. But, have you ever thought that your breath can tell a lot about your health?  

Here are some common diseases that can be revealed through your breath first, reports thehealthsite.com.

Respiratory tract infections

Abnormal breath can be caused due to the common respiratory tract infections such as common cold and sinusitis. It is due to dripping of bacteria-loaded nasal or sinus secretions in the throat which produces bad breath. In some cases, your breath may also reveal about a condition known as tonsil stones, white spots on tonsils. Read about tips to keep common winter diseases a bay.

Dry mouth

Also known as xerostomia, dry mouth is a condition that is caused due to problems in the salivary glands or mouth breathing. However, one of the key sign of this oral complication is bad breath. If you suffer from xerostomia, a unique, strong smell is produced along with other symptoms.

Diabetes

Did you know your breath can tell you if your blood sugar levels are under control or not? People with uncontrolled blood glucose levels in the body suffer from a condition known as ketoacidosis. In this, the body burns fat instead of utilizing glucose for energy production leading to a typical ketone (fruity-smelling) breath.

Obesity

A study conducted by researchers of Los Angeles medical Centre revealed that your breath can tell about your susceptibility to develop obesity. (1) The breath of people with higher BMI and higher fat percentage had higher concentration of methane and hydrogen as compared to healthy people. These gases result in a typical pungent odour that smells similar to toilet gases.

Kidney or liver failure

Although kidney failure or liver complications can be easily detected by means of various signs and symptoms, your breath can also reveal a lot about these organs. If you are suffering from kidney or liver failure, your breath might produce malodor that can be easily detected. As kidneys or liver fail to function, the various toxins in the body are excreted through the lungs which causes distinct odor (due to chemicals) in breath.

Lung cancer

People suffering from lung cancer can be differentiated from those affected with other lung complications with the help of a simple breath sample analysis. As the breath of lung cancer patients have different volatile compounds than those seen in normal healthy patients. This can be detected with the help of electric nose technology, which is highly sensitive and aids in easy detection of lung cancer. These volatile compounds easily evaporate into the air and cause a unique odor.

BDST: 1706 HRS, DEC 13, 2014