Greetings.
Are you on any medications?
Do you smoke?
Any allergic cold, cough, sinusitis, recurrent sore throat?
Any heartburn, reflux?
Dr. Arun
Hello SR,
One of the commonest cause if one eliminates lack of fluids and dental/gum issues is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), for the bad breath. This can also give a coating to the tongue when the reflux is severe. Acid blockers like Nexium or Prilosec with antacids like Maalox or Tums can be helpful. All of these are over the counter and won't need any prescription.
Other things to look for are allergies which can cause throat irritation, cold symptoms, nasal polyps and sinusitis. They also are responsible for the intermittent bad breath. An ENT check up is essential and that would give definite clues as nasal polyps are many times asymptomatic, cause bad breath and only examination can detect them.
Please feel free for your follow up questions.
Hi SR,
You are most welcome.
Nasal polyps are very small mucosal growth in the internal lining of nose. They get inflamed easily as they obstruct the air passage and result is intermittent bad breath, as nose is connected to the mouth from the back of the nose.
The reflux would need some investigative studies to establish the diagnosis as many times person have very subtle heartburn or reflux which is not very predominant thus unrecognizable. They are studied by;
1) upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
2) esophagus (food pipe) pH study
3) esophagus manometry (pressure study).
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Doctor (MD)
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), Post-doctoral Fellowship in Sports Medicine