YOUR HEALTH
With Taiwo Damola (damolat.dt@gmail.com)
HALITOSIS
Hello, dear readers on campus. I welcome you to another week of ‘Your Health’. Last edition was strictly for ladies on campus, I talked about why ladies miss their period; but this week on ‘Your Health’ we will be looking at a Medical condition that is no respecter of anybody. It can happen to male, female, old and even the young. Let me start off with this short story.
Every girl wishes for a cute guy to walk up to her and sweep her off her feet. There used to be a girl who was always approached by guys she didn’t find interest in. The one she desired was far away from her. One day, her dream started to come into reality when the one her heart skips a beat for looked her way for the very first time. She was so surprised that she could not believe when he finally smiled and waved at her, she also did the same.
The next day, he wrote her a note telling her how beautiful she was. Though the note was delivered by someone else, she didn’t mind. She started becoming conscious of her looks just for him. She began to wonder why he had not walked up to her yet and talked to her face to face; but that didn’t seem to be a case because the next day after class he walked up to her. Her heart skipped a beat as he was about to say hello. She had already started smiling. As he opened his mouth, she held her breath immediately. She was receiving the most torturous experience of her life. She only smiled and nodded to all his questions. She couldn’t believe it – the cutest boy in school had mouth odour! A whole big boy had a terrible mouth odour, can you believe it? The “biggest boy” in school was suffering from Halitosis.
HALITOSIS (bad breath or mouth odour) is a common condition caused by sulphur-producing bacteria that live within the surface of the tongue and in the throat. Halitosis occurs when noticeably unpleasant odour emanates from the mouth. It is one of the most frequent reasons why people seek dental aid. One of the major causes of halitosis is poor oral hygiene. Halitosis can occur as a result of eating certain foods such as garlic, onions, meat, fish etc. It can also be as a result of bad habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption etc. Other causes of halitosis include diseases like cancer, diabetic ketoacidosis, liver disease, kidney disease and so on. Research from the Academy of General Dentistry has shown that more than 80 million people in the world suffer from chronic halitosis or bad breath.
The features of Halitosis include: a white coating on the tongue especially at the back of the tongue, built up around teeth, thick saliva and a constant need to clear the throat, constant sour, bitter metallic taste. When you are told you have bad breath, don’t take it too hard on yourself or feel insulted or embarrassed. If you are not told, you probably won’t know.
There are certain measures to prevent or curtail halitosis. Since the mouth is not active at night, it is advised to brush twice a day – morning after meal and also at night before going to bed. It is advisable to floss to remove food particles between the teeth not forgetting the tongue. Taking breath mints and also water hydrates the mouth. Sugar free gum also helps. Taking too much sugar gives ground for bacteria to breed on the teeth. Avoid tobacco products. Avoid foods that have pungent odours such as garlic, onions and coffee. If you are not sure about your breath, you may need to ask a friend, family member or a dentist to tell you if your breath smells bad. Prevention, they say is better than cure. You can prevent halitosis today by practising good oral health.
This is where I would be stopping this week. Next week is another time again where I would be talking entirely on another health issue. Till then, I say your health is your wealth; don’t joke with it.
