Bad Breath Can Be All in Your Head

Bad Breath Can Be All in Your Head

Canadians fearful over their perceived bad breath might consider swapping gum chewing for head shrinking if the latest word from the International Society of Breath Odor Research has any sway.

At the organization's recent global conference, halitophobia - also known as delusional halitosis or imagined bad breath - was identified as a vital area for future mouth malodour research. According to Canadian scientist Mel Rosenberg, one of the leading experts on the little-known condition, halitophobia affects roughly a quarter of all people seeking professional advice for bad breath.

Although the science is still emerging, studies suggest that as many as 3.3 million North Americans are affected by the hypochondriacal psychosis, which drives them to compulsively gobble breath mints, brush their teeth and chew gum in an effort to fight the phantom smell. This tempest in a Trident stick is thought to drive much of the breath-freshening industry, which Rosenberg suspects is eager to capitalize on people's paranoia.

"This is by far the most challenging and under-researched problem we face," says Rosenberg, a microbiologist at Tel Aviv University. "Very few people acknowledge that their condition is a psychological one, so few psychiatrists and psychologists have seen these kinds of patients."

People who suffer from halitophobia will interpret someone offering them a stick of gum or standing far away from them as signs their breath isn't fresh. The paranoia often leads to social isolation and depression.

"They are sure they have a physical problem and that everyone can smell their breath," says Rosenberg. "So when they go to an expert that doesn't confirm the halitosis, they become angry and frustrated."

Alan Hirsch, a psychiatrist and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, was among the lecturers on halitophobia at the recent ISBOR conference.

"It's an incredibly common condition," says Hirsch, who likens delusional halitosis to the dysmorphophobia that causes anorexics to think they look overweight.

"Psychodynamically, it's much easier to accept that, 'It's because of my breath that people are mean to me,' as opposed to there being something else wrong with their character."

Anne Bosy, clinical director of the Fresh Breath Clinic in Toronto, has seen patients with delusional halitosis who confessed to having considered suicide because of their perceived bad breath.

"If you have a pimple on your face, you can deal with it (because) it's a real thing that you can see," says Bosy. "With bad breath, my patients tell me that they would brush their teeth and clean the tongue, and then a member of the family would ask them if they had brushed yet. It can make you a bit crazy - like fighting shadows."

Bosy advises patients who suspect they have bad breath to lick their wrist, let it partially dry, then smell it. People can also opt for home-testing kits, which use a tongue swab to measure volatile sulphur compounds (smell of rotten eggs) and polyamines (smell of rotten flesh).

A dental professional, however, should always be on the front line of any diagnosis, regardless of whether the person suspects the smell is in their mouth or their mind, says the Canadian Dental Association.

"Bad breath isn't a disease but it can be a symptom of disease," explains Canadian Dental Association president Darryl Smith, pointing to such examples as diabetes, kidney failure and liver trouble.

"Because of this, it's very important to see your dentist if you believe you have a problem with halitosis."

Source: Canwest News Service - http://www.canada.com/breath+your+head/1320562/story.html

Discover how I cured my nasty Bad Breath here.

Bad Breath Can Be All in Your Head