Gastroesophageal reflux bad breath

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vu Huy Binh - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. Doctor has 09 years of experience in the field of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

When you have gastroesophageal reflux disease, undigested food in the stomach and gastric acid will back up into the esophagus, nasopharynx and mouth, causing bad breath. Therefore, bad breath is a common symptom in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux is a condition in which gastric juices back up into the esophagus. The disease, if not treated in time, can leave dangerous complications such as esophagitis, esophageal stricture, esophageal adenocarcinoma, ... Besides the classic symptoms such as belching, belching, and belching. Heat, heartburn, chest pain, stomach heat, cough, hoarseness, bad breath are also quite common symptoms. Bad breath makes the breath always have an unpleasant smell, making the patient lose confidence when communicating.
Why does acid reflux have bad breath is a problem that many people wonder. Explaining this, specialists say that, as the organ that digests food, the stomach is home to many types of bacteria. When you have gastroesophageal reflux disease, undigested food in the stomach and gastric acid will back up into the esophagus, nasopharynx and mouth, causing bad breath. In addition, when refluxed gastric acid will erode the lining of the mouth and throat, odor-producing bacteria will have conditions to grow.
When bad breath symptoms occur, the patient's gastroesophageal reflux disease is already at a serious level. In order to overcome bad breath, patients need to be treated at the root of gastric reflux disease.

When gastroesophageal reflux disease causes bad breath, patients should go to medical facilities for examination and treatment. The drugs that can be prescribed by the doctor are:
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as: Omeprazol, Esomeprazole, Lansoprazol, Pantoprazol, Rabeprazol,... Proton pump inhibitors are usually used 1 tablet before meals. 30 minutes, use daily for 4-8 weeks. If condition does not improve, double dose in 4 weeks or perform endoscopy for evaluation. If symptoms are well controlled after 4-8 weeks, apply step-down therapy such as reducing the dose, using the drug only when needed, or stopping the drug. The group of drugs that inhibit H2 receptors such as Cimetidine, Ranitidine, Famotidine, Nizatidine,...have good effects on mild and moderate gastroesophageal reflux disease. The usual dose is: 1 tablet x 2 times / day, taken 15-30 minutes before meals. Stomach antacids: The most commonly used form of antacid today is a combination of aluminum and magnesium. The drug has many dosage forms such as gel, tablet, powder, and nuggets. Should take the drug 1-3 hours after eating or before going to bed, the number of times to use depends on the patient's condition. Besides treating bad breath with medication, lifestyle changes play a very important role in improving the condition. Lifestyle changes that the patient should take are:
Avoiding foods and beverages such as alcohol, beer, coffee, carbonated soft drinks, orange juices, lemons, chocolates, spicy and fatty foods These are foods that can aggravate acid reflux disease. Avoid bending forward, doing heavy lifting or exercising right after eating. Eat several meals a day, avoid eating at least 2 hours before going to bed, avoid lying down right after eating. Sleep with your head elevated, stop smoking, lose weight, don't tighten or wear tight pants.

If medical treatment combined with lifestyle changes fails, the patient can be treated with anti-reflux surgery. Surgery can help improve symptoms of hot flashes and reflux, but some patients still need to continue taking medication after surgery.
During the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, to improve bad breath symptoms, patients can apply a number of ways such as:
Brush teeth and clean tongue regularly, twice a day morning and evening. Use dental floss and mouthwash after each meal to clean plaque around Teeth. Combine chewing sugar-free gum after meals to enhance the ability of the mouth to clean and produce saliva. Drink enough water: drink at least 2 liters of water / day to help the salivary mechanism of the mouth work properly, limiting bad breath. Gargling with physiological saline is a simple and effective way to prevent plaque, kill bacteria in the mouth, and overcome bad breath caused by acid reflux. Using some folk remedies such as using mint leaves, fresh ginger, fresh lemon peel, licorice, salt and coriander leaves, ... are also very effective to remove unpleasant odors in the breath.