Are you thinking about can snoring cause bad breath? Well, in this article, I am going to answer that question in details. So, let’s get started!
Snoring and bad breath are both related in the way that they both originate from mouth breathing. Both are unpleasant and undesirable. There are a huge amount of bacteria near our palate, tongue and between the teeth. When these bacteria start to decay, bad breath originates. When we sleep with an open mount, it causes loss of moisture from the palate, tongue and surrounding areas. Snoring makes the loss of moisture much more severe. This causes a bad odor to escape from the mouth.
How Snoring Causes Bad Breath?
A recent study showed that around 71% of snorers have admitted that they wake up every morning with bad breath. Researchers have found a direct correlation between snoring and bad breath.
The main reason for bad breath is the loss of moisture from the mouth when we sleep. It especially occurs when we sleep with our mouth open. When we sleep, the production rate of saliva inside our mouth decreases. People who snore due to open mouth, experience this saliva loss at a more severe rate.
Saliva acts as a natural antibiotic. So, bacteria can’t grow in saliva. When we experience extreme loss of saliva during sleeping, bacteria flourishes. As a result, bad breath occurs.
Why Most People Snore With Open Mouth?
The main reason for snoring is too much narrow airway. So, when we snore, the airway gets too narrowed. As a result, when we are breathing, the fast-traveling air gets through the airway by dehydrating the throat tissues. It also causes the tissues to vibrate. The vibration causes the sound of snoring.
When our body faces a shortage of oxygen, it tries to open the mouth and increase the air intake to make up the shortage of oxygen. However, as I have said earlier, breathing with open mouth causes the mouth to try rapidly, which in turns causes bacteria to flourish and originate bad breath.
Solutions To Bad Breathing Caused By Snoring
If you are suffering from bad breath due to snoring, then the first thing we need to address is to keep your mouth closed during sleep and encourage breathing through the nose. Here are some solutions that you can try:
- You can use a MAD mouthpiece. I love this one. It fixed my snoring problem right away. The mouthpiece can be custom fitted according to the structure of your jaw. It helps to keep the mouth closed and stop snoring instantly. If you are suffering from a long time and think nothing is working, then I’ll highly suggest giving this mouthpiece a try.
- Snore guards can also be used. They are basically moldable guards for the mouth which keep the mouth closed and encourage you to breathe through the nose. Snore guards do this by blocking the mouth.
- Some people also found nasal dilators to be of great help. They are small devices that can be inserted inside your nostrils. What nasal dilators do is, they reduce the resistance and friction to incoming air inside the nose. Though nasal dilators work, they can be very uncomfortable at times.
- Nasal strips or nasal spray can also be a great way to stop snoring. If you are snoring because of a blocked nose, then nasal strips can help in that regard. These devices help to clear the nasal-way, so you can breathe through nose comfortably. Many of us suffer from a blocked nose when we catch a cold. In times like these, nasal strips can work magic!
How To Get Rid Of The Bad Smell?
Here are some ways you can get rid of the bad smell:
Change The Sleeping Position
As I have told earlier, when we sleep, our mouth gets drier. Snoring because of open mouth breathing makes our mouth extremely dry which gives the bacteria a chance to flourish. So, to get rid of the bad smell, we need to do something about the snoring.
A recent study has found that back sleepers are more likely to snore than people who snore in other positions. So, if you are a back sleeper, you may need to change your sleeping position.
Here’s a detailed guide to snoring and sleeping position.
Only Brushing Isn’t Enough
The more you can keep your mouth fresh and clean, the fewer bacteria there’ll be. Most of us brush before we go to bed and after we get up. But only brushing isn’t enough to get rid of the persistent bacteria in our mouth.
Brushing can’t get rid of tiny food particles that hide between our teeth. Only flossing can get rid of that. So, floss every night before you hit the bed. It will reduce the number of bacteria inside your mouth at a considerable rate.
Also, brushing only the teeth isn’t enough. Your tongue is a good place for bacteria to live. So, when you are brushing the teeth, don’t forget to brush your tongue too. Most toothbrush these days come with a scraper at the back of the head. This is specifically designed to brush the tongue.
I also highly recommend using good mouthwash after every time you brush your teeth. It acts as a mouth cleanser and washes away most of the bacteria from the mouth. If you are not using a mouthwash already, you should seriously start to use now!
Inconsistent diet
Not only food particles, but an inconsistent diet is also responsible for bad breath. It is because when we eat, it triggers the production of saliva that sweeps bacteria. So, if our diet is inconsistent and infrequent, it can be responsible for bad breath.
Hydration
Keeping yourself hydrated is a good way to stop snoring. It also helps to keep your mouth moist and wash away most of the bacteria from the mouth. So, drinking a glass of water before bed will actually help you to stop snore as well as get rid of bad breath.
On the other hand, alcohol and caffeine are known for encouraging bacteria growth inside the mouth, which in turn causes bad breath.
Consulting with an expert
Sometimes, medical conditions can also be blamed for bad breath. A recent study found that nearly 80% of bad breathing is caused by a medical condition. Some of these conditions can be a runny nose, blocked nose, acid reflux etc.
Some other health issues that can cause bad breath are bronchitis, diabetes, head colds, liver diseases etc. In such cases, there is nothing you can do except taking the help of an expert.
If none of the above methods work, you need to see a doctor and follow the prescription.
Last Words
So, this is my detailed answer to can snoring cause bad breath or not. Though snoring is not solely responsible, it is a huge contributor to bad breath. That’s why if you snore, you are far more likely to have bad breath in the morning.
Both bad breath and snoring can be embarrassing for us. So, do something about it quick and now. Don’t wait for anything miracle to happen!
If you want something quick to stop snoring right away, go give this mouthpiece a try. It has really helped me a lot!
