Ammonia breath

Have you started to notice that people try to stay away from your face when they talk to you? You may have an unpleasant smell of ammonia coming from your mouth. It can bring a lot of unpleasant moments, discomfort and lower your self-esteem. But most importantly, such a smell can indicate that something is wrong with your body.

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Causes ammonia breath odor

There can be many reasons why a person has an unpleasant smell of ammonia coming from their mouth. Let's look at the main ones:

1. Fasting - if you rarely eat, do not drink enough liquid per day, then this can negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys. The decay products are excreted through the genitourinary system incorrectly, so a specific smell appears. In order to eliminate it (in this case), you just need to start eating correctly and in a balanced manner.
2. Protein-based diet – if you decide to go on a carbohydrate-free diet, be prepared for this smell to appear. Due to the protein diet, the kidneys and liver work under heavy loads, so ammonia does not have time to be excreted normally in a natural way. In addition, if fats begin to break down quickly, this leads to increased formation of ketone bodies (they are the source of the smell). Sufficient fluid intake (preferably water) will help here.
3. Diabetes mellitus – excess glucose is excreted through the kidneys and genitourinary system. If you feel constant thirst and the desire to urinate, this may indicate dehydration of your body. Also, patients with diabetes mellitus should monitor the smell of ammonia from the mouth, as it (along with other symptoms) may indicate the onset of hypoglycemic coma.
4. Kidney diseases – the kidneys remove all waste products from our body, and this is their main task. If you notice that your mouth smells like ammonia, this may mean that your kidneys are not working properly. Here, several main diseases can be distinguished: renal tubule pathology, renal failure, dystrophy. In addition to the smell, the following symptoms also appear: frequent decrease or increase in blood pressure, systemic edema, pain in the lumbar region.
5. Taking medications – some medications, including vitamins, can cause bad breath. This is especially common if the medications contain amino acids and are saturated with nitrogen.

Risk factors

Often the patient may not even notice that he has developed such an unpleasant symptom for others. According to research:

1. 80% of all reasons why such a smell appears are associated with diseases of the oral cavity.
2. 10% relate to various ENT diseases.
3. 10% are more serious diseases of some systems and organs.

The ammonia smell can be periodic, for example, appearing only in the morning, before a person eats. If it is felt constantly, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

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Pathogenesis

Ammonia breath occurs when this substance is not properly eliminated through the urea cycle and kidneys. Ammonia is a byproduct of protein and amino acid catabolism, a combination of nitrogen (derived from protein breakdown) and hydrogen.

Excess ammonia in the body is known as hyperammonemia and can lead to cell damage, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, irritability, and nausea.

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Symptoms ammonia breath odor

As a rule, people who suffer from such an unpleasant problem characterize the smell in completely different ways. Some say that they feel a heavy or sweetish-rotten smell, some feel the smell of rotten eggs. There may also be a sharp sour taste in the mouth.

Ammonia smell from a child's mouth

If a child develops liver problems (chronic liver failure, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis), then an unpleasant rotten smell, also called ammonia, may come from his mouth. This may also indicate that the baby suffers from kidney disease. In addition, nausea, general weakness and a characteristic smell of ammonia from the mouth appear in children with latent diabetes.

There are cases when there is no unpleasant smell, but the child himself and even his parents claim the opposite. Such an unusual phenomenon is called halitosis in medicine. To convince parents that there is no smell, you can visit a dentist who will use a special device (halimeter). It will show the exact level of hydrogen sulfide in the body.

It also happens that after successful treatment, the child still worries about the bad breath (which is no longer there). This disease is called halitophobia and is a mental deviation from the norm. It usually manifests itself in adolescents and adults and requires a consultation with a psychiatrist.

How to get rid of this problem?

Of course, if the cause of the unpleasant smell is some disease, it is necessary to cure it first. As a rule, all symptoms disappear along with the disease. If the smell of ammonia in a child appeared without any apparent reason, you just need to follow simple rules:

1. Up to two years, it is better to brush children's teeth with a special silicone finger brush. After two years, it is worth buying a soft children's brush. The procedure should be carried out at least twice a day.
2. For babies, the surface of the tongue should be cleaned daily with a piece of bandage soaked in boiled water. For older children, there are special brushes for this purpose.
3. Various breath sprays and lozenges are prohibited for children under seven years of age.
4. Take your child to the dentist.
5. Remember that children need to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Ammonia smell from the mouth of an adult

The smell of ammonia can come from the mouth of an adult if he suffers from certain diseases:

1. Cystitis, renal failure, pyelonephritis, nephrosis and other diseases associated with the kidneys and genitourinary system.
2. Various types of stomatitis, as well as caries or periodontitis.
3. Often an unpleasant sour smell of ammonia appears with an ulcer of the duodenum, stomach or gastritis.
4. ENT diseases: sinusitis, adenoids, tonsillitis, angina.
5. Pancreatitis, cholecystitis, intestinal dysbacteriosis.

Sometimes the foul smell of ammonia appears if the liver is overloaded due to exogenous and endogenous factors. But in this case, the patient also notices that his skin has acquired a yellowish tint, urine has darkened, and feces, on the contrary, have become lighter.

Often people who suffer from any dental problems complain of unpleasant odors, including the smell of ammonia from the mouth. Sometimes this symptom can manifest itself in malignant and benign tumors in the esophagus, when food particles stagnate in this organ due to atony of the esophagus walls and after some time begin to rot.

Diagnostics ammonia breath odor

If you cannot determine whether you have an unpleasant odor on your own and do not want to ask your family to do this, we recommend that you conduct the following diagnostic tests at home:

1. Take a clean tissue (a cotton pad will do) and place it under your tongue. After a few seconds, take it out and smell it. You will immediately smell the ammonia.
2. When you use a toothpick or floss to clean your teeth, try to smell it after a minute or two.
3. Lick the spoon and then smell it.
4. There are also special pocket devices that can help determine the level of hydrogen sulfide in your body.
5. You can get checked by a dentist who uses ultra-sensitive equipment.

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Tests

If you have tried to return to a normal lifestyle and stopped starving, but the smell of ammonia from your mouth still bothers you, you should immediately consult a doctor. The very first and most important step in diagnostics will be taking tests for sugar and urea. They will help to find out the true cause of the unpleasant symptom and begin effective treatment.

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Treatment ammonia breath odor

First of all, you need to determine what exactly caused the unpleasant odor. In case of ENT, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, kidney, liver, lung or dental problems, you must first cure the underlying disease. If the odor is inconstant, you can treat it by following simple rules:

1. To quickly get rid of the ammonia smell, chew a coffee bean; it will help neutralize it.
2. When brushing your teeth, don't forget to brush your tongue as well.

Medicines

Chlorhexidine. An antiseptic and bactericidal drug that affects most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (Treponema spp., Neisseia gonorrhoeae, Tricyomonas spp., Chlamidia spp). It also has fungistatic activity against Candida fungi. It is used to wash the bladder in cystitis. Side effects may include itching and other allergic reactions. The drug is contraindicated in dermatitis.

Hexoral. An antiseptic that is widely used in dentistry. The active ingredient of the drug is hexetidine, which suppresses oxidative reactions of metabolism of most bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus.

To treat bad ammonia breath due to dental problems, rinse your mouth twice a day. Please note that the product should not be swallowed.

Sometimes when using the solution, taste disturbances may occur. Do not use for children under three years of age.

Stopangin. A product that has antibacterial (including against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp), hemostatic and antifungal effects. The active ingredient of the drug is hexetidine. The solution is used to rinse the mouth twice a day. Use before meals.

Side effects from taking the drug: burning in the mouth. Cannot be used in case of atrophic pharyngitis, during pregnancy and up to six years.

Traditional and herbal medicine

The unpleasant ammonia smell can be eliminated by various folk remedies, but only if it is not a symptom of any serious or serious illness. To rinse the mouth, use tinctures and decoctions of medicinal herbs:

1. Take 30 drops of St. John's wort tincture with alcohol and dilute in water (glass). Rinse your mouth twice a day after meals.
2. Take a tablespoon of dried strawberry leaves and boil in water (two glasses). This infusion should be drunk regularly, at least half a glass per day.
3. You can make a tincture from wood sorrel. Take 3 teaspoons of dried grass and pour half a liter of boiling water. The remedy is infused for two hours, and then strained through gauze. It should be used to rinse the mouth.

The smell of ammonia from the mouth can be removed with the help of berries and oils. This proven remedy will not only help make your breath pleasant, but also cure some problems in the gastrointestinal tract. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of vegetable oil (whatever you find at home) and rinse your mouth with it for at least 10 minutes. Cranberry juice also copes well with the smell. It also helps remove sand from the kidneys, as it has a mild diuretic effect.

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Prevention

The main measures to prevent ammonia odor from the mouth are:

1. Regular visits to the dentist.
2. Try to diagnose and treat infectious diseases of internal organs in a timely manner.
3. Always try to practice proper oral hygiene.
4. Eat right.
5. Add fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet.
6. Brush not only your teeth, but also your tongue.
7. If you experience dry mouth, try using humidifiers.
8. Give up bad habits.

Remember that a common unpleasant odor can be a sign of a rather serious illness, so try to consult a doctor.

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