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Smell of ammonia from the mouth
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Have you begun to notice that people are trying to stay away from your face when they talk to you? Perhaps you have an unpleasant smell of ammonia from the mouth. It can bring a lot of unpleasant moments, discomfort and lower your self-esteem. But, most important of all, this smell can say that everything is not right with your body.
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Causes of the odor of ammonia from the mouth
The reasons why a person has a bad smell of ammonia from his mouth can be a lot. Let's look at the main ones:
- Fasting - if you rarely take food, drink enough fluids a day, it can negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys. The products of disintegration 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 properly and balanced.
- A protein-based diet - if you decide to take a non-carbohydrate diet, be prepared for the appearance of such a smell. Because of the protein diet, the kidneys and the liver work with heavy loads, so ammonia does not have time to normally be excreted naturally. In addition, if fats begin to split quickly, this leads to an increased formation of ketone bodies (they are the source of the smell). Here, sufficient intake of liquid (better than water) will help.
- Diabetes mellitus - excess glucose is excreted through the kidneys and genitourinary system. If you feel a constant thirst and urge to urinate, this can indicate dehydration of your body. Also, patients with diabetes should monitor the smell of ammonia from the mouth, as it (along with other symptoms) may indicate the onset of hypoglycemic coma.
- Kidney diseases - the kidneys remove all the decay products from our body, and this is their main task. If you notice that the smell of ammonia comes out of your mouth, it may mean that the kidneys are not working properly. Here you can identify several major diseases: kidney pathology, kidney failure, dystrophy. In addition to the smell, there are also such symptoms: frequent decrease or increase in blood pressure, systemic edema, pain in the lumbar region.
- Taking medications - some medications, including vitamins, can cause bad breath. Especially often this happens if the drugs consist of amino acids and saturated with nitrogen.
Risk factors
Often the patient may not even notice that he has such an unpleasant symptom for others. According to research:
- 80% of all causes for which such a smell appears are associated with oral diseases.
- 10% refers to various diseases of the ENT.
- 10% are more serious diseases of some systems and organs.
Ammonia odor is periodic, for example, appear only in the morning, before a person encroaches. If it is felt constantly, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Pathogenesis
The smell of ammonia from the mouth occurs when this substance is not properly eliminated by a cycle of urea and kidneys. Ammonia is a by-product of protein and amino acid catabolism, a combination of nitrogen (obtained 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.
Symptoms of the odor of ammonia from the mouth
As a rule, people who suffer from such an unpleasant problem characterize the smell in completely different ways. Someone says that they feel a heavy or sweetish-putrid smell, someone smells a rotten egg. A sharp acidic taste may also be present in the mouth.
Smell of ammonia from the mouth of the child
If a child develops liver problems (chronic hepatic insufficiency, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis), then an unpleasant rotten smell, which is also called ammoniac, can emerge from his mouth. This can 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 secretive diabetes mellitus.
There are cases when there is no unpleasant smell, but the child himself and even his parents say otherwise. This unusual phenomenon is called halitosis in medicine. To convince parents that there is no smell, you can visit a dentist who uses a special device (a halimeter). It will show the exact level of hydrogen sulfide in the body.
It also happens that after the successful treatment, the baby is still going through a rotten smell from the mouth (which is no longer there). This disease is called galithophobia and is a mental abnormality. Usually manifested in adolescents and adults and requires the advice of a psychiatrist.
How to get rid of this problem?
Of course, if the cause of the appearance of an unpleasant smell is any disease, you must first cure them. As a rule, all the symptoms pass together with the disease. If the smell of ammonia in the child appears for no apparent reason, you just have to follow simple rules:
- Up to two years, the teeth are best for children to clean with a special silicone brush with a fingertip. After two years of age, it is worth buying a soft baby brush. The procedure should be carried out at least twice a day.
- To children, the surface of the tongue needs to be cleaned daily with a piece of tincture moistened in boiled water. For older children, there are special brushes for this.
- Up to seven years, various sprays for fresh breath and lollipops are prohibited.
- Visit the dentist with your child.
- Remember that children should eat properly and balanced.
The smell of ammonia from the mouth in an adult
The smell of ammonia can come from the mouth of an adult person, if he is sick for some diseases:
- Cystitis, renal failure, pyelonephritis, nephrosis and other diseases that are associated with the kidneys and the genitourinary system.
- Different types of stomatitis, as well as caries or periodontitis.
- Often an unpleasant sour smell of ammonia appears with an ulcer of the duodenal ulcer, stomach or gastritis.
- ENT diseases: sinusitis, sinusitis, adenoids, tonsillitis, tonsillitis.
- Pancreatitis, cholecystitis, intestinal dysbiosis.
Sometimes a rotten smell of ammonia appears if the liver is too heavily overloaded due to exogenous and endogenous factors. But in this case the patient also notices that his skin has acquired a yellowish hue, the urine has darkened, and the feces, on the contrary, brightened.
Often people who suffer from any problems with their teeth complain about unpleasant smells, including the smell of ammonia from their mouths. Sometimes this symptom can manifest itself in malignant and benign neoplasms in the esophagus, when food particles stagnate in this organ due to atony of the esophagus walls and after a while start to rot.
Diagnostics of the odor of ammonia from the mouth
If you can not determine for yourself whether you have an unpleasant smell and do not want to ask your relatives about it, we recommend conducting the following diagnostic tests at home:
- Take a clean napkin (a cotton pad will do) and place it under the tongue. After a few seconds, take out and smell. The smell of ammonia will be felt right away.
- When you use a toothpick or thread to clean your teeth, try to smell it in a minute or two.
- Lick the spoon and then smell it.
- There are also special handheld devices that help to determine what level of hydrogen sulfide in your body.
- You can get tested by a dentist who uses ultra-sensitive equipment for this.
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Analyzes
If you tried to return to a normal lifestyle and stopped starving, and the smell of ammonia from your mouth still continues to bother, you should immediately consult a doctor. The very first and basic step in the diagnosis will be the delivery of tests for sugar and urea. They will help to find out the true cause of the unpleasant symptom and begin effective treatment.
How to examine?
Who to contact?
Treatment of the odor of ammonia from the mouth
First of all, it is necessary to establish what exactly caused the appearance of an unpleasant smell. In diseases of the ENT, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system, kidneys, liver, lungs or dental problems, it is necessary first to cure the underlying disease. If the odor is unstable, you can treat it by following simple rules:
- To quickly get rid of the smell of ammonia, chop the grain of coffee, it will help neutralize it.
- When brushing your teeth, do not forget to clean your tongue as well.
Medications
Chlorhexidine. Antiseptic and bactericidal drug that affects most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (Treponema spp., Neisseia gonorrhoeae, Tricyomonas spp., Chlamidia spp). Also differs fungistatic activity against fungi of the genus Candida. Used to wash the bladder with cystitis. Side effects include itching and other allergic reactions. The drug is contraindicated in dermatitis.
Hexoral. Antiseptic, which is actively used in dentistry. The active ingredient of the drug is hexatidine, which suppresses the oxidative reactions of the metabolism of most bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus.
To treat the unpleasant odor of ammonia from the mouth with dental problems, it is necessary to rinse the oral cavity twice a day. Please note that the product should not be swallowed.
Sometimes when using a solution, a taste disorder may appear. Do not use for children under three years old.
Stopangin. An agent that has antibacterial (including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp), hemostatic and antifungal effects. Active substance of the drug is hexethidine. The solution is used to rinse the mouth twice a day. Apply before meals.
Side effects of taking the drug: burning in the mouth. It can not be used with atrophic pharyngitis, during pregnancy and up to six years.
Alternative treatment and herbal treatment
Unpleasant ammonia odor is derived by various alternative means, but only if it is not a symptom of any serious or serious illness. To rinse the mouth use tinctures and herbal medicinal herbs:
- Take 30 drops of tincture from St. John's wort with alcohol and dilute in water (glass). They rinse their mouth twice a day after eating.
- Take a tablespoon of dried strawberry leaves and boil in water (two glasses). This tincture should be drunk regularly, at least half a glass a day.
- You can make a tincture of sour. Take 3 teaspoons of dried grass and pour half a liter of boiling water. The drug is insisted for two hours, and then expressed through gauze. They need to rinse your mouth.
The smell of ammonia from the mouth can be removed with the help of berries and oils. This proven tool will not only help make your breathing pleasant, but also cure some problems in the digestive tract. For its preparation, take a tablespoon of vegetable oil (which you will find in the house) and rinse their mouth for at least 10 minutes. Excellent cope with the smell and cranberry juice. It also helps to remove sand from the kidneys, as it has an easy diuretic effect.
Prevention
The main measures to prevent odor of ammonia from the mouth are:
- Regular trips to the dentist.
- Try to diagnose and treat infectious diseases of internal organs in a timely manner.
- Try to always conduct proper oral hygiene.
- Eat right.
- Add fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.
- Brush not only your teeth, but your tongue too.
- If you feel dryness in your mouth, try using moisturizers.
- Refuse bad habits.
Remember that the usual unpleasant odor can be quite a serious disease, so try to get medical advice.