Bad Breath

It is a harmless condition known as 'Halitosis' in medical parlance.

**Causes :
Halitosis is caused usually due to poor care of teeth and gums. Eating strongly flavoured food, such as garlic or onions, can also cause it. Chronic constipation, respiratory infections, or very bad sinusitis may also cause bad breath.

**Signs & Symptoms:
Strong amd unpleasantly odoured breath.

**Herbal Medicines:
Clean teeth regularly with neem paste.
Wash mouth with a tsf of Triphalachurna or neem bark powder dissolved in warm water 3 to 4 times a day.
Chhoti Elaichi (green cardamom) is an excellent mouth freshener.
The decoction of dhania (coriander) can be used as mouthwash.
The gargles of cold decoction of aloe vera mixed with honey is very effective in chronic bad breath.

**Ayurvedic Remedies :
1. Above all to keep the bowels free and to remove constipation, using Deendayal Churna 5gms mixed in warm water daily at bed time is helpful. This checks acidity, constipation and gases and keeps the entire digestive system from mouth to anus clean, thereby controlling bad breath.
2. Eladivati pills and other digestives can be chewed 3 to 4 times a day or as and when bad breath is noticed. These pills when sucked, immediately control bad breath and if even after all these measures, bad breath persists, consulting a dentist is judicious.
3. Larangadi Vati can be chewed 4 to 5 times daily for controlling bad breath.
4. Gum-Tone tooth powder (Charak) used twice daily for 15 days gives very good results.
5. lrimadadi Tailam can be massaged on the gums to avoid bad breath.
6. Khadivadi Vati chewed or swallowed orally treats all the diseases of the mouth and oral cavity. 7. Kanth Sudhar Vati can be chewed upto 10 times a day for controlling bad breath.
8. Mastan tablet (Zandu) is very effective in controlling bad breath immediately.
9. Tambool Ranjan (Zandu) is a digestive tonic used for curing poor appetite, bad breath and toothache.