Controlling bad breath involves several key practices, including regular dental hygiene, brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and using mouthwash to maintain fresh breath. (Image: Shutterstock)
Regular dental checkup plans can help control blood sugar levels.
Your breath can reveal more than just your oral hygiene habits. If you notice a fruity or acetone smell, it could indicate a serious problem. This unusual odor, known as diabetic breath, is the body's way of signaling that a person's diabetes is uncontrolled or not even controlled. Diabetes affects the way the body adjusts blood sugar levels, and uncontrolled diabetes can lead to high blood sugar levels, which could lead to other body complications. While many believe that diabetic breath is impossible to detect at an early stage according to experts, it can be controlled through visible symptoms and prompt treatment.
According to Dr. Mayanka Lodha Seth, Chief Pathologist at Redcliffe Labs, “If you are aware of your well-being and are careful about the changes in your body, then it is possible to identify, monitor, manage and control diabetic breath without facing any of the the serious consequences.”
“There are several misconceptions about diabetic breath and people simply browse the Internet without consulting their doctors, further increasing the severity of health risks. Bad breath in diabetes due to other reasons such as dry mouth is a sudden complication and can increase within a few hours,” Dr Seth told Indian Express.
Fruity or diabetic breath is due to metabolic processes in the body. When foods and fats break down, certain chemicals are released that can create an unusual odor when you exhale. Several problems contribute to bad breath. First, diabetes increases the risk of periodontal disease, can lead to dry mouth and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). On the other hand, certain medications used to control diabetes can also have side effects that can cause bad breath.
Dr. Jaison Paul Sharma, MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine), Sharma Hospital, Garhdiwala, explains, “Diabetic breath is the body's way of compensating for excess glucose in the bloodstream. Our body naturally produces insulin and helps us process glucose and convert it into energy. This is when it begins to break down fat for fuel, leading to the production of ketones as a byproduct. These ketones can accumulate in the blood and are exhaled through the breath, giving it a distinctive odor.”
Controlling bad breath involves several key practices, including regular dental hygiene, brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and using mouthwash to maintain fresh breath. It is also important to limit coffee and alcohol consumption, staying hydrated helps prevent dry mouth and controlling blood sugar levels is crucial.
