Study: Bad breath may be linked to stomach ulcers, cancer
Persistent halitosis could be an early
clue to something more serious, according to a new report in the Journal
of Medical Microbiology.
Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and is a cause
of some gastric cancers, was present in 21 out of 326 Japanese people with halitosis and 16 out of 102 people with gum
disease who took part in a research study in Fukuoka, Japan.
"Recently, scientists discovered that H. pylori can live in the mouth," said Dr. Nao Suzuki of Fukuoka Dental College.
"We wanted to determine whether the bacteria can cause bad breath, so we tested patients complaining of halitosis for
the presence of H. pylori."
"Halitosis is a common problem in humans, and bad breath is largely caused by periodonitis, tongue debris, poor oral
hygiene and badly fitted fillings," said Suzuki. "Bacteria produce volatile compounds that smell unpleasant, including
hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulphide. Doctors often measure the levels of these compounds to diagnose the
problem. Gastrointestinal diseases are also generally believed to cause halitosis."
An estimated 20 to 80 percent of people in the developed world and over 90 percent of people in the developing carry the bacterium.
"Although the presence of H. pylori in the mouth does not directly cause bad breath, it is associated with periodontal disease,
which does cause bad breath," said Suzuki. "We now need to look into the relationship between H. pylori in the mouth and in the
stomach. We hope to discover the role of the mouth in transmitting H. pylori stomach infections in the near future."
The patients in the study carrying H. pylori also were carrying Prevotella intermedia, another type of bacteria and had more
blood in their saliva.
There are more than 600 different species of bacteria that can live in the mouth. Scientists have named only about half of them.
J Med Microbiol. 2008 Dec;57(Pt 12):1553-1559.
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