The main causes of bad breath are bacteria in the mouth and throat. What causes bad breath is that when saliva in the mouth is reduced, the bacteria have a chance to grow and spread. When there is an abundance of saliva in the mouth, acids produced by plaque are neutralized and dead cells can be washed away.

There are many possible reasons for reduced saliva in the mouth, some of which are easily preventable, while some are not. The amount of saliva our bodies produce, decreases with age, making our mouths a much more cozy place for stinky bacteria production." What causes bad breath when we exercise is that we become dehydrated and our bodies naturally produce less saliva in response. Breathing through the mouth has a similar drying effect and this most often occurs when we have not control over it, when we're sleeping. That's why one of the main reasons we get morning breath.

There are medical reasons for bad breath as well. Respiratory tract infections can easily become a cause of bad breath. Many medications, both prescription and over the counter dry your mouth, leading to bad breath. Antihistamines, which are used to relieve allergies, high blood pressure medications and depression medications are all known to increase bad breath.

Alcohol aids in dehydrating your body, and besides the general dehydration, it dries out your mouth too. Not only alcoholic drinks, but also a number of mouthwashes contain alcohol, so using your mouthwash doesn't make your breath fresher, it actually makes things worse.

Smoking, in any form directly dries out your mouth. Besides the obvious health issues related to smoking, it might be one of the causes of bad breath. If you naturally have a harder time keeping your breath fresh, you will certainly have a terrible odor.

So how are dry mouth and bad breath connected?

Well, there are bacteria that are naturally found in your mouth. These bacteria are anaerobic, which literally means "without oxygen". Saliva helps to prevent bad breath because of the oxygen present in it, so when the amount of saliva is reduced, there is a corresponding decrease in how much oxygen there is to keep the bacteria at bay.

Those bacteria create sulfurous compounds, mostly hydrogen sulfide, which we usually think of as the smell of bad eggs. These bacteria are not bad in themselves and help in the digestive process, by breaking down proteins in your food. But they love those proteins, so a high protein diet can often lead to stinkier breath.

Just looking at these few causes of bad breath and taking reasonable measures to change those habits can lead to much improved breath, and don't forget that general oral care, like brushing your teeth 2 or 3 times a day is the first step.

Please remember that this information is provided for informational purposes only. I am not a medical professional, but I do know quite a lot about what causes bad breath and want to help you improve your breath.