Halitosis is also known as bad breath. It is an extremely embarrassing problem for many people to deal with. Halitosis is the result of the action taken by bacteria that live in your mouth, tongue, and tonsils. We all have these bacteria, which make us possible to have bad breath. But, did you know that there are stomach bacteria that cause bad breath? If you think that bad breath is caused only by the bacteria living in your mouth, think again.

It was once suggested that one of the causes of bad breath is Helicobacter Pylori, the organism that causes stomach ulcers and ulcers in the duodenum. There was a laboratory test done that detects the substance in a breath if there's a presence of this organism, but there was no firm proof that Helicobacter pylori is responsible for the unpleasant smell on the breath. Usually, stomach breath doesn't exist. Unless you belch, but the odor that comes out from belching is associated with the food you have eaten.

Bad breath from the stomach is actually not a big of a deal. It is so, because only few bacteria can survive in our stomach due to the very acidic condition down in there. The only smell that you can detect from the stomach breath (when you belch) is the odor of foods like onions, garlic, or any other food with strong odor, instead of coming from the stomach bacteria that cause bad breath. However, this unpleasant smell is only temporary and will disappear in a day or so.

On rare occasion, a condition other than stomach bacteria that cause bad breath seems to come from lower down in our body. There are some illnesses like cancers that can cause our breath to have an odd smell. Liver or kidney disease can cause unpleasant stomach breath. It is true then that bad breath could be a sign of other serious problem.

If you notice an unpleasant and persistent smell from your breath that is not associated with the food or medications that you have taken, you should consult your doctor for a professional opinion. Do not try to ignore it or treat it by using bad breath products. For all you know it could be a serious health problem. And, if your concerns are still about stomach bacteria that cause bad breath, or if you think that you have other health problems, these should be discussed with your doctor, as well. Should your bad breath condition is indeed from your stomach, appropriate treatment must be taken.