Have you started to notice that people try to stay away from your face when they talk to you? You may have an unpleasant ammonia odor from your breath. It can bring a lot of unpleasant moments, discomfort and lower your self-esteem. But, most importantly, such a smell may indicate that not everything is okay with your body.

Causes of ammonia odor from the mouth

There can be many reasons why a person has an unpleasant odor of ammonia from their mouth. Let’s look at the main ones:

  • Fasting – if you rarely eat or drink enough fluids per day, this can negatively affect your kidney function. Decay products are excreted incorrectly through the genitourinary system, which is why a specific odor appears. In order to eliminate it (in this case), you just need to start eating correctly and in a balanced manner.
  • Protein-Based Diet – If you decide to go on a no-carb diet, be prepared for this smell. Due to the protein diet, the kidneys and liver work under heavy loads, so ammonia does not have time to be excreted normally naturally. In addition, if fats begin to break down quickly, this leads to increased formation of ketone bodies (they are the source of odor). Drinking enough fluids (preferably water) will help here.
  • Diabetes mellitus – excess glucose is excreted through the kidneys and genitourinary system. If you feel constantly thirsty and want to urinate, this may indicate that you are dehydrated. Also, patients with diabetes should monitor the smell of ammonia from the mouth, as it (along with other symptoms) may indicate the onset of a hypoglycemic coma.
  • Kidney diseases – the kidneys remove all waste products from our body, and this is their main task. If you notice that your mouth smells like ammonia, it may mean your kidneys are not working properly. Here we can distinguish several main diseases: pathology of the renal tubules, renal failure, dystrophy. In addition to the smell, the following symptoms also appear: frequent decrease or increase in blood pressure, systemic edema, pain in the lumbar region.
  • Taking medications – some medications, including vitamins, can cause bad breath. This happens especially often if the preparations consist of amino acids and are saturated with nitrogen.

    • Risk Factors

    Often the patient may not even notice that he has such an unpleasant symptom for others. According to research:

  • 80% of all reasons why such a smell appears are associated with diseases of the oral cavity.
  • 10% relates to various ENT diseases.
  • 10% are more serious diseases of certain systems and organs.

    • The ammonia smell can be periodic, for example, appearing only in the morning, before a person eats. If it is felt constantly, you should consult a doctor.

    Pathogenesis of ammonia odor from the mouth

    Ammonia breath occurs when the substance is not properly eliminated through the urea-kidney cycle. Ammonia is a byproduct of protein and amino acid catabolism, a combination of nitrogen (derived from the breakdown of protein) and hydrogen.

    Excess ammonia in the body is known as hyperammonemia and can lead to cell damage, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, irritability and nausea.

    Symptoms of ammonia breath

    As a rule, people who suffer from such an unpleasant problem characterize the smell in completely different ways. Some say they feel a heavy or sweetish-putrid odor, others smell like rotten eggs. There may also be a sharp sour taste in the mouth.

    Ammonia smell from child’s mouth

    If a child develops liver problems (chronic liver failure, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis), then an unpleasant rotten odor, also called ammonia, may emanate from his mouth. This may also indicate that the baby is suffering from kidney disease. In addition, nausea, general weakness and the characteristic smell of ammonia from the mouth appear in children with latent diabetes mellitus.

    There are cases when there is no unpleasant smell, but the child himself and even his parents claim the opposite. This unusual phenomenon is called halitosis in medicine. To convince parents that there is no smell, you can visit the dentist, who will use a special device (halimeter). It will show the exact level of hydrogen sulfide in the body.

    It also happens that after successful treatment, the baby is still worried about bad breath (which is no longer present). This disease is called halitophobia and is a mental deviation from the norm. It usually occurs in adolescents and adults and requires consultation with a psychiatrist.

    How to get rid of this problem?

    Of course, if the cause of the unpleasant odor is any disease, you must first cure it. As a rule, all symptoms disappear along with the disease. If your child smells ammonia for no apparent reason, you just need to follow simple rules:

  • Up to two years of age, it is better to brush children’s teeth with a special silicone finger brush. After the age of two, it is worth purchasing a soft baby brush. Carry out the procedure at least twice a day.
  • For babies, the surface of the tongue needs to be cleaned daily with a piece of bandage soaked in boiled water. For older children there are special brushes for this.
  • Until the age of seven, various sprays for fresh breath and lozenges are prohibited.
  • Visit the dentist with your child.
  • Remember that children should eat a healthy and balanced diet.

    • Ammonia odor from the breath of an adult

    The smell of ammonia can come from the mouth of an adult if he is sick with certain diseases:

  • Cystitis, renal failure, pyelonephritis, nephrosis and other diseases that are associated with the kidneys and genitourinary system.
  • Various types of stomatitis, as well as caries or periodontitis.
  • Often the unpleasant sour smell of ammonia appears with duodenal ulcers, stomach ulcers or gastritis.
  • ENT diseases: Sinusitis, sinusitis, adenoids, tonsillitis, tonsillitis.
  • Pancreatitis, cholecystitis, intestinal dysbiosis.

    • Sometimes a rotten ammonia smell appears if the liver is too overloaded due to exogenous and endogenous factors. But in this case, the patient also notices that his skin has acquired a yellowish tint, his urine has darkened, and his feces, on the contrary, have become lighter.

    Often people who suffer from any dental problems also complain of unpleasant odors, including the smell of ammonia from the mouth. Sometimes this symptom can occur with malignant and benign neoplasms in the esophagus, when food particles stagnate in this organ due to atony of the walls of the esophagus and after some time begin to rot.

    Diagnosis of ammonia odor from the mouth

    If you cannot determine on your own whether you have an unpleasant odor, and do not want to ask your family about it, we recommend performing the following diagnostic tests at home:

  • Take a clean tissue (a cotton pad will also work) and place it under your tongue. After a few seconds, take it out and smell it. The smell of ammonia will be noticeable immediately.
  • When you use a toothpick or floss to clean your teeth, try to smell it after a minute or two.
  • Lick the spoon and then smell it.
  • There are also special pocket devices that help determine the level of hydrogen sulfide in your body.
  • You can get tested by a dentist who uses ultra-sensitive equipment.

    • Assays

    If you have tried to return to a normal lifestyle and stopped fasting, and the smell of ammonia from your mouth still continues to bother you, you should immediately consult a doctor. The very first and main step in diagnosis will be testing for sugar and urea. They will help you find out the true cause of the unpleasant symptom and begin effective treatment.

    Treatment of ammonia bad breath

    First of all, you need to establish what exactly caused the unpleasant odor. For diseases of the ENT, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system, kidneys, liver, lungs or dental problems, it is necessary to first cure the underlying disease. If the smell is inconsistent, you can treat it by following simple rules:

  • To quickly get rid of the ammonia smell, chew a coffee bean, it will help neutralize it.
  • When brushing your teeth, don’t forget to brush your tongue as well.

    • Medicines for ammonia bad breath

    Chlorhexidine. An antiseptic and bactericidal drug that affects most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (Treponema spp., Neisseia gonorrhoeae, Tricyomonas spp., Chlamidia spp.). It also has fungistatic activity against fungi of the genus Candida. Used to rinse the bladder for cystitis. Side effects include itching and other allergic reactions. The drug is contraindicated for dermatitis.

    Hexoral. An antiseptic that is actively used in dentistry. The active component of the drug is hexetidine, which suppresses the oxidative reactions of metabolism of most bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus.

    To treat the unpleasant odor of ammonia from the mouth due to dental problems, it is necessary to rinse the mouth twice a day. Please note that the product should not be swallowed.

    Sometimes when using the solution, a taste disturbance may occur. Cannot be used by children under three years of age.

    Stopangin. A product that has antibacterial (including against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp), hemostatic and antifungal effects. The active substance of the drug is hexetidine. The solution is used to rinse the mouth twice a day. Use before meals.

    Side effects from taking the drug: burning in the mouth. Cannot be used for atrophic pharyngitis, during pregnancy and under six years of age.

    Traditional and herbal treatment for ammonia odor from the mouth

    The unpleasant ammonia smell can be removed by various folk remedies, but only if it is not a symptom of any severe or serious illness. To rinse the mouth, use tinctures and decoctions of medicinal herbs:

  • Take 30 drops of St. John’s wort tincture with alcohol and dilute in water (a glass). They rinse their mouth twice a day after meals.
  • Take a tablespoon of dried strawberry leaves and boil in water (two glasses). This tincture should be drunk regularly, at least half a glass per day.
  • You can make a tincture of sorrel. Take 3 teaspoons of dried herbs and pour half a liter of boiling water. The product is infused for two hours, and then expressed through gauze. They need to rinse their mouth.

    • The smell of ammonia from the mouth can be removed with the help of berries and oils. This proven remedy will not only help make your breathing pleasant, but also cure some problems in the gastrointestinal tract. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of vegetable oil (whatever you find in the house) and rinse your mouth with it for at least 10 minutes. Cranberry juice also copes well with odor. It also helps remove sand from the kidneys, as it has a mild diuretic effect.

    Preventing ammonia bad breath

    The main measures to prevent the smell of ammonia from the mouth are:

  • Regular visits to the dentist.
  • Try to promptly diagnose and treat infectious diseases of internal organs.
  • Always try to practice good oral hygiene.
  • Eat right.
  • Add fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet.
  • Brush not only your teeth, but also your tongue.
  • If you experience dry mouth, try using moisturizers.
  • Give up bad habits.

    • Remember that a rather serious illness may be behind the usual unpleasant odor, so try to consult a doctor.

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