Get Rid Of

Bad breath or halitosis is one of the most touchy topics that not many would like to talk about. What could be more embarrassing than being told that your mouth stinks, right?

So, it’s indispensable that one knows the cause of this menacing oral problem to be more knowledgeable in the know-hows of eliminating such offensive odor or how to keep it at bay.

The Makings of Bad Breath

Consumption of bad breath causing food or beverages such as garlic, coffee, raw onions, cabbage, cheese, soda, orange juice, etc., is one of the well-known reason behind that not so agreeable odor from the mouth.

Poor oral hygiene is also another apparent factor why bad breath continues to plague one’s mouth. When one is not in the habit of flossing and brushing his or her teeth well, bad breath is inevitable.

Dentures can also contribute to the presence of bad breath since the bacteria from food that get stuck on the dentures can easily cause that rotten smell in one’s mouth.

Cavities, or dental caries, aside from being one of the most painful dilemma in one’s life, can add to the nuisance caused by bad breath.

Vices such as alcoholism and cigarette smoking are also known as major culprits that cause that frowned upon mouth odor.

Drugs such as triamterene, insulin injection, and paraldehyde can also help in making bad breath noticeable.

The presence of medical conditions such as gingivitis, other gum diseases, throat infection, sinusitis, abscessed or impacted tooth, and lung infection are possible causes of halitosis. Other diseases that are associated with this foul breath odor include the following:

Pharyngitis
Atrophic rhinitis
Acute necrotizing ulcerative mucositis
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
Bowel obstruction (feces-smelling breath)
Chronic renal failure (ammonia-smelling breath)
Esophageal cancer
Hepatic encelopathy
Gastric carcinoma
Bronchiectasis
Zenker’s diverticulum
Acute renal failure
Diabetes (fruit-smelling breath)
Gastrojejunocolic fistula (fruit-smelling breath)

After knowing what makes bad breath occur, here are ways on how to combat this embarrassing problem:

Avoiding foods that cause halitosis may or may not be easy for some, but this should be one of the simplest methods that one can do to eliminate bad breath, that is if he or she does not have any health problem, which is also possible cause of the problem.

Of course, brushing one’s teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day can also keep bad breath at bay. However, there’s a proper way of brushing the teeth. Striking the teeth with a toothbrush in a vertical manner is advised to get rid of the wedged food particles between the teeth more effectively. One must also not apply too much pressure in brushing the teeth since this might cause the bleeding of the gums. Wounded gums can actually aggravate bad breath since it will make the gums prone to bacterial infection.

Scraping the tongue should also become a habit to ensure that the breath does not turn foul. This is because the tongue, aside from the teeth, is one of the favorite spots of the breath-fouling bacteria to inhabit.

Avoiding alcohol and smoking can also do good in improving one’s struggle against bad breath.

One should also be more aware that some drugs are known to have bad breath as one of their side effects. With this in mind, one should take extra care not to make the situation worse, e.g., avoid eating halitosis-causing food, don’t forget to brush the teeth, etc.

If all else fails, the dentist may be the remaining solution. A dentist can easily know what really is causing one’s breath to rot. Then, he or she can refer health experts that can help one to get rid of his or her bad breath. When told to consult with a physician to confirm regarding the particular cause of bad breath, one should not be embarrassed when instructed to breathe for the doctor to take a whiff of the breath. This is one way for the doctor to detect the underlying cause of halitosis. If the physician finds out that a certain medical problem is the root cause of this condition, it is a must to grasp well all the information that the doctor will disclose. Also, as with any health checkup, one should ask if there’s anything that he or she wishes to know in adjunct to the solving of one’s bad breath dilemma.

Dandruff is probably one of the most annoying types of fungus known to man. It cramps your style, forces you to wear light colored clothes, annoys you with the itching and gives you that tingly feeling whenever you wash your hair.

Aside from being totally annoying, dandruff is also very embarrassing. Although most people have it, you still wouldn’t want your date to see a big flake sticking out of your hair in the middle of dinner.

All joking aside, people have tried almost every trick in the book to get rid of dandruff, if yours is just starting, or maybe if you’ve had it for more than you can remember, maybe you just haven’t tried all the other stuff.

Her are most of the Dandruff solutions that you could find anywhere, from your mother’s closet to the dermatologist’s cabinet.

Dandruff Shampoos

Of course the first ever choice are dandruff shampoos. After all they are formulated to get rid of dandruff. However, some people become dependent on dandruff shampoos. Most of the time, these shampoos just strip your scalp to get rid of the dandruff, and once you stop using the shampoo, the dandruff gets back with a vengeance. If this happens, well you’d better try something alternative.

Here comes the Oils

Peanut Oil: Peanut oil, about a quarter of a cup mixed with the juice of half a lemon can do wonders for your scalp. Rub the mixture onto your head covering as much of the scalp as you can. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash your hair with shampoo and water as usual.

Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, and some dandruff shampoos even have them as ingredients. However, if you have problems with dandruff shampoos like those mentioned above, you might want to mix a few drops of tea tree oil with your regular shampoo instead.

Diet wise

Oils in your diet: Diet is also essential in dandruff cure and prevention. Add flaxseed oil, fish oil or primrose oil in your diet to help build your scalps defenses against dandruff.

Kelp: Kelp can help. A simple kelp seasoning, or if you want to go all out, a kelp dish regularly in your diet can help alleviate dandruff.

Vitamins: Food supplements like selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B complex and Zinc taken regularly not only helps your body become strong and healthy, but these vitamins and minerals have been proven to help prevent dandruff. Vitamin C also helps.

Lecithin: If the Vitamins don’t work for you, its also good to add lecithin granules or capsules in your diet.

Raw: Cooking eliminates some of the better vitamins in your food. Eating raw food, especially sea food has been proven to help alleviate dandruff.

Avoid Fried foods: Unhealthy fats and oils in your body can promote dandruff. Too much intake of fatty fried foods, sugar, dairy products chocolates and nuts can make your skin very oily and more susceptible to dandruff.
Hair Rinses

Lemon; Rub your scalp with a halved lemon. Part your hair and rub in the lemon until you’ve covered your whole scalp. Leave this on for 5 minutes and rinse.

Vinegar: This may be a bit stinky, but you can wash your hair with a mixture of a quarter cup of vinegar and a quart of water. Rinse after 5 minutes.

Herb infusions: But infusions of thyme and chaparral as hair rinses. They leave a delicious smell on your hair as well as rid you of dandruff.

Listerine: Some people say rinsing your hair with Listerine mouthwash can help get rid of dandruff. The antibacterial ingredients in the mouthwash kill the fungi that cause dandruff.

Lotion: Before you sleep, put a little of your body lotion onto the parts of your hair that have flakes, and wash it thoroughly in the morning. It’ll look oily and greasy at night but if you rinse it thoroughly, it’ll be smooth, soft and dandruff free.

Buttermilk: Wash your hair with a quarter cup of buttermilk. Use it like a shampoo and leave it on for 10 minutes. Afterwards, you can wash your hair with a small amount of regular shampoo

Baking soda: Mix about 3 tablespoons of baking soda with a cup of water and wash your hair with it. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse with water. Another variation of this treatment is to rinse your hair with vinegar water after washing it with the baking soda mixture. You’ll get a bit of a fizz but it should work.

You have just finished counting up to a hundred sheep and you have finally found your way to dreamland. Suddenly, and for the nth time, you toss in your bed and go into that horrible coughing attack. “Oh, if I can only get some sleep,” you tell yourself.

If you are familiar with this scenario, and has in fact experienced the same thing at one time or another, then you must now be familiar with the coughing routine. But are you familiar with the ways of getting rid of a bad cough?

Despite what other people may have told you, coughing is not an illness, but it is a symptom that something is wrong with your body. Coughing is your body’s way of getting rid of foreign substances that may have been lodged in your lungs.

A cough may just be an ordinary one which goes away without treatment, but it can also be life threatening, such as when the underlying cause is so serious it requires medication.

But how will you know if your cough is serious or not? A cough can either be acute, one which suddenly starts because of a common illness you have and which does not last long. It can also be chronic, which can last from two to three weeks.

Coughing may be caused by other illnesses which you already have like the flu, asthma, sinusitis, allergies, tuberculosis, pertussis or what is commonly known as whooping cough. Or maybe, you may just have swallowed something which is blocking your throat and which the latter needs to expel, thus the coughing bout.

A cough can be a sign that something is wrong with your lungs, a very important organ which provides your body with oxygen. Just like the other organs of the body, your lungs has its way of defending itself against intruders or foreign substances. Your lungs protects itself through the cilia or little hairs that acts as janitors and sweepers that flush out the foreign substances and particles from your body. Simply said, this is done through coughing.

This means that coughing can be triggered by lung illnesses like asthma, which is particularly related to breathing problems. Asthma is triggered by various things and irritants like pollen, change in the weather, fatigue, food, or allergies. Two illnesses associated with the COPD or the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can also trigger coughing attacks. These are Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema - both caused by smoking. Incidentally, asthma can also be caused by irritants from tobacco smoke.

Once you get a cough, you have to evaluate whether or not you have a dry cough or a phlegm cough. A dry cough, which can be treated by taking a suppressant, is often referred to as an irritant because it disturbs your routine; it will deprive you of sleep and will make you irritable and unable to do your daily chores. A phlegm cough, named as such because the coughing produces phlegm, can be treated by taking an expectorant.

Coughing is not only an irritant but it also causes dehydration. Thus, make sure that you drink plenty of liquid especially water, when you have a cough. Taking lozenges can also help but the attack only stops as long as you are eating this candy medicine.

Medication for the common or ordinary cough can be bought even without prescription. However, avoid self-medication, especially when it involves antibiotics because taking too much and taking the wrong antibiotic may loose its healing effect on you.

While you should not panic when you have a cough, you must not also take it for granted. When your cough has lasted for two weeks, whether or not you took an over the counter medicine for it, then you should see a doctor. Coughing accompanied by blood, or with a white sticky and saliva-like substance should also be a cause for worry.

Once you have decided to see a doctor, then make sure you have all the details at hand because it will help the doctor make a correct diagnosis of your illness. Remember to tell the doctor the duration of your cough, the medicines you have already taken and in what dosage, the allergies you may have with certain substances or irritants, and your medical history.