Your breath smells like poop? 7 major causes and Treatments

Maybe you might have been told that your breath smells like poop or fart? or a foul body odour that smells like feces and that’s why you are reading this. Don’t feel bad; at some point in life, everyone experiences bad breath. It can be alarming to have serious bad breath, that doesn’t seem to go away with brushing and using mouthwash.

While there are several mild triggers of breath smelling like poop, most of the problems causing this condition are more severe and require medical attention. This article will cover those causes and also proffer possible treatments. Read on.

7 Possible causes why your breath smells like poop?

FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS

Both in children and adults, there are different causes for your breath to smell like poop or bad breathe in general. The 7 major causes range from poor hygiene to liver failure.

1. Poor oral hygiene
2. Vomiting
3. Bowel obstruction (Obstruction of the intestine)
4. Sinus infections (More common among children)
5. Liver failure
6. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
7. Ketoacidosis

Let’s take a look at these causes in details.

Poor hygiene

Bad oral hygiene has the potential to make your breath smell like poop. Failure to clean and floss your teeth correctly and consistently will lead to you having bad breath. Because plaque and bacteria collect between your teeth, consequently, food that is not extracted by flossing remains between your teeth, creating the unpleasant smell of your breath.

Additionally, gum disease can also lead to breath that has a foul smell because oral grooming is ignored. Neglecting your oral health often results in an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the mouth, which can cause your breath to smell. Also, dentures that are not appropriately cleaned every day can cause severe bad breath.

Bowel obstruction

Intestinal blockages are dangerous medical problems that arise in either the large or small intestine when a blockage occurs.

A blockage in your intestinal tract can trigger the breath smells like poop occurrence. This occurs not only because of faeces stuck within your intestines but also because of the food you have eaten that can not pass your intestinal tract downwards. That is, all that you consume while unable to undergo a movement of the bowel persists within the digestive tract and ferments, causing bad breathing.

Someone with an intestinal obstruction, in addition to an unpleasant odour of breath, can also face the following health challenges:

1. Abdominal pain
2. Severe bloating
3. Severe abdominal cramps
4. Constipation
5. Decreased appetite
6. Diarrhea
7. Abdominal swelling
8. Nausea
9. Vomiting
10. Inability to pass gas or stool

Vomiting

Prolonged throwing up (vomiting) and the subsequent dehydration that follows, which leads to dry mouth, will cause bad breath. Saliva cleans the mouth and eliminates odor, but you won’t produce enough saliva in extreme scenarios of dehydration instances. Vomiting due to an obstruction of the intestines may cause bad breath, i.e., breath smells like poop.

Sinus infections

Sinus infections and respiratory infections can make the breath smell like poop. Also, viral colds, bronchitis, strep throat, and more can cause it. Consequently, they can trigger your breath to have an incredibly unpleasant odor as bacteria pass from your nose into your mouth. Additionally, some other signs of sinus infections may include:

1. Thick yellow-green nasal discharge
2. Flu that lasts longer than 10–14 days
3. Low-grade fever
4. Irritability and exhaustion
5. Postnasal drip that presents as vomiting, nausea, cough, or sore throat.
6. Swollen eyes
7. Headache Children are more likely to experience sinus infections after a common cold than adults, but with similar symptoms.

Liver Failure

Liver failure can also cause someone’s breath to smell like fart as a result of chronic symptoms such as:

1. Diarrhea
2. Tiredness (fatigue)
3. Jaundice
4. Loss of Appetite
5. Weight loss
6. Nausea
7. Itching
8. Easy bleeding/bruising
9. Ascites (fluid accretion in the abdomen)
10. Edema (fluid accretion in the legs)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease popularly referred to as “GERD” causes bad breath that smells like poop, fart and even more awful odor. When your stomach acid flows backward into the gullet, irritating the esophageal lining; it means you are suffering from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Symptoms of GERD relating to bad breath

Gerd causes discomfort in a person that shows some of these symptoms outlined herein:

1. Inability to stay asleep (INSOMANIA)
2. Persistent cough
3. Asthma
4. Mild, moderate, or severe reflux that occurs at intervals
5. Chest or heartburn after eating. It sometimes gets worst at night
6. Laryngitis
7. Sometimes you feel like there’s a lump in your throat, making you feel unease.

Ketoacidosis

Ketoacidosis is severe complications in persons who suffers diabetes (especially those having type 1 diabetes). If you are suffering ketoacidosis, there’s every likely tendency for your breath to smell like poop or fart.

It is often advised that persons suffering from ketoacidosis to seek urgent medical attention and hospitalisation.

Some of the expected symptoms of Ketoacidosis include:

1. High increase of ketones in the urine
2. Tiredness (fatigue)
3. Extreme thirst
4. Regular urination
5. Dry mouth
6. Dry skin
7. Nausea and vomiting
8. Fast breathing
9. abdominal pain
10. high blood sugar levels

READ ALSO: Possible causes of black specks in your poop

Treatment options for “breath smells like poop conditions”

There are several ways to treat breath smells like poop causing conditions

• Poor oral hygiene: if plaque buildup causes your bad breath due to poor oral hygiene, seeing the dentist for a cleaning can help. If you have gum disease, it is vital that you manage it and that you reduce the inflammation in your mouth.

• Obstruction of the intestine: When you suspect an obstruction of the intestine, seek immediate, emergency medical care. To treat a partial blockage, your doctor can recommend bowel rest with IV fluids. Surgery may be needed for severe obstructions. Antibiotics, pain medication, or nausea-reduction medicine may also be prescribed.

• Vomiting: Treatment depends on the causes of vomiting. The symptoms must be allowed to pass, in most instances of viral infection and food poisoning. In the case of extreme vomiting, treatment often includes anti-nausea treatment or IV fluids.

• Sinus infections: The doctor can treat most sinus infections with antibiotics. Over the counter (OTC), pain medication may also be used to relieve the infection-induced discomfort.

HOME REMEDY: How to cure bad breath infections at home

If your bad breath isn’t severe, you should handle it with quick treatments at home that may help to reduce your breath odor. Some of those home treatments include:
• Daily flossing
• Brushing your teeth after each meal
• Using mouthwash daily
• Chewing fresh parsley
• Utilizing a tongue scraper for removing food particles and bacteria
• Chewing sugar-free mint gum
• Quit smoking and stop eating foods that cause your breath to smell bad.
• Drink plenty of water and using a mouthwash formulated for dry mouth
• Oil pulling

TAKE AWAY

Your long term outlook is ideal for easily treatable or short-term problems such as vomiting, poor oral hygiene, a sinus infection. Treatment will treat the bad breath or fix it within two weeks. When proper treatment is offered to the underlying cause, the smell on your breath should be reduced or eliminated.

Prompt emergency care is essential in cases of severe disorders such as intestinal obstruction. Such disorders are extremely severe and might be catastrophic.

Furthermore, it is essential to note that early therapy is crucial. When you notice any of these problems early, you may be able to make a full or near-perfect recovery.

Reference: NHS

FAQs on Bad Breath

What will cause your breath to smell like poop or fart?

The causes of bad breath are:
1. Poor oral hygiene
2. Vomiting
3. Obstruction of the intestine
4. Sinus infection
5. Liver failure
6. Gerd
7. Ketoacidosis

What are the at-home remedies available for treating bad breath?

Some of those home treatments include:
• Daily flossing
• Brushing your teeth after each meal
• Using mouthwash daily
• Chewing fresh parsley
• Utilizing a tongue scraper for removing food particles and bacteria
• Chewing sugar-free mint gum

What are the other types of bad breath caused by diseases in our body?

We have many other types of bad breath that are caused by disease in our body. Some of them include:

1. Tonsil breath
2. Lung breath
3. Sinus breath
4. Gut breath
5. Diabetes breath
6.Metabolic breath
7. Trimethylaminuria breath
8. Drug breath
9. Menstrual breath
10. Liver breath
11. Halitophobia
12. Drug-induced bad breath