Have you ever been caught in an elevator with someone who was breathing a little too close for comfort? Don't you wish there was an easy way to tell if you had bad breath? Halitosis is one of those embarrassing medical conditions that are a fact of life and that most people are too embarrassed to talk about in real life. Since this is the goold old World Wide Web, let us talk about it, shall we?

The Impossible Embarrassing Nature of Halitosis

The thing about halitosis-that's bad breath in lay terms-is that it is impossibly embarrassing to talk about. But let's face it: there are millions of people suffering from bad breath right now. Unfortunately for the rest of us, many of these individual don't even know that they are suffering from halitosis. How can this be?

Bad Breath Can Be Indicative of More Than Just What You Had for Lunch

Why is it that it is nearly impossible to smell our own breath? Most people who are suffering from bad breath at this very moment don't have a clue about the nature of their breath. Bad breath is one of those conditions that can be hard to spot, because it can be very difficult to smell your own breath. But if you do have bad breath, isn't it something that you would definitely want to be aware of? Not only can bad breath potentially be a very embarrassing problem, it can also be a sign of a more serious health problem that is underlying the condition. Bad breath has been linked to many serious underlying medical problems, including kidney or renal failure, gall bladder failure, and other serious underlying health conditions. So let's put aside all of our embarrassment and get ready to find out what we can do about bad breath.

Why Is it So Hard to Sniff Out Your Own Breath? Think Adaptation

Why is it so hard to detect your own bad breath, when the elevator guy's breath is pungent even at a few feet away? If we could smell our own breath the way others can smell our breath, we would all probably be more proactive about the matter of halitosis., it would be a lot easier to detect and treat cases of halitosis. The reason that we can't smell our own breath is adaptation. Adaptation is what causes our olfactory nerves to become over used, or adapted to, our own sense of smell. Thus, it is very difficult, and for some people downright impossible, to get a clear sense of their own breath-what it smells like, how it affects others, etc.

What Does Your Breath Smell Like? Seek Out Cues From Your Environment

If you do not have the money for an expensive halimeter or simply don't want to head over to the doctor or dentist's office, you can use your own visual cues. Although this may be a bit mortifying, the next time you are talking near someone, keep an eye on their movements. Do people seem to back away from you? Do you get more than your fair share of mint or lozenge offers? If so, this is probably a strong environmental cue that your breath is not quite as sweet as it should be.