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What Causes Constant Bad Breath?

Posted on Tue, 16 Aug 2016

Question: My partner's breath smells like seaweed when he wakes in the morning. I have smelt it on a friend's breath who has cancer. Is it a cancer related symtom?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
it's related to bacteria...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

how our mouths' smell depends on bacteria that live with us without doing any harm (besides the smell that is). This is not related to cancer. It's normal to smell bad when waking up. If the breath's smell is always bad (halitosis) then various causes will have to be excluded starting from the oral cavity and moving on to other structures like the tonsils (tonsilloliths), esophagus (diverticula), etc.

Perhaps your partner should start with a dentist, just for a check on the oral cavity.

I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 days later)

Thanks,but my friend has been diagnosed with cancer and her breath smells exactly the same as my partner's...seaweed.
I have read there are trials pending to diagnose illnesses by breath testing.
My partner also eats a lot of smoked, dried meats which I believe can be cancer- causing.
What's your opinion?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (18 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
cancer is not the cause...

Detailed Answer:
You're welcome! I've already told you my opinion. I don't believe that cancer has anything to do with breath smell. The smoked meat may indeed increase the risk for cancer but this is not the cause either.

Kind Regards!

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar