If your breath has a metallic smell, you might have bacteria growing under your gum line -- that can lead to inflammation and even infection. Your dentist might call it periodontitis. You're more likely to have it if you smoke or don't brush and floss regularly. Gum disease also can run in families.
Brush your teeth and tongue twice per day and floss once per day for good oral hygiene. This can prevent tooth decay and mouth infections. Drink water and chew sugar-free gum to keep away oral infections that could cause a metallic taste in the mouth.
A fruity odor to the breath is a sign of ketoacidosis, which may occur in diabetes. It is a potentially life-threatening condition. Breath that smells like feces can occur with prolonged vomiting, especially when there is a bowel obstruction.
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Share on Pinterest GERD may cause the breath to smell like poop when the stomach acid mixes with food and possibly bacteria. A doctor diagnoses gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) when a person frequently experiences acid reflux.
Gingivitis can cause your breath to smell like sulfur or rotten eggs. This is because of the bacteria in your mouth releasing chemicals that smells like these things. If you have gingivitis, you may also notice that your gingiva, or gums, are red and swollen. You may also bleed when you brush or floss your teeth.
Moldy or Fungus Smell
Sometimes microbial buildups, growths, or infections in the sinuses contribute to breath that smells like mold or fungus. Sinus infections often causes thick, yellowish-green mucus to drip from the nose or sinuses to the back of the throat.
Other Symptoms
Everyone also should be aware of other new symptoms, in addition to bad breath, that are possible signs of oral, oropharyngeal (throat) or laryngeal cancer. These symptoms include: A lump in the neck. Persistent ear pain.
Sometimes such smells can be caused by certain medications or handling or wearing metallic objects. In addition, eating foods such as onions, garlic and strong spices may produce odors not previously noticed prior to puberty.
Some describe keto breath as having a metallic taste in their mouth and a smell that's sweet, fruity or similar to nail polish remover. This is caused by the chemicals your body creates during ketosis, which are released from the body by exhaling.
In people with diabetes, high blood sugar levels increase glucose levels in saliva. This provides food for bacteria in the mouth and leads to the build-up of dental plaque. If plaque is not removed effectively tooth decay and gum disease may occur which also causes halitosis.
If your breath smells like acetone -- the same fruity scent as nail polish remover -- it may be a sign of high levels of ketones (acids your liver makes) in your blood. It's a problem mainly of type 1 diabetes but also can happen with type 2 if you get a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
You may find that foods smell or taste differently after having coronavirus. Food may taste bland, salty, sweet or metallic.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency
Severe deficiency may begin affecting the nerves, which may result in a metallic taste in the mouth.
Many antibiotics used to treat common infections like strep throat, ear infections, and sinusitis can leave a metallic or sour taste in the mouth. Some of these antibiotics include: Penicillins like amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Cephalosporins like cefazolin and cephalexin.
Phantom Smells, such as odd, strong, acrid, metallic, blood-like, sour, ammonia-like, acidy, and repugnant smells, to name a few, are common anxiety disorder symptoms. Many anxious people report having phantom and odd smells as an anxiety symptom.
Bacteria that live in the mouth can make compounds that have sulfur. These compounds are especially stinky. They can smell like rotten eggs or onion, for example. If bad breath isn't cleared up by brushing your teeth or using mouthwash, it may be a sign of another issue.
The researchers were also able to characterize another iron- type smell: carbon- and phosphorus-containing cast iron and steel develop a metallic-garlic odor when exposed to acids. Un- til now, metallurgists ascribed this to the gas phosphine (PH3).
Tonsillitis, respiratory infections such as sinusitis or bronchitis, and some gastrointestinal diseases may be responsible for a small number of cases of bad breath. Advanced liver or kidney disease and uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to unpleasant breath.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Persistent acid reflux happens when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus. This misplaced stomach acid may itself cause bad breath — or, because stomach acid erodes tooth enamel, it can lead to the crevices that trap food.
Saline rinses and anesthetic pads can often help reduce the smell. When phantosmia is related to the brain or central nervous system, the smells are often more persistent. They can be noticeable during the day and night, and both nostrils, rather than only one, experience the same smell.
Mouth infections can cause bad breath. However, if your dentist has ruled out other causes and you brush and floss every day, your bad breath could be the result of another problem, such as a sinus condition, gastric reflux, diabetes, liver or kidney disease. In this case, see your healthcare provider.
Severely ill patients often have characteristic smells. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis have the fruity smell of ketones, although a substantial number of people are unable to detect this. Foetor hepaticus is a feature of severe liver disease; a sweet and musty smell both on the breath and in urine.