Asthma Acid Breath And Dry Mouth
Did you know that acid breath may be an indicator of Asthma
Dr. Benjamin Gaston along with a team of other scientist discovered that the breath of Asthmatics during an attack is highly acidic with a pH of around 5. Non-Asthmatics have a pH around 7. While conducting experiments at the University of Virginia they found that after administering
a steroid to patients pH levels return to normal. These experiments showed promise and helped to raise the expectations about new methods to treat Asthma patients.
They did not discover at this time what caused increased levels of acid but it is clear that high acid levels are a factor in inflaming lung tissue and reducing lung function. With such encouraging results scientists are beginning to look at ways in which this excess acid can be neutralized other than steroids (which are toxic) that are safe and effective.
Corticosteroids And Dry Mouth
One of the side effects of inhaled steroids is dry mouth. Used for moderate to sever Asthma they can create a host of undesirable conditions that contribute to bad breath namely:
- Reduced saliva flow
- Tooth decay
- Gum disease
- Lesions that result in throat and mouth infections
- Thrush(also known as Candidiasis a yeast infection of the mouth)
- Sinus Infection
Asthma medications that cause dry mouth
- Ipratropium Bromide(Altrovent)-Used to prevent bronchospasm
- Advair
- Cortisone Drugs(Steroids)
- Corticosteroids(Anti-inflammatory)
- Antihistamines(used for allergies)
- Asmanex (sinus infection)
- Foradil
- Serevent
- Formoterol
- Levalbuterol
- Spiriva
- Azmacort
- Beclovent(inhalant)
Saliva Helps Fight Infection
Dry mouth resulting from the use of Corticosteroids prevents saliva from fighting bacteria and fungi that cause oral infection and tooth decay.
Symptoms can include but are not limited to: dry feeling in the throat, cracked lips, dry tongue, difficulty swallowing and mouth sores.
Reducing The Risk Of Thrush
Using a spacer and rinsing the mouth after using an inhaler can greatly decrease the amount of medication left in the mouth: And a spacer will allow more of the medication to reach the lungs.
In Closing
Although, dry mouth and acid breath may be the least of your concerns if faced with a frightening bout with Asthma, They can posed a persistent and annoying problem with breath odor after the danger has passed. In some cases you may not even know that dry mouth is being caused by medications like inhalers. Taking the time to use a spacer and rinsing can help reduce the chances of dry mouth and bacterial build up that cause oral infections, tooth decay and bad breath. In the future we may see medications design to prevent or control Asthma by normalizing pH levels.
Recommended Reading
- The acid-alkaline balance diet By Felicia Drury Kliment
- Asthma and acidic reflux – Any Connection?
- Unusual Asthma Symptoms
- Bronchial Asthma By M. Eric Gershwin, Timothy Eugene Albertson
- Acid Fog and Hospital Visits For Asthma
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