Bad Breath Because of Tonsils Requires Immediate Medical Attention
Most cases of bad breath are caused by bacteria living in the mouth. These bacteria breaks down proteins found in the foods you eat - proteins which contain cysteine and methionine, both amino acids rich in sulfur. Majority of bad breath cases, about 85 to 90%, emanate from the mouth.
All the more you have to be alarmed if this happens even after you have practised utmost oral and dental hygiene. Don't narrow your ideas of bad breath to oral and dental problems alone for there are a huge number or reasons for your bad breath; for example, bad breath because of tonsils. When you talk about bad breath because of tonsils, it's now a different condition compared to bad breath caused by bacteria living on our tongue breaking down cells and proteins present in the mouth. When bacteria settle and infect your tonsils, the condition is called tonsillitis. And bad breath because of tonsils occurs.
The bacteria that cause tonsillitis are frequently Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. Tonsillitis is commonly known as strept throat. The infected tonsils become very inflamed, developing pockets of pus in the tonsillar crypts and causing an extremely sore throat, usually accompanied by a high fever and you can hardly swallow even water; which is why tonsillitis needs immediate medical attention.
Sometimes, however, pus (made up of dead bacteria and dead antibodies) may end up stuck between these holes, blocking the passages. After some time, the pus calcifies and become hard as stones (tonsilloliths) so that the tonsils become inflamed and infected due to the blockage. This in turn will lead to bad breath because of tonsils.
It is only in strept throat that your tonsils produce pus, which causes bad breath. Bad breath because of tonsils is described to have a rotten meat smell that is slightly different from the rotten-egg-sulfur smell that ordinary breath produces. A person with strept throat normally feels very unwell, and has great difficulty swallowing, even its own saliva. Although, bad breath because of tonsils in the worst case of tonsillitis, there is a greater risk of the infection being followed by fever that can cause damage to your heart.
The majority of tonsillitis cases will get better on their own, but antibiotic medications must be taken to prevent other diseases from developing following the strept throat. If you notice bad breath because of tonsils inflammation, see your doctor, get findings, and ask for prescription as to the best antibiotics to be taken.
But, not all sore throat are caused by streptococcus pyogenes, alternatively, many sore throats are caused by viruses, or by bacteria that have no serious consequences. They may cause discomfort for a few days and does not need antibiotic medications, before you know it, they're gone. Bad breath from a sore throat will be gone when the sore throat's gone.
If you think you have bad breath because of tonsils, but you don't have an extreme sore throat, this means that the problem is not located on the tonsils, but in your tongue or in any other areas of your mouth where odor-causing bacteria grow. If the problem still exists for days, see your doctor for diagnosis.
Summary
Bad breath because of tonsils is caused by streptococcus pyogenes bacteria that can inflame and make tonsils produce pus, hence the cause of bad breath.
