Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

I am having the hardest time convincing my mom just how bad my BB is. I think she can't smell it because we are both at home every day, and my BB probably fills the house. She probably gets used to it just like I do. It seems like 95+% of people can smell my BB even from far away. However, I've asked a naturopath, a gastroenterologist if I have BB, and they both say they can't smell anything. My mom thinks that means that it's not an issue, otherwise they would say yes. However, I feel like they are lying because nobody likes to deliver the bad news, and they don't want to treat it. I've had comments on my BB before, and people always start talking about bad smells around me. They also cover their noses when I enter, and sometimes when I talk, people step back in utter horror when they cannot manage their reactions.

So my question is: has any healthcare professional let you know about your BB honestly? Do most doctors say they can't smell anything? I know a lot of us see psychologists, how do you approach the topic of BB? Do they say they smell anything, and do you ask? My therapist doesn't seem to want to delve into my BB issues unfortunately. I am thinking that they are either lying, or they really can't smell anything. In which case, I'm wondering if I do have intermittent BB... It does seem weird that if it magically disappears when I talk to a healthcare professional. Of course, maybe I am batshit crazy and hallucinate everything.

Tangentially: who can smell your BB? Is it just strangers? I am convinced that family members who stay with us are less vulnerable to it because they are used to it, but my brother, who goes to school still, can smell it (even though he said no) because he always reacts when my mouth opens. My smell is probably fecal/ rotten eggs and cheese, if that makes a difference. I think it comes from my digestive system.

Hello pepper

It is true that strangers can say to us that we have bb. Because they are frank. Unlike our relatives, they just dont want to hurt our feelings.

My mother is also the same. Whenever i ask her, she says she doesnt smell anything. But the people around me knows i have bb. A cud even say, "the whole town knows i hav bb." My mother couldnt even imagine that evrywhere i go i get horrible reactions. She wud say, "really?"

It would be best to be honest to ourselves. Whenever we hear reactions, that is already enough to say that we have bb. How much more if it happens everyday.

Cry cry...

I can't smell myself most of the time but I get reaction every day. I got direct comments about my BB by only 2 people in my Life, my mom and from a guy sitting next to me in the class probably 15 years ago.
This Is so frustration. I cannot even smell my morning breath. I think some of us are giving out some kind of odourless irretant which makes people rub their nose. Recently my mom asked me if her breath stinks because earier in a gathering she observed people running their nose. My mom never had slightest of BB. This is very though to figure out, it drives me crazy sometimes. May be people are just nervous when talking. Hmm I don't know

Hello sopo

We are immune to our own breath. This is a statement from a medical book.

It is really hard to hav bb. It is hard to confess it infront of a doctor. It is different from saying, "i hav gas pains; i hav tooth ache; i hav headache.

Cry cry

I’ve never had anyone directly say I have bad breath but I think it’s safe to assume it’s true because of how strangers react with their body language or indirect comments. Like the other comments my mom swears it’s not true. I can’t always smell my breath but I can just feel if it smells. I can smell it though if I breathe a certain way like super heavy which happens when I’m on the bus or when I’m laying down at night and start to breathe a certain way I can smell it.

A doctor wouldn't lie about your breath if you asked them. If every single person you ask denies smelling anything, then you have halitophobia. These reactions people give you, is it mainly nose rubs? That's what most people with halitophoboia/imaginary bad breath sees.

Get a teaspoon and scrape it on your tongue.

Smell the fluid that comes off, sometimes it will smell neutral. But sometimes it will smell straight away.

Let it dry for 30 minutes to an hour and smell it again.

If it’s neutral you have halitophobia, I hope this is what you have.

If it smells, you have a B.B. problem.

Good luck xx

Dead wrote:A doctor wouldn't lie about your breath if you asked them. If every single person you ask denies smelling anything, then you have halitophobia. These reactions people give you, is it mainly nose rubs? That's what most people with halitophoboia/imaginary bad breath sees.

Hi dead,
While people do deny i have bb they also know i have depression and am going through a tough time so they probably don't want to add to my worries. I have seen posts on here where members have had no reactions from doctors who deny their BB. It seems like a common complaint. I've also had people comment i don't know how to brush my teeth, and every time i walk in people would hold their nose until I walk past them, etc. I also have a foul taste in my mouth. I would love this to be halitophobia but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be likely.

Ricky wrote:Hello pepper

It is true that strangers can say to us that we have bb. Because they are frank. Unlike our relatives, they just dont want to hurt our feelings.

My mother is also the same. Whenever i ask her, she says she doesnt smell anything. But the people around me knows i have bb. A cud even say, "the whole town knows i hav bb." My mother couldnt even imagine that evrywhere i go i get horrible reactions. She wud say, "really?"

It would be best to be honest to ourselves. Whenever we hear reactions, that is already enough to say that we have bb. How much more if it happens everyday.

Cry cry...

True, i wonder if there's something about genetics that makes family members more immune to our smell? Or perhaps olfactory fatigue has something to do with it. Do you think your mom is honest? My mom i know is really honest, and she knows about my issue.

sreid643 wrote:I’ve never had anyone directly say I have bad breath but I think it’s safe to assume it’s true because of how strangers react with their body language or indirect comments. Like the other comments my mom swears it’s not true. I can’t always smell my breath but I can just feel if it smells. I can smell it though if I breathe a certain way like super heavy which happens when I’m on the bus or when I’m laying down at night and start to breathe a certain way I can smell it.

Same here, the odour is gross and i hate it. But useful to know the kind of smell i guess

sopo wrote:I can't smell myself most of the time but I get reaction every day. I got direct comments about my BB by only 2 people in my Life, my mom and from a guy sitting next to me in the class probably 15 years ago.
This Is so frustration. I cannot even smell my morning breath. I think some of us are giving out some kind of odourless irretant which makes people rub their nose. Recently my mom asked me if her breath stinks because earier in a gathering she observed people running their nose. My mom never had slightest of BB. This is very though to figure out, it drives me crazy sometimes. May be people are just nervous when talking. Hmm I don't know

Have you tried asking a doctor? Or a dentist?

WhiteCat wrote:Get a teaspoon and scrape it on your tongue.

Smell the fluid that comes off, sometimes it will smell neutral. But sometimes it will smell straight away.

Let it dry for 30 minutes to an hour and smell it again.

If it’s neutral you have halitophobia, I hope this is what you have.

If it smells, you have a B.B. problem.

Good luck xx

How accurate is this? And how bad does the smell have to be? Does everyone with BB "pass" this test? I've seen it a lot but haven't attempted to let it dry for that long because it sounds gross and not sure about the validity.

Thanks though! Will probably try again

I have spoken to dentists, ENT, gastro about it. Most of them told me they don't smell anything.
I also sometimes thing that our BB is intermittent, I know few people with awful breath but it's not always there. One of my friend sometimes have terrible breath. Every time he comes close to talk I always think of his breath, sometimes it stinks most of the time it doesn't. He is a lucky guy cause he has no clue about his BB.
In my case I have few friends and I talk to them freely they don't show much reaction. Also some of my colleagues come and try to strike a conversation with me sometimes. In my work place I'm known as a shy guy who doesn't talk to anyone. May be they come to talk to me on sympathy towards me

pepper234 wrote:

WhiteCat wrote:Get a teaspoon and scrape it on your tongue.

Smell the fluid that comes off, sometimes it will smell neutral. But sometimes it will smell straight away.

Let it dry for 30 minutes to an hour and smell it again.

If it’s neutral you have halitophobia, I hope this is what you have.

If it smells, you have a B.B. problem.

Good luck xx

How accurate is this? And how bad does the smell have to be? Does everyone with BB "pass" this test? I've seen it a lot but haven't attempted to let it dry for that long because it sounds gross and not sure about the validity.

Thanks though! Will probably try again

If you have type 1 it is absolutely accurate.

How bad does it have to be? ANY smell is bad, normal people are going to have zero odour.

Someone with B.B. will recognise the typical B.B. smell once it dries. Sometimes my B.B. is so bad it doesn’t even need to dry first, this is especially true in the mornings.

I swear by it, please try it. I want to know your results.

WhiteCat wrote:

pepper234 wrote:

WhiteCat wrote:Get a teaspoon and scrape it on your tongue.

Smell the fluid that comes off, sometimes it will smell neutral. But sometimes it will smell straight away.

Let it dry for 30 minutes to an hour and smell it again.

If it’s neutral you have halitophobia, I hope this is what you have.

If it smells, you have a B.B. problem.

Good luck xx

How accurate is this? And how bad does the smell have to be? Does everyone with BB "pass" this test? I've seen it a lot but haven't attempted to let it dry for that long because it sounds gross and not sure about the validity.

Thanks though! Will probably try again

If you have type 1 it is absolutely accurate.

How bad does it have to be? ANY smell is bad, normal people are going to have zero odour.

Someone with B.B. will recognise the typical B.B. smell once it dries. Sometimes my B.B. is so bad it doesn’t even need to dry first, this is especially true in the mornings.

I swear by it, please try it. I want to know your results.

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