Health Tip: Battling Bad Breath?

You may need to visit your doctor

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(HealthDay News) -- Bad breath can be caused by something potent you had for lunch, but it can also signal an underlying health problem.

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The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these possible causes of bad breath that may need to be checked by your doctor:

• An abscessed tooth or cavity, or wearing dentures.
• Alcoholism or smoking.
• Taking certain medications.
• Having a foreign object lodged in the nostril (most common in children).
• An impacted tooth, gum disease or bad dental hygiene.
• Taking significant amounts of vitamins.
• A throat or lung infection, or sinusitis.

-- Diana Kohnle