The chances are that if you suffer from acid reflux, you may also be aware that your breath isn’t quite as fresh as those non-GERD sufferers around you. The fact is that when acid refluxes into your esophagus, that horrible sensation and taste is also accompanied by a not-so-pleasant smell. If you’re simply sitting at home alone watching television, it’s uncomfortable, but your breath doesn’t really bother anyone but you. However, if there’s anyone around you, the chances are that they’ll soon be taking a step back, scrunching their noses, or handing you a mint.

But how do you know when your breath is really that bad? You’ve tried breathing into the palm of your hand, but you simply can’t tell. One technique recommended by experts on job interviews and social interaction is to give the inside of your wrist a quick lick (assuming you’re not wearing perfume there) and wait for it to dry. Once it’s no longer wet, smell the spot – does it smell sour or unpleasant? If so, you’ve got bad breath.

But what can a GERD sufferer do? You’ve likely heard that peppermint and other forms of mint, such as that in chewing gums, breath mints, and other breath-improving products can actually aggravate your acid reflux and, in turn, make your breath even worse.

Don’t panic. There are many things that you can do to ensure that your breath stays as pleasant as possible. If you speak to your doctor, a nutritionist, or a naturopath, they will likely tell you that your first step is to change your diet. You need to eat foods that help keep your acid reflux under control. The more you experience acid reflux, the worse your breath will be.

When you’re choosing your next meal (and all of those that follow), try to keep both your acid reflux and your breath in mind. Onions, garlic, spicy foods, and fried foods tend to give most people bad breath. But since these foods also aggravate acid reflux symptoms, then your reaction to them will be twice as unpleasant – to you and those around you.

You can also start trying to lower your stress level through various activities such as exercise, relaxation, yoga, breathing techniques, and anything else that will calm you down. Stress can contribute to bad breath, though many people are unaware of this fact, and can also encourage behaviors that worsen acid reflux. So if your breath is already prone to being sour due to GERD symptoms, then you’ll want to work on your stress levels to stop the situation from getting any worse.

Once you start reducing stress levels and begin eating better, you’ll quickly discover that these changes not only make an enormous difference, but they’re not half as difficult as you’d through they’d be. The trick is to make the changes slowly and ease them into your life while building the positive habits.

You may also find that by taking certain medications or natural or herbal GERD remedies, you’ll give yourself just that much more of an advantage for keeping your bad breath under control.

Articles Source :http://www.212articles.com/articles/19135/1/Will-Treating-Acid-Reflux-Cure-Your-Bad-Breath/Page1.html

Know the Author : http://www.212articles.com/authors/683/Kathryn-Whittaker