21 September 2023 , 13:34
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Often seen as a source of insecurity for many, or a sign of bad personal hygiene, there's a connection between bad breath and diabetes. Research has previously found there are two aspects of bad breath that could contribute to diabetes: periodontal disease and high levels of ketones in the blood.
Periodontal diseases like gingivitis are inflammatory conditions that can attack teeth and bones, and inflammation is known to affect metabolism thereby worsening symptoms of existing diabetes. A study in 2013 in the Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences found that a third of diabetes patients also had some sort of periodontal disease.
The other possible clue is a high level of ketones in the blood, which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA can be very dangerous, and consists of the production of high levels of ketones like acetone, which is a chemical found in nail polish and can cause your breath to smell like nail polish.
DKA is most often found in type-one diabetes patients, whose sugar levels are not kept under control. Other signs of DKA include a sweet and fruity odour on your breath, abdominal pain, and more frequent urination.
Statistics from Diabetes UK showed there could be 850,000 people living with diabetes who are undiagnosed. Key factors affecting health being household income, education, housing, access to healthy food, as well as access to healthcare. Researchers are, however, keen to remind people that bad breath among diabetes patients is manageable by brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Flossing daily, brushing or scraping your tongue, drinking water, and keeping your mouth moist, would also help to reduce symptoms. It's also important to make sure your dentist is aware of any diabetes diagnosis.
'I was so ashamed of diabetes that I injected myself under desk and became ill'
The NHS spends about 10% of its budget treating people with diabetes and in 2021/22 there were 60.3m items prescribed for people with diabetes in England, up from 42.5m prescription items 10 years before, according to Diabetes UK.
Key symptoms of diabete include having wounds taking longer to heal, blurred vision, losing weight without trying to, or itching around genitals. Symptoms for both types of diabetes are similar but around 90% of diabetes cases are type-two.