Pomona Valley News

• Dr. Andrew Ordon of "The Doctors" says sinusitis can cause bad breath.

• Sinusitis can cause other negative health side effects.

• Treating sinusitis can be simple and low-risk.

"When you have sinusitis, this leads to some of the worst bacteria you can imagine overgrowing in your nose and sinuses," Dr. Matt Hershcovitch of SoCal Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Pomona Valley News. "They sometimes travel to your lungs and also travel to your mouth, so you end up with this colonization of some very nasty bacteria in your mouth, on your tonsils and in the lungs. In addition, the fact that you obstruct the nose with chronic sinusitis causes you to become a mouth breather. When you start breathing through your mouth, your mouth tends to dry out. This is very poor for dental health, very much increases your risk of developing cavities and bad breath."

Symptoms of sinusitis include yellow or green drainage from the nose, pressure and pain in the face, a stuffy nose, bad breath, coughing up mucus, especially at night, and sometimes fever and chills, according to Merck Manual. 

Balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended for people who suffer from chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective. Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. There’s no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue, according to Healthline.

On an episode of the  talk show "The Doctors," Dr. Andrew Ordon responded to a viewer's question about whether untreated sinusitis can cause bad breath.

Ordon said, "Yes, for sure. The minute that those sinuses get clogged up, you have a buildup of mucus; bacteria grow in there. They cause an odor that spreads not only into the nasal cavities, but down into your mouth. In fact, bad breath is one of the major symptoms of sinusitis."

Ordon has worked as a surgeon for more than 30 years. He has been nominated twice for an Emmy for his role as a cohost of the talk show "The Doctors."                             

To learn more about sinusitis and take a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz, visit SoCal Breath Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.