Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Little Girl’s Bad Breath Cured by Nose Spray

Q. My 11-year-old daughter had terrible breath. The dentist said that it wasn’t coming from her teeth and referred us to an ENT (ear nose and throat doctor).

The ENT said he suspected that the small sinus cavities on either side of her nose had developed fungal infections. To treat it, he prescribed a nasal spray that is a mixture of fluconazole and triamcinolone. She used it twice a day, and within two days her bad breath was gone.

Now whenever her breath starts to get bad again, we have her use the nose spray and it clears up.

A. Sinus infections can be viral, bacterial or fungal. Symptoms may include bad breath as well as nasal congestion and an impaired sense of smell.

Your experience is interesting, although we could find no studies of this treatment.

Fluconazole is often used to fight fungal infections. Triamcinolone is a corticosteroid that calms inflammation. It may be better known by its brand name Nasacort. This nasal spray used to be available only by prescription for allergy symptoms. It recently became available over the counter as Nasacort Allergy 24HR.

Nasacort (triamcinolone) Side Effects:

  • Sore throat
  • Nose bleeds
  • Headaches
  • Cough
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Infections (ear, sinus, mouth, throat) in kids
  • Perforation of the dividing cartilage (septum) between the nostrils
  • Prolonged use may increase the risk for cataracts and/or glaucoma
Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.1- 15 ratings
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.