Gut Health Alarms: Subtle Signs Your Digestion Is in Trouble

Lisette Marie

39. Hypersensitivity to Strong Smells and Scents

Adult woman gently smelling a daffodil flower indoors, captured in warm natural light. Photo Credit: Pexels @cottonbro studio

An unusual and dramatic hypersensitivity to strong odors—whether perfumes, cleaning chemicals, or even cooking smells—can be a signal of a compromised gut and a body operating under high inflammatory stress. Toxins and metabolic byproducts that the gut/liver system usually filters out can overwhelm the body's detoxification pathways when the gut is damaged. This "toxic burden" can lead to a state where the olfactory system becomes hyper-vigilant and easily triggered, perceiving everyday scents as overwhelming or noxious due to the body's general state of heightened immune and neurological excitability.

40. Chronic Bad Breath That Resists Brushing (Gastric Halitosis)

A serene morning scene with a hand holding a mug at sunrise, capturing warmth and tranquility. Photo Credit: Pexels @Taryn Elliott

While bad breath is mentioned, persistent halitosis that cannot be fixed by rigorous dental hygiene often points directly to microbial overgrowth in the digestive tract. This specific type, gastric halitosis, occurs when volatile organic compounds (VSCs) produced by bacteria or yeast in the stomach or upper small intestine rise up the esophagus and are exhaled. If you've ruled out dental or sinus issues, the odor may be a direct indicator of SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) or high acid reflux, requiring internal balance, not external cleaning.

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39. Hypersensitivity to Strong Smells and Scents

40. Chronic Bad Breath That Resists Brushing (Gastric Halitosis)

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