Fetor hepaticus is a chronic odor in your breath. It's different from normal bad breath. Normal breath odor is often linked to food and can be worse in the morning. But fetor hepaticus has a more distinct smell — like sulfur. It happens as a result of liver disease.
Learn more about fetor hepaticus and how to manage the condition.
What Are the Symptoms of Fetor Hepaticus?
Fetor hepaticus is a distinctive breath odor that people with liver disease can have. It is not pleasant. People describe it as smelling like a mixture of rotten eggs and garlic.
How does fetor hepaticus differ from typical bad breath?
Unlike regular bad breath, fetor hepaticus isn't related to hygiene or dental health. You can't treat it by brushing your teeth more often or using special mouthwash. Fetor hepaticus is not a condition by itself — it is a symptom of liver problems.
These distinctive changes to the smell of your breath often alert doctors to liver disease. You should contact a doctor if you have fetor hepaticus. You may need tests to check your liver function.
What Causes Fetor Hepaticus?
The liver is the largest organ in your body. It is responsible for cleaning waste products out of your blood. Your liver acts as a filter and transforms certain substances in your blood into bile, which then goes into your intestines. You eventually poop it out in your feces.
Your liver doesn't filter out all the substances that it is supposed to when it isn’t working properly.
If you have liver disease, your liver may not filter out compounds that contain sulfur. This means they stay in your body, resulting in fetor hepaticus. It signals liver failure because it results from an increase in dimethyl sulfide in the air that you exhale. So, liver failure results in this noticeable smell in your breath.
What is liver disease?
Liver disease is any condition that reduces the ability of your liver to do its job. Liver disease affects millions of people every year. The causes of liver disease include:
- Viruses
- Family history of liver disease
- Autoimmune disease
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Dietary factors
- Obesity
- Reactions to medication or chemical exposure
Liver disease ranges from mild to severe. It follows a predictable pattern no matter what its cause is.
Here are the three typical phases of liver disease.
Hepatitis. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. You may notice symptoms such as fatigue, aches, digestive issues, and the yellowing of your skin and eyes called jaundice. If diagnosed early, hepatitis can be reversed.
Fibrosis. Fibrosis happens after an extended period of liver inflammation. Your liver starts to develop scar tissue. The scar tissue makes it less efficient at filtering out toxins. Your liver can repair itself, and there is treatment available for fibrosis. So the damage at this stage may not be permanent.
Cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the name for a severely scarred liver. Its function will be limited, and the damage is permanent. Treatment is available to prevent the condition from getting worse. There is no cure.
Another issue you may face is liver cancer. Liver cancer can develop due to advanced liver disease. Your doctor should monitor you for liver cancer if you have liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. Early detection offers more treatment options for liver cancer.
Liver disease is a serious condition that requires medical treatment. It must be treated and won't go away on its own. You should speak to a doctor about the situation as soon as you can.
How Is Fetor Hepaticus Treated?
Reducing the bad breath that comes from fetor hepaticus depends on getting your liver to work better. Your doctor will do a series of tests to see how severe your liver disease is. You may need blood tests or a liver biopsy.
You may also need medications to help manage the condition. Surgery or even a liver transplant may be the best course of treatment in severe cases. Your doctor will work with you to create the best treatment plan for your needs.
Liver disease is a serious condition. Call your doctor for treatment if you have fetor hepaticus or other symptoms of liver disease.
What lifestyle changes help manage fetor hepaticus?
To manage fetor hepaticus, it's critical to work with your health care provider to treat the condition causing this symptom in the first place. While some liver diseases can be improved with lifestyle changes, fetor hepaticus is often a sign of advanced and irreversible liver disease that can only be treated with a liver transplant. But there are lifestyle changes you can make to slow the progression of the disease, including:
- Cutting out alcohol
- Exercising regularly
- Eating fewer calories daily to reach a healthier weight
- Cutting back on rich foods such as red meat, trans fats, and processed carbohydrates
- Limiting how much salt you eat
Takeaways
Fetor hepaticus is a symptom of advanced liver disease that causes your breath to develop a distinct and unpleasant odor. If you notice this symptom, it's important to see your health care provider right away. If you know you have liver disease, fetor hepaticus can be a sign that your condition is worsening, but if you don't, it can be a symptom of an acute liver condition. If the disease that's causing fetor hepaticus is treatable, then this symptom may improve. Otherwise, it's important to make lifestyle changes, like cutting out alcohol and limiting your salt intake, to manage your liver disease as much as you can.
Fetor Hepaticus FAQs
What does fetor hepaticus smell like?
Some people say fetor hepaticus smells like rotten eggs or garlic.
How do you cure bad breath from the liver?
It depends on what condition is causing the liver failure that led to the fetor hepaticus in the first place. If you can successfully treat the condition, you can cure fetor hepaticus, but chronic liver failure can only be treated with a liver transplant.
What is the "breath of the dead"?
The ancient Romans called fetor hepaticus "the breath of the dead," as the scent usually meant life-threatening liver failure.
