Of all the reasons that your blood pressure could shoot up, have you considered the daily use of mouthwash as one? It would probably not feature in your list of developing high BP with work stress, home chores, children or time management and the weather dominating the reasons. But health expert Dr. Kunal Sood has all the reasons for you to believe why oral care can also be a contributor to this imbalance.
How many times a day have you been using mouthwash for oral hygiene? The usual numbers are one to two times a day. But for many it surpasses three to four times, and it falls into a pattern. During this time, have you ever checked on your blood pressure or considered excessive use of mouthwash to be a factor for blood pressure imbalance? The answer is most probably no. Health expert Dr. Kunal Sood talks about it at length in his latest expert advice video on his social media. And here’s why you should be careful of the number of times, you use your mouthwash.
Produces nitric oxide: Sometimes, oral bacteria break down the nitrate that we consume into nitrite and lastly, into nitric oxide, which, by nature affects blood flow and maintains blood pressure balance in the body.
Removing good bacteria: Just like the digestive process has good bacteria and bad ones, similarly, in oral hygiene also two types of bacteria thrive. Sometimes, anti-bacterial mouthwashes with high chlorhexidine content can kill these good bacteria, which reduce nitric oxide. This means that the level of nitric oxide decreases and blood pressure balance is also altered.
Studies back this theory: Some studies have shown how even short term usage of mouthwashes lead to a shift in the presence of good oral bacteria and thereby contributes to overall health imbalance.
Risk of developing hypertension: Studies have shown that if a person uses mouthwash for more than 2-3 times a day, they are prone to developing hypertension. This further leads to a change in the blood pressure dynamics and other symptoms in the body.
But let this not scare you, because mouthwash still has its benefits when it comes to oral hygiene. In fact, these kind of situations sometimes arise only if you undertake excessive use of the product. Using them well under the guidance of a medical expert will benefit you in the long term rather than degrading your health. Thus, like always, balance is the key.
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