I heard once that people who were under high amounts of stress naturally had bad breath. This sounded strange to me at first, but intuitively I realized that stress does change body chemistry, and this could reasonably be expected to alter the breath of a person. Now research shows that in fact stress can be easily measured by changes in saliva.
In particular, tests with children have recently shown that a specific enzyme in the saliva, alpha amylase, can be used to show stress levels throughout development. What this means is determining how well your child is coping with the world around him can be measured with a quick cotton swab of the mouth. Children with high levels of this enzyme are less likely to have healthy relationships with parents and teachers. They are more likely to have aggression and academic problems. They are also more susceptible to illness.
Stress is commonly measured by levels of cortisol, but this testing was invasive. Now the testing can be performed much more simply and easily. This enzyme test is also more reliable than monitoring heart rate and blood pressure to determine stress levels.
In similar studies at Penn State, stress levels in adults were measured by several means to find correlations. The saliva test was deemed a reliable method to determine stress levels in adults under a variety of conditions. The army has also done testing several years ago in this arena to determine whether stress levels in the battlefield can be quickly ascertained without the need for blood testing; their findings are similar to those of Penn State.
So we can measure stress in our saliva. Does stress affect your breath? Probably it does.
Resources:
- Spit Test Spots Child’s Stress
- Saliva enzyme provides clue to human stress
- Saliva Test Offers New Window on Caffeine/Stress Response
- If you’re stressed, go ahead — spit!
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships Abstract
Other news
- Don’t clean your toilet with that! Common Household Chemical May Harm Lung Function
- As if mothers needed more pressure to breast feed: Breast-Fed Babies Handle Stress Better Later in Life
- Please, honey, can we ‘exercise’ again tonight? Study confirms that lifestyle choices can help prevent erectile dysfunction
- Ah, but at least my stress levels are unnaturally elevated: Amateur golfers are an unhealthy, overweight bunch
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
