Can mouthwash give you a heart attack?

Wake up, roll out of bed and head to the bathroom. Brush your teeth, floss and finish with some mouthwash. Stop right there! That last part in that sequence could be increasing your risk of heart attack, according to research.

But before we uncover possible harmful effects of mouthwash, let’s examine mouthwash itself.

Mouthwash is a fluid rinse for part of your oral hygiene routine. It’s meant to protect gums and teeth and comes in different varieties for different needs. There are fluoride mouthwashes, anti-plaque mouthwashes and desensitizing mouthwash – all to help improve your oral hygiene. Yet although these products are meant to better our health, alarming research is revealing mouthwashes heart attack risk.

Mouthwash – heart health connectionr
Published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, British researchers revealed the link between mouthwash and heart attacks. Antiseptic mouthwashes were found to increase blood pressure between two to 3.5 points. Researchers noted that even a two-point increase in blood pressure translates to a 7 percent increase in heart attack risk. Furthermore, stroke risk also increased by 10 percent.

In the study, 19 participants used an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day. Before and after using the mouthwash, participants’ blood pressure was recorded.

The main ingredient in many popular antiseptic mouthwashes is chlorohexidine and although it can kill off bad bacteria, it also kills off the good ones as well. When good oral bacteria are killed off, nitrite isn’t produced – the compound necessary for blood vessels to dilate. Blood pressure rises as a dangerous result.

The participants in the study saw a decrease in nitrate production by 90 percent and blood nitrate levels dropped 25 percent.

Read more at http://www.belmarrahealth.com/can-mouthwash-give-you-a-heart-attack/