Q. When I get really hungry, my breath becomes really bad. How can I stop that from happening? — S. Ludwig, via email A. “Hunger breath” can leave you — and those around you — hungry for a way to avoid the fumes you’re exhaling. It’s usually caused by regularly skipping meals. Not eating reduces the amount of saliva in your mouth, and a dry mouth is like a Playboy mansion for randy bacteria that are looking to go forth and multiply. When they do, they let fly a sulfuric stench.

You can get a variation on hunger breath if you’re eating a low-carb diet and your body is burning fat instead of carbs for fuel. That can trigger ketosis, a chemical reaction that leaves your breath with either an odd fruits-and-nuts odor (not unlike perfume worn by your least-favorite aunt) or smelling like nail polish remover, never a come-hither scent.