Some people can detect a metallic smell or other odors that can’t be smelled by anyone else around them because the smells aren’t real. This condition is called phantosmia, an olfactory hallucination that’s often triggered by a sinus condition.
Correspondingly, why do I have a strange smell in my nose?
Phantosmia can develop after a respiratory infection or a head injury. Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, or inflamed sinuses may also trigger phantom smells in your nose. For some people, phantosmia resolves on its own.
Consequently, what is Phantosmia a sign of?
Brief episodes of phantom smells or phantosmia — smelling something that’s not there — can be triggered by temporal lobe seizures, epilepsy, or head trauma. Phantosmia is also associated with Alzheimer’s and occasionally with the onset of a migraine.
Can you smell a fungal sinus infection?
Symptoms of fungal sinusitis are similar to other forms of sinusitis, including: Nasal congestion. Facial pain/pressure. Loss of smell or foul odor in the nose.
Can a sinus infection cause a bad smell in your nose?
Sinusitis causes symptoms such as sinus inflammation and nasal congestion, which can interfere with a person’s sense of smell. The condition can also cause bad breath and a discolored, bad–smelling discharge in the nose and back of the throat, all of which may create a bad smell in the nose.
Why do I smell urine in my nose?
Nasal congestion or sinusitis
Both nasal congestion and sinusitis can result from bacterial infections, allergies, or irritation of the nasal cavities. They often result in bad breath, which in some people could smell similar to urine.
What does sinus breath smell like?
Microbial buildups, infections, or growths in the sinuses may cause the breath to have an aroma of fungus or mold. Sinus infections may cause a post-nasal drip of thick, darkly colored mucus that seeps from the sinuses into the back of the throat.
Can thyroid problems cause phantom smells?
Individuals who suffer from hypothyroidism often smell and taste foods in a different way than they normally would.
What do you smell before a stroke?
Cognitive impairment is common during stroke, and can be a lasting side effect. There is a common myth that during a stroke, the victim will perceive the smell of burning toast. The medical term for this is phantosmia; an olfactory hallucination. In other words, a phantom smell, or a smell that isn’t really there.
Can anxiety cause strange smells?
Phantosmia, which is an olfactory hallucination, sometimes occurs with anxiety. It can cause you to smell something that isn’t there, or rather, a neutral smell becomes unpleasant. Most often, this bizarre sensation is caused by antidepressants or withdrawal from them.
Why do I keep smelling things that aren’t there?
An olfactory hallucination (phantosmia) makes you detect smells that aren’t really present in your environment. The odors detected in phantosmia vary from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. They can occur in one or both nostrils. The phantom smell may seem to always be present or it may come and go.
Is Phantosmia a symptom of MS?
A study that evaluated the ortho- and retronasal olfactory functions in MS patients found that 75% of the 16 investigated patients showed a quantitative olfactory disorder, 6.25% reported parosmia, and 18.75% reported phantosmia (29).
Is phantom smell a sign of pregnancy?
Because as strange as it might sound, moms-to-be are known to have an uncanny sense of smell—in fact, it’s often one of the first signs of pregnancy. So if you’re suddenly gagging at the scent of garlic or ground beef (or can’t even stomach a simple stroll through the grocery store), you might just be expecting.
