Why am I smelling an odd smell?

Author: Dixie Konopelski  |  Last update: Monday, August 18, 2025

Phantosmia may be caused by a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It also can be caused by aging, trauma, temporal lobe seizures, inflamed sinuses, brain tumors, certain medicines and Parkinson's disease. Phantosmia also can result from a COVID-19 infection.

Why am I smelling strange smells that aren't there?

Smelling things that aren't there is called phantosmia. It can be unpleasant and affect how things taste. But it isn't usually serious and may go away by itself in a few weeks or months. See your GP if the strange smell doesn't go away in a few weeks.

Why am I smelling a weird smell in my nose?

Phantosmia is a condition that causes you to detect smells that aren't actually in your environment. It can happen in one nostril or both — and the odors may be foul or pleasant. Common causes include colds, allergies, nasal polyps and dental issues. Treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Why do I suddenly have a weird smell?

Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.

Why do I randomly smell their scent?

Olfactory hallucinations, known as Phantosmia, are very common. They can be caused by a multitude of things, from a cold to a headache to some types of medication, etc etc. And that often entails smelling a scent that you remember from your past, such as the perfume of a loved one.

If You Notice THIS Smell on Your Body After 60, Do These 5 Things Immediately

What type of brain tumor causes phantom smells?

a brain tumour in the temporal lobe could lead to sensations of strange smells (as well as other symptoms, such as, difficulty with hearing, speaking and memory loss)

What is clairalience?

The word psychic, as defined by Merriam Webster, is “outside the spheres of physical science.” And clairalience is the ability for a person to clearly smell a scent without knowing how, why, or from where. When we experience clairalience, we know that a scent is real, without logic or physical communication.

Can anxiety cause phantom smells?

Anxiety can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including phantom smells (phantosmia or olfactory hallucinations). Many people with anxiety report smelling odd smells that other people do not smell.

What does high estrogen smell like?

Does estrogen have a smell? Estrogen doesn't have a scent, but hormonal changes during menopause can alter body odor. As estrogen drops and testosterone becomes more dominant, sweat may attract more bacteria, leading to stronger smells, particularly during hot flashes.

What does organ failure smell like?

Rarely, people can have bad breath because of organ failure. A person with kidney failure may have breath that smells like ammonia or urine. Serious liver disease can make breath smell musty or like garlic and rotten eggs. Compounds that are transported through the blood can also be released through your sweat glands.

What hormone imbalance causes phantom smells?

While aging is a common cause, phantom smells can be a sign of underlying medical conditions or endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of thyroid hormones - thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).

What does sinusitis smell like?

Sinuses become infected when small particles such as dust, pollen, or animal dander enter the nasal passages and become trapped. This can cause inflammation, which leads to a buildup of mucus and bacteria in the sinuses. As the bacteria and mucus accumulate, they produce a foul odor that can smell like rotten eggs.

Is smelling smoke a symptom of a stroke?

But before we jump to any conclusions, let's clear something up—in general, falsely believing that you're smelling something burning is a common misconception about typical stroke onset, according to Salman Azhar, M.D., director of the stroke program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

What drugs cause phantom smells?

Phantom odor perception may be a side effect of antidiabetic or antihyperlipidemic agents. Among people taking proton pump inhibitors, phantom odors may also be a consequence of gastric gas reflux.

How to get rid of smell stuck in nose?

That said, there are some home remedies that can help reduce a bad smell in the nose:
  1. Try a homemade saltwater rinse. Using a saltwater rinse can help temporarily reduce the intensity of a bad smell in the nose.
  2. Drinking water. ...
  3. Practice good dental hygiene. ...
  4. Home remedies over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

What does BV smell like?

BV is responsible for the fishy smell most commonly associated with unpleasant vaginal odors. The fishy smell may be especially strong after sex. Another common symptom to look out for with BV is a gray or grayish-white discharge.

Can hormonal imbalance make you smell?

For example, during pregnancy or menopause, changes in hormone levels can lead to changes in your sweat production and bacterial composition, resulting in a different smell. “During menopause, a decrease in estrogen levels can cause a higher percentage of testosterone in the body,” says Dr.

How does the woman feel when estrogen is high?

The body needs a suitable balance of estrogen and other sex hormones for health. High estrogen levels may cause weight gain, low mood, and severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in females. In males, excess estrogen symptoms can include erectile dysfunction. Estrogen is considered a female sex hormone.

Why do I smell strange odors?

An olfactory hallucination, known as phantosmia, makes you detect smells that aren't in your environment. The odors you notice in phantosmia are different from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. You may notice the smells in one or both nostrils.

Are phantom smells a symptom of a brain tumor?

Experiencing non-existent foul smells and odours could be sign of cancer growing in the olfactory cortex or invading it from neighbouring tissues. These phantom smells are often accompanied with nausea and dizziness.

What is meant by precognition?

Precognition (from the Latin prae- 'before', and cognitio 'acquiring knowledge') is the purported psychic phenomenon of seeing, or otherwise becoming directly aware of, events in the future.

What is the gift of clairsentience?

Those who are clairsentient are experiencing an awareness of other people's emotional energy through subtle cues like body language, facial expression, tone of voice, and energy. Sometimes so much so that they can feel what the other person is feeling as if it were happening to them.

What is a psychic sense?

Some of the most common psychic senses include clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance. Clairvoyance, which means "clear vision," is the ability to see visions or images in the mind's eye.

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