Burning wood smell

[Pbggal]

For about half of each day, I smell burning wood although I'm no where near a fire!  Would love a neurologist's take on this.  Anyone else hear of this?  Do I need n MRI?

[Pbggal]

Thank you so much. I have noticed it happens when I'm stressed!  What would actually cause that response?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

The condition is medically known as paraosmia and could occur in a few conditions such as stress/ anxiety, neuro-psychatric conditions, head injuries/ cranial lesions, micronutrient deficiencies, hormonal/ endocrine issues etc. I would suggest getting this evaluated by an internist initially and depending on the cause diagnosed/ suspected, it can be managed accordingly or specialist care may be sought.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!