Olfactory gland not working, smell of burning rubber?

Hello,

I have had for some years now, about 15, the periodic sense of smelling burning rubber and or car exhaust. I went to an ENT back then when this suddenly began and he suspected my Olfactory Gland being infected. I was not however able to follow up with care as I had no insurance and he was expensive ( $145 1st visit!) to say the least. I have simply dealt with it to the best of my ability and used OTC's and Flonase. I even quit smoking thinking that was causing it, I was wrong and am once again this fall (2008) suffering from it as I type.
My face feels but does not look swollen, I have deep pain directly in the center of my nose between my eyes, ( right where the olfactory gland is located BTW) and I am treating it once again with Flonase and sudafed OTC. When I was able to go see another ENT and told him what the first one said he treated me as though I was an idiot and ordered me to suffer a multitude of Allergy tests.(He didn't even swab my nasal cavaity nor my throat for cultures). I refused and never went back.
I do not believe an allergy comes on one all of a sudden which is how this happened to me. I was working in a party store at the time it was early fall and we had the front door of the store open. It seems a truck driver was lost and parked his big rig right there and the exhaust was pouring into the store while he chatted on the phone just outside our door. I tapped him on the shoulder and informed him he had to shut off the truck or move it and why, so he did. However even after we aired out the store and I went home, all I could smell after that was exhaust!!  This lasted for months even after I saw that 1st ENT and has occured periodically each fall and sometimes in the spring. It does sound allergy related but I can't believe it has NOTHING to so with the Olfactory Gland since that is where our sense of smell is from to begin with. So perhaps there is some ENT out there reading these posts that MAy have a suggestion I can live with?
In any event, thanks for letting me vent.
Sue


This discussion is related to I smell things no one else does.