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Phantom odors
Hello,
Lately (and by lately I mean the past six months or so) I have been occasionally getting whiffs of a burning smell, maybe like smoke. Something perhaps you would be smelling if you were around smokers. Except when I do detect these smells I'm pretty sure nothing is burning and no one is smoking around me. I read somewhere that this could be caused by the use of drugs, head injury or a TUMOR. Now that last one scares the hell out of me. I have never done drugs, I've only smoked once like five years ago without inhaling, and the closest thing I've had to a head injury is bumbping my head when I reach under my desk to grab something I dropped.
I get these smells frequently but it's not as if the odor is surrounding me 24/7 it's just sometimes when I inhale and exhale through my nose, the scent gets caught up with the air current. Since I began writing this message I've had them three times. Could this seriously be because of a tumor? Help!
Lately (and by lately I mean the past six months or so) I have been occasionally getting whiffs of a burning smell, maybe like smoke. Something perhaps you would be smelling if you were around smokers. Except when I do detect these smells I'm pretty sure nothing is burning and no one is smoking around me. I read somewhere that this could be caused by the use of drugs, head injury or a TUMOR. Now that last one scares the hell out of me. I have never done drugs, I've only smoked once like five years ago without inhaling, and the closest thing I've had to a head injury is bumbping my head when I reach under my desk to grab something I dropped.
I get these smells frequently but it's not as if the odor is surrounding me 24/7 it's just sometimes when I inhale and exhale through my nose, the scent gets caught up with the air current. Since I began writing this message I've had them three times. Could this seriously be because of a tumor? Help!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.
Your symptoms could be due to olfactory hallucinations. Phantosmia most often occurs as a result of a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by temporal lobe seizures, sinusitis, brain tumors, migraine, Parkinson's disease and stroke. You may need proper evaluation by your GP, please consult him for a neurological assessment. He may then refer you to a neurologist if needed.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Your symptoms could be due to olfactory hallucinations. Phantosmia most often occurs as a result of a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by temporal lobe seizures, sinusitis, brain tumors, migraine, Parkinson's disease and stroke. You may need proper evaluation by your GP, please consult him for a neurological assessment. He may then refer you to a neurologist if needed.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
I had this last year and it went away after a month. It started off slow but got worse. It eventually went away and I'd only get it every now and then.
They've recently started back up more frequently though and like you it only happens every once in awhile now.
I've read it's more than likely not tumor related (very rarely is it tumor related) and it could be a sinus related issue.
Of course in my case, it could be from people who live around me that smoke but when I do smell it, I realize I don't smell it when I take a deep breath or breathe through something like my shirt.
Vick's vapor rub helped me so much when I had it all day, everyday last year. I realized when I rubbed or pressed on the sinus area of my forehead it would stop so it definitely could be sinus related.
They've recently started back up more frequently though and like you it only happens every once in awhile now.
I've read it's more than likely not tumor related (very rarely is it tumor related) and it could be a sinus related issue.
Of course in my case, it could be from people who live around me that smoke but when I do smell it, I realize I don't smell it when I take a deep breath or breathe through something like my shirt.
Vick's vapor rub helped me so much when I had it all day, everyday last year. I realized when I rubbed or pressed on the sinus area of my forehead it would stop so it definitely could be sinus related.
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