# Phantom smells: medical origin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304 "2004-04-21T23:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/1 "2004-04-21T23:01:58Z")
I’m asking on behalf of Citymom who is complaining of a strange rotten smell that nobody else seems to be picking up on. Because she’s been having sinus irritation and ear popping, she is wondering if it might be due to an infection. I have had what sounds like a similar effect off and on since 1996 when I was visiting back east. It started out as a smoky smell, and at first it was very unpleasant but gradually I got used to it. In my case, it’s strongest when breathing out. Haven’t had it a lot lately, but there are certain smells/tastes that will trigger it. So are we experiencing the same thing, and is there a biological or biochemical cause for it? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/2 "2004-04-21T23:13:08Z")
Sounds like it might be a bacterial infection in the nasal passages or sinuses - I’ve had both the ‘rotten’ and the ‘burning’ smells in the past and it was an infection in both cases. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/3 "2004-04-21T23:14:17Z")
I forgot to ask; is it accompanied by a slight wetness or dripping? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/4 "2004-04-21T23:54:07Z")
Could be sinus infection. Could be a migraine equivalent. Could be a seizure. Could be a hallucination. Could even be a symptom of schizophrenia. My point is that the best way to know is to get seen by a doc. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/5 "2004-04-22T00:58:22Z")
What about those odd moments when you get a whiff of a smell you encountered earlier? ie: you were camping over the weekend, and at your office on Tuesday, you suddenly smell “campfire” for a moment. Sort of an olfactory memory. Is that just some of the air you breathed over the weekend getting trapped in a clogged sinus cavity, then the cavity opens up later on? ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/6 "2004-04-22T01:55:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve had both the ‘rotten’ and the ‘burning’ smells in the past and it was an infection in both cases. I should point out that mine is not a burning smell per se but just a smoke smell - kind of like a mixture of cigarettes and potato chips is the best way to describe it. > [@Mangetout](#): > > is it accompanied by a slight wetness or dripping? Yes it is. > [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Could be sinus infection. > > Could be a migraine equivalent. > > Could be a seizure. > > Could be a hallucination. Not sure what a migraine equivalent is. I’ve heard of the “aura” or blind spot people get sometimes, is that another example? Don’t know what could be making either of us seize or hallucinate. Citymom says thank you all for your replies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/7 "2004-04-22T03:43:18Z")
Is she, or could she be, preggers? I smelled non-existent stuff all the time while I was pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-smells-medical-origin/241304/8 "2004-04-22T08:23:16Z")
> [@cityboy916](#): > > I should point out that mine is not a burning smell per se but just a smoke smell - kind of like a mixture of cigarettes and potato chips is the best way to describe it. That is exactly how I would describe it; a slightly greasy, ‘hot’ smell. > [@](#): > > Yes it is. Sounds like an infection then, these normally just clear up on their own, but you might want to see a doctor if symptoms persist.