“Phantosmia” sounds like the name of a ghost or spirit that comes out after dark and makes its presence known with a mysterious odor – one that can range from sweet and fragrant to rotting garbage!
But phantosmia, also called olfactory hallucination and phantom fragrance, simply means that you’re smelling something that isn’t really there.
It can strike from out of the blue. An odor can seem to just lodge in your nostrils one day. And that smell can change, flipping to something better… or worse… and lasting for days or even years!
You might think that it’s a rare disorder or one that only happens to people with a serious brain disease or mental illness. But as it turns out, that’s far from the case.
A new study from federal researchers looking into phantosmia has found that this extremely annoying and sometimes debilitating condition is more common as we age and lose some of our olfactory sensitivity.
So, if you’ve ever been haunted by a ghostly odor that you can’t seem to shake, here’s what you need to know.
Right under your nose?
New Zealander Trina Liggins describes the smell she was stuck with for decades when exposed to practically any scent, even fresh air, as “blimmin’ awful.”
And that seems to be characteristic of phantosmia, which can come and go and range from fragrant to stinky.
New Yorker Jane Andrews’ experience with phantosmia, however, started one day when she bought two houseplants and put them in her kitchen. After that, the garden-like odor of fresh soil followed her wherever she went… for a year!
It finally went away one day when her husband scorched a pot of chili, and that smell suddenly became her new “default odor.” Then, when Andrews took a trip to France, the chili smell was replaced by lavender.
So, what’s behind this olfactory oddity?
Smell disorder expert Dr. Donald Leopold from the University of Nebraska Medical Center says that patients who suffer from this condition most always have lost some degree of their sense of smell.
That allows the brain, “where the actual smell perception is generated,” to “overcompensate” and start “offering up odors.” And unfortunately, they’re usually really bad ones!
Dr. Leopold says that “traffic cop” neurons in the brain, ones that had previously worked to stifle certain smells (especially disagreeable ones) stop doing their job, allowing previously “suppressed” scents to take over.
This latest study found that 1 out of 15 people who are over 40 have experienced phantom odors. And the more candles on your cake, the greater the chance that at some point or another you’ll smell something that isn’t there.
Earlier research out of Sweden discovered that around 5 percent of those over 60, especially women, will suffer a bout of phantosmia either briefly or long-term.
And while some people, such as Andrews, seem to be rather creative with the aromas they’re picking up, the most common ones are smoke, a dirty ashtray, burning rubber, chemical odors, and the smell of garbage or rotting food (yuck!).
As to what you can do about it, that can depend on how seriously this phenomenon affects your daily life.
In its worst state, phantosmia will cause you to lose your appetite and even the ability to sense dangerous smells, such as (real) smoke or a gas leak.
For Liggens, getting a normal sense of smell back was worth more to her than winning the lottery. So, she underwent surgery to block her sense of smell in her right nostril, where the offensive odors originated from (it can occur in one side of the nose or both).
Simpler ways to fight phantosmia include using a neti pot or another type of saline spray to irrigate your sinuses or clearing up a lingering sinus infection caused by bacteria with antibiotics.
While risky Rx antidepressants are often recommended for phantosmia patients, some people have found that the herbal antidepressant St. John’s Wort works just as well — perhaps even better. It’s also a good idea to treat any seasonal allergies you may have before they get overwhelming (which you can do with natural remedies such as the herbs butterbur and stinging nettle), as the lion’s share of problems involving your sense of smell are due to sinus irritation and swelling.
And although it’s possible that this condition is linked to a serious illness, such as a brain tumor, that isn’t the case most often. However, if you’ve been suffering from mysterious odors for some time, it’s probably a good idea to get checked out by an ear, nose, and throat doctor.
“Here’s a part of aging that really stinks” Robert Preidt, August 16, 2018, HealthDay, consumer.healthday.com
