Phantosmia, or a phantom smell, is when a person smells something that is not actually there. A person may smell burnt toast, metal, or chemicals. Nasal causes include nasal polps and sinus infections, while neurological causes include seizures and head trauma.
Phantosmia may be caused by a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It also can be caused by aging, trauma, temporal lobe seizures, inflamed sinuses, brain tumors, certain medicines and Parkinson's disease. Phantosmia also can result from a COVID-19 infection.
Phantosmia, which involves smelling phantom smells such as burnt toast, may indicate an underlying medical condition. Researchers have found links between the condition and several medical conditions, including head injuries, brain tumors, schizophrenia, upper respiratory tract infections, and sinusitis.
If you've ever noticed an odor resembling burnt plastic and wondered about its source, it could be a sign of crack cocaine use.
Phantosmia is a condition that causes you to detect smells that aren't actually in your environment. It can happen in one nostril or both — and the odors may be foul or pleasant. Common causes include colds, allergies, nasal polyps and dental issues. Treatment depends on the underlying cause.
Smelling smoke, or experiencing phantom smells that are not actually present, can be a symptom associated with certain types of brain tumors. These olfactory hallucinations, known as phantosmia, can occur when a tumor affects the brain regions responsible for processing smell signals.
A person with kidney failure may have breath that smells like ammonia or urine. Serious liver disease can make breath smell musty or like garlic and rotten eggs. Compounds that are transported through the blood can also be released through your sweat glands. That can make your armpits and skin smell bad.
An electrical fire is fairly easy to identify since there's a distinct smell associated with it — smells like fish or burning plastic and rubber — can help you identify the source of the fire quickly, even before there are flames.
While OSI, compared to OS, demonstrated only a trend increase in objective odor detection of a smoke-like, but not rose-like, odor, further analysis revealed that increased detection of that smoke-like odor was positively correlated with anxiety sensitivity.
When smoked, heroin emits a scent that can be described as sweet, tar-like, or even reminiscent of burning rubber. If it's “cut” or mixed with other substances, the smell might vary based on those additives.
In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
Thiophenol: you've smelled it, if you've smelled burning rubber. But imagine the pure essence of burning rubber, distilled and bottle for your pleasure. Very long-lasting, too. Mercaptopyridine: since pyridine reeks to the skies, and thiophenol is so awful, you'd expect the worst from this combination.
Air conditioner smells like burning rubber
Like many mechanical systems, air conditioners are at risk of overheating. Damage to internal components or a clogged air filter can increase the amount of heat stuck inside the air conditioner, contributing to overheating and often producing a smell like burning rubber.
If you're smelling burnt toast, the first thing you should probably do is check your toaster. Although lots of people think smelling something burning is a sign of a stroke, there's no solid evidence this is true. The idea of smelling phantom burning toast may be kind of amusing — but strokes are serious.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas that occurs when fuels aren't completely burned off. Hundreds of people die from CO poisoning every year, and almost 50,000 more become ill.
Possible causes range from nasal polyps to a stroke. Phantosmia is also called a phantom smell or an olfactory hallucination. Causes include problems with the nose, such as sinusitis, or conditions of the nervous system or brain, including migraine, stroke, or schizophrenia.
Apocrine glands, located in areas like the armpits and groin, secrete a thicker fluid that, when broken down by bacteria on the skin, can produce a strong odour. One of the most common causes of smelly armpits in the breakdown of this sweat by bacteria.
Latex: Latex mattresses contain a support core and comfort system made from latex. Most models use natural latex, which should produce minimal odor due to its lack of chemical byproducts. That said, models with synthetic or blended latex may emit similar off-gassing odors to all-foam models.
Diabetes: Diabetes is one of the most well-known health conditions linked to changes in body odor. People with uncontrolled diabetes can experience a fruity or acetone-like smell (think nail polish remover) on their breath or skin.
Sweat is a combination of water, salt, and other chemicals. When it comes into contact with bacteria on the skin, it produces an odor. fungal infections: Fungal infections thrive in warm, moist areas, such as the groin area and inner thighs. They can cause a red, itchy rash and produce an unpleasant odor.
If you have phantosmia, the odors can vary from smells that almost make you sick to really pleasant scents. But most people with phantosmia tend to detect bad smells. The odors have been described as “burned," "foul," "rotten," "sewage," or "chemical." You may be smelling it from one or both of your nostrils.
Still, it's possible that things like diet, medical conditions or a bacterial buildup on the skin could be causing odor, Kopelman says. Hyperhidrosis, the medical term for excessive sweating, could also contribute, because bacteria thrives in moist environments.