Some people who suffer from phantosmia (a form of olfactory disorders known collectively as “dysosmia”) smell rotting bodies. Others smell like garbage or rotting food. Imagine biting into a big piece of chocolate cake, only to smell ghost dog poop. Or lean in to smell a rose that smells like a dead rodent.
I am one of the lucky ones. I smell smoke that is not there. That’s better than not smelling the smoke in there, at least from a safety standpoint. Although nothing burns, my throat closes up and my lungs resist taking a deep breath. My eyes water It seems… real. I no longer have to ask family, friends, and co-workers, “Do you smell smoke?” I recognize the ghost: a slightly plastic chemical fume. The first time I smelled it, I was driving home from work. The air conditioning was on. I immediately thought that the car was on fire. I watched for any sign of a malfunction, the slightest puff of smoke, any sign that the electrical system was on fire. I didn’t panic, but I kept an eye out for opportunities to stop and ditch the car. A car burns fast.
I got home where I raised the hood of the car and did a 360 degree visual inspection of the car. Nothing out of the ordinary.
I still smelled it an hour later. Only this time, she was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. I calmly inspected the appliances, checked the oven and stove for grease or burned food, and made sure I knew where the fire extinguisher was. It was disconcerting. I asked my husband if he could smell something burning. He said no. I asked the children. No. I opened the attic hatch. It smelled of sun-warmed wood, insulation, and cardboard. No Smoking. In fact, the smell of smoke was easily subsumed by the smells of cooking food, the smell of the warm attic, a hint of perfume. Again, I happen to be one of the lucky ones: I still taste and smell other things pretty normally. I can even overwhelm this phantom smoke with real aromas. Last night, it was a small patch of Mentholatum in each nostril, like they do in the morgue. It’s not that the smell of smoke, itself, is so horrible; the worst part is the choking and watery eyes. That makes it hard to sleep.
The types of olfactory disorders range from anosmia (lack of sense of smell) and hyposmia (decreased sense of smell), to hyperosmia (overly sensitive sense of smell), parosmia (inappropriate smell), and phantosmia (hallucinations olfactory). Causes include upper respiratory tract infections, head injuries, nasal polyps, sinus infections, hormonal imbalances, dental problems, certain medications, exposure to some types of chemicals, brain tumors, and radiation treatments for cancers. head and neck pain, to name a few. On the surface, dysosmia can be a symptom of a deadly medical problem, or an end in itself. Clearly, it’s important to see your doctor, and possibly an ENT or neurologist, to rule out more serious physical problems. It can also be psychological.
If you suffer from phantomia, it’s a good idea to keep a journal detailing the smells: what time they arrive, what they smell like, what might have triggered them. Making coffee is a reliable trigger for me; stress seems to make ghosting more likely to occur. There is some evidence that soy consumption also triggers ghost odors. You may be able to get some relief from symptoms by using a saline nasal wash. It is recommended that you do this on all fours, with the top of your head down on the ground, for maximum effect. Track the results: You may discover other things that are causing the odor, or things that make it go away. Once your doctor has ruled out things like brain tumors and nasal polyps, you can be your best resource for relieving symptoms.
