why do I have a constant dust or smoke smell in nasal passages medhelp.org
I have noticed over the past 2 weeks that I have a constant dust or smoke smell in my nasal passages. No one smokes in my home and I have cleaned my house from top to bottom to rid it of any dust. I am just concerned that there might be some underlying problem. The smell can get quite bothersome at times.Please give me any suggestions.
I suspected a fungal sinus infection so I flushed my nasal passages with a 1/16 solution of boric acid and distilled water yesterday afternoon. Smoke symptom disappeared and normal olifactory function restored. Nose is now working normally for the last 17 hours. Next time, I'll use a respirator when blowing leaves and mushrooms off my lawn. –Len
I and my sister both have this sensation at times in our adult lives and we both figured it out independently, both coming to the same solution (we didn't know the other was experiencing until years later). For both of us it began when we were going through an incredibly stressful time in our adult lives. My sister would go as far as rewashing clothes that came directly out of the dryer even though nobody else could smell the smoke. We both determined that it is mental – when we get really stressed, we start "smelling" the smoke smell again. It's clear that it's all in our heads, so my theory is actually that it's not a smell, but rather a sensation that we are relating to the smell of smoke. I believe the sensation is caused by airways being restricted due to the stress (when you smell smoke you instinctively restrict air intake – so it's a similar 'sensation'). Now when I start smelling smoke, I focus on relaxing and the smell goes away. Hopefully this helps someone!
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