Smelling weird smells that aren't there
- smelling exhaust fumes when there is none
- smelling exhaust fumes when there are none
- why do i keep smelling exhaust fumes
- smelling exhaust fumes that arent there
Why do i smell cigarette smoke when there is none!
Why do i keep smelling cigarette smoke in my nose
How Common Is Phantosmia: Smelling Something that’s Not There?
If you’ve been smelling things that aren’t there (phantosmia), you’re in good company: lots of it.
Phantosmia is also far more common in people over the age of 40, says a study.
According to the study, which was published in a 2018 JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, one in 15 Americans experience this sometimes very alarming phenomenon.
The study used data from over 7,400 participants at least age 40, from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Phantosmia is not to be confused with parosmia.
Parosmia is smelling something that IS there, but the sense of the odor is impaired.
The NHANES survey question asked if people sometimes would smell something bad, unpleasant or burning when no source of the odor could be found.
The paper points out that the ability to identify actual existing odors declines as we age.
However, smelling something that’s not there becomes more common as people get older.
The JAMA paper also notes a previous study from Sweden
- why do i smell exhaust fumes
- smelling exhaust when there is none