Phantom smell facts for kids

A phantom smell is when you smell something that isn't actually there. It's also known as phantosmia. This can happen in one nostril or both. Sometimes, the phantom smell is unpleasant, like something burned, rotten, or spoiled. This is called cacosmia, and it's quite common.

Smelling phantom odors once in a while is normal. It usually goes away on its own. But if these smells don't go away, or if they keep coming back, it can be really upsetting. It can make daily life harder for the person experiencing them.

What Causes Phantom Smells?

Many different things can cause phantom smells. Sometimes, it's a simple health issue. Other times, it's related to how the brain works.

Common Health Issues

• Nasal infections, like a bad cold or sinus infection.
• Growths in the nose called nasal polyps.
• Problems with your teeth or gums.

Brain and Nerve Problems

Phantom smells can also be linked to conditions that affect the brain and nerves. These include:

• Strong headaches called migraines.
• Injuries to the head.
• Strokes, which happen when blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
• Parkinson's disease, a condition that affects movement.
• Seizures, which are sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain.
• Brain tumors, which are unusual growths in the brain.

Other Reasons

Sometimes, phantom smells can be a sign of certain health conditions that affect the mind, like depression or bipolar disorder. Also, being around certain things in the environment can cause them. This includes tobacco smoke or some types of chemicals, like those found in insecticides or solvents. Radiation treatment for head or neck cancer can also sometimes lead to phantom smells.

What Happens and How Can Doctors Help?

If you experience phantom smells, a doctor can help figure out why. They can check if the problem is with your sense of smell or taste. They can also see if it's caused by a brain or nerve issue, or another health condition.

Most of the time, phantosmia goes away on its own. This might happen slowly over time, sometimes even taking a few years. If a phantom smell is caused by an illness, like a sinus infection, it should disappear once the illness gets better.

If the phantom smells continue or cause a lot of discomfort, a doctor might suggest different treatments. These could include:

• Using nasal saline drops to help clear the nose.
• Taking certain medicines, like antidepressant or anticonvulsant medications.
• In very rare cases, a doctor might suggest special procedures. These could involve numbing parts of the nose or, even more rarely, surgery to remove certain nerves or parts of the olfactory bulbs (the parts of the brain that process smells).