Brief Answer:
Phantosmia...

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thanks for posting the query; I will try my best to help you with this problem.

Your brief history suggests that you could be suffering from phantosmia or olfactory hallucination. The actual cause of this problem is not known. Suspected causes include head injury, temporal lobe lesions, stroke, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, old age, etc.

While phantosmia may indicate an underlying medical condition, the problem is not always related to serious illness.

In phantosmia, it is thought that an abnormal signal or inhibitions from the primary olfactory neurons or peripheral olfactory nerve signals are reaching the brain and hence the distortion of smell.

Do not worry! This is a transient problem and will clear off soon. My suggestions to you are:

1. Drink plenty of warm water
2. Use saline nasal spray as frequently as possible. This is to rinse the nose and clear all the thick secretions present in the nose and the sinuses.
3. Avoid stress/strong perfumes/coffee/smoking/alcohol (if any).
4. If you don’t feel better even after the above measures, please consult your doctor for a complete examination of the nose and the sinuses.

Hope I have answered your query. Revert back to me if you have any further queries.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

---