Are You Smelling Something That’s Not There? You’re Not Alone

Are You Smelling Something That’s Not There? You’re Not Alone

If you’re between the ages of 40 and 60, you could be detecting the most unreal odors.

So, the world is a strange place, and being human in it can be even stranger. Some people see things that aren’t there, others hear them… and a new study shows that still others even smell them.

If your nose is detecting awful scents and you can’t actually locate the source, you could be one of them. (Unless, it’s those potatoes rotting in your pantry. That smell has got to be the worst).

A new study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, shows that 1 in 15 Americans (or 6.5 percent) over the age of 40 experiences phantom odors.

“Problems with the sense of smell are often overlooked, despite their importance,” said Judith A. Cooper, Ph.D., acting director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

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“They can have a big impact on appetite, food preferences, and the ability to smell danger signals such as fire, gas leaks, and spoiled food,” she added.

The good news is that the older you are, the lower your chances are of smelling things that aren’t there. Phantom odor perception seems to improve with age.

One previous study found that 4.9 percent of people over the age of 60 experience phantom odors, with a higher prevalence in women than men, but even more people aged 40-60 detected the odors.

Risk factors for the onset of phantom odors include head injury, dry mouth, poor overall health, and low socio-economic status.

For more on this interesting phenomenon and the complete details of the study, click here.

Photo credits: Lightspring/Shutterstock.com

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