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Jan 31, 2024 · Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu. The main symptoms of sinusitis include: pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead. a blocked or runny nose. a reduced sense of smell. green or yellow mucus from your nose. a high temperature. Other symptoms include: a headache.
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- Nasal and Sinus Cancer
- Overview
- Nasal polyps
- Sinus infection
- Postnasal drip
- Tooth decay
- Tonsil stones
- Phantosmia
- Chronic kidney disease
- COVID-19-related parosmia
- When to see a doctor
Several conditions may cause a foul smell in your nose, such as nasal polyps, sinus infection, and postnasal drip. A doctor can make a diagnosis and recommend the best treatment.
Almost every day, at least one bad smell finds its way into your nostrils. However, what about bad smells that emanate from your nose?
A variety of health conditions may trigger a rotten smell in your nose. Fortunately, most of these foul fragrances are temporary and not signs of a life threating condition.
That said, you may need to have a healthcare professional examine your sinuses and throat for proper treatment.
Nasal polyps are soft, noncancerous growths shaped like teardrops. They may form on the wall of your nasal cavity or sinuses as a result of chronic inflammation.
Sometimes, you may experience a rotten smell in your nose. This is due to fluid buildup inside the polyps, which comes from the damp lining of your mucous membrane.
Other, more common symptoms of nasal polyps may include:
•decreased sense of smell and taste
•runny nose
•stuffy nose
Sinus infections, also known as sinusitis, can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
Symptoms of sinusitis may include:
•yellow or green nasal discharge
•congested nose
•swelling, pain, and tenderness around your cheeks, forehead, and eyes
•headache
Smelly mucus in the nose, especially when it thickens and drips incessantly down the back of your throat, is a sign of postnasal drip.
Normally, mucus helps:
•keep your nasal membranes healthy
•respond to infections
•humidify the air you inhale
•keep foreign particles out of your airways
Tooth decay happens when bacteria collects on a tooth and eats away at the surface. This bacteria buildup may cause bad breath and a bad smell to come through your nose.
Good oral hygiene, which includes brushing your teeth and flossing daily, is the best way to prevent tooth decay and tooth and gum problems.
Your tonsils include crevices and folds that can trap:
•saliva
•mucus
•food particles
•dead cells
Sometimes the debris can harden into tiny objects called tonsil stones. Bacteria can feed on tonsil stones, sometimes generating a bad smell in your mouth and nose.
Phantosmia is a hallucination of your olfactory system. This means you smell odors that aren’t there, but you think they’re in your nose or somewhere around you.
Phantosmia can develop after a respiratory infection or a head injury. Conditions like Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, or inflamed sinuses may also trigger phantom smells in your nose.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive loss of kidney function.
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from your blood, which are then excreted in urine. If the kidneys aren’t functioning well, waste materials may build up in the body.
These materials may produce an ammonia-like smell that you could notice in your breath and the taste in your mouth. As a result, you may also have an ammonia-like smell in the back of your nose.
This development usually occurs only after CKD has advanced to stage 4 or stage 5.
A loss of smell is a symptom of COVID-19.
However, the authors of a 2022 article suggest that some people may even experience a distorted sense of smell. This condition is known as parosmia.
Examples of parosmia may include food smelling bad or perceiving cigarette smoke in a house despite there being no history of smoking.
This condition could gradually worsen, which may have severe health implications. For example, the authors suggest that some people perceive food as smelling rotten. This may then lead to someone eating much less.
COVID-19-related parosmia may occur 3 months after the initial viral infection. The parosmia may be caused by alterations that occur as damaged olfactory receptors regenerate after a loss of smell.
There isn’t a single treatment for COVID-19-related parosmia. However, a healthcare professional may recommend olfactory training therapy.
Speak with a healthcare professional if:
•the bad smell in your nose lasts for more than 1 week
•you frequently experience a bad smell in your nose
•you experience other symptoms, such as facial swelling, nasal obstruction, blurred vision, and headache
- James Roland
A change in your sense of smell can be unpleasant and affect how things taste. But it's not usually serious and may get better in a few weeks or months. Causes of lost or changed sense of smell. Changes in sense of smell are most often caused by: illnesses such as a cold, flu or COVID-19; sinusitis (sinus infection) an allergy, like hay fever
You may get catarrh if you have an infection like a cold, flu or sinusitis. Symptoms of catarrh include: a constantly blocked nose. feeling like there's a lump or something stuck in your throat. a frequent need to swallow or cough to try to clear your throat.
Feb 16, 2024 · What causes a weird smell in the nose? Sinusitis. Dental issues and poor oral hygiene. Foods, drinks, and medications. Dry mouth. Smoking and tobacco use. Phantosmia. Digestive conditions....
- Jennifer Huizen
May 10, 2021 · Sinus infections, or sinusitis, occur when a virus of bacteria enters the sinuses. Read on for a list of common symptoms and treatments.
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Aug 29, 2023 · Symptoms. Acute sinusitis symptoms often include: Thick, yellow or greenish mucus from the nose, known as a runny nose, or down the back of the throat, known as postnasal drip. Blocked or stuffy nose, known as congestion. This makes it hard to breathe through the nose.
