What Is That Smell?!

Picture this, you wake up ready to start your day, walk into the kitchen and smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing. That’s a nice surprise since you don’t remember even starting the coffee maker. You walk over to the living room, pull out your yoga mat to get a nice morning stretch in and get a whiff of fresh cut roses. You inhale deeply and smile. You complete your 10 minute stretch and walk out to the balcony to get some fresh air and you’re immediately turned off by the smell of cigarette smoke - yuck! The morning was going so great.

The coffee must be done brewing by now, so you go back inside to pour you a cup, but there’s no coffee. Puzzled, you wander back to the living room and take a seat. Wait, where are the roses? And who was outside smoking? Nobody, since you live on a 5 acre lot and the nearest home is a half mile away. Strange, huh?

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The brief episodes of smelling something that’s not there is called Phantosmia. That’s what Dr. Tonia Farmer, a board certified Otolaryngologist / Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon explains she suffers from. Her phantom smell or olfactory hallucination often presents itself in the form of smelling cigarette smoke.

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As she explains, some common causes/triggers of phantosmia include:

  • Migraines

  • Seizures

  • Respiratory Infection

  • Inflamed Sinuses

  • Head Trauma

  • Brain Tumor

  • Parkinson’s Disease

The treatment typically depends on the etiology, which is sometimes unknown. Dr. Farmer mentions regardless of the cause there are several things which help to alleviate symptoms. Those include rinsing the nose with saline, using a natural nasal inhaler (like her very own Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Inhaler) or by masking the smell( essential oils or our UnOrthoDoc Candle Co. scented candles).


If you or someone you know suffers from related symptoms, see an ENT specialist like Dr. Farmer for a comprehensive evaluation.

Dr. Tonia Farmer, MD is a Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat) Specialist in Warren, OH and has over 24 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Farmer has more experience with Upper Respiratory Conditions, Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery, and Sleep-disordered Breathing than other specialists in her area. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School Of Medicine in 1996. She is co-owner of the world-renowned Lippy Group for ENT and Lippy Surgery Center. She is affiliated with medical facilities such as Saint Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and St. Joseph Warren Hospital. Dr. Farmer is also the owner Salt Me! a sinus and body care business she created using salt therapy to help her patients with sinus issues.

You can find Dr. Farmer on Instagram here and here.


Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithwellness, personal development, feature, sixComment