Smelling Smoke All the Time

Like others, before I accidentally found these blogs, I thought I was the only one who smelled the smelled as no one else did. Thought it might be my imagination at first, but I have noticed it so often, I figured there was more to it and that it had nothing to do with some of the things people told such as I was be haunted by someone possibly deceased. But, as I did not know anyone else had similar smell sensations. I am not happy others have it, just happy knowing I am not the only one and that I am not just imagining for what ever reason people might suggest. I'll concede It certainly has something to do with the olfactory, but sinus problem doesn't seem to be logical, but who knows? I don't know that I hate it, just that it really does irk or irritate me at times. I use fans to stir up the air or go outside to help allivieta it or smear something under my nose to mask it. A dab of cologne, a nose spray, I even put a dab of peanut butter, silly as it seems, it actually helped. Anything seems an improvement over the disgusting cigarette smell. I'm sure there is a cure, and too, I only, or rather it only occurs after certain times, like after being up for ten hours or more.

Hi All, I have read all the entries on this site as my mother has been strugling with the awefull smoke smell and taste. It all started this past May 2 4 weekend when she came to our campsite for the bombfire. Mom has always had sinus troubles as I read alot of you have. I also noticed a couple common threads. I also read alot of medical info on sinuses and the olfactory portion of the brain.

The common threads were each one of you had something as an irritant be it perfume, cleaning products, smoke it self etc. All of these can really dry out your lining of your nose and sinusis. The info I read on the medical sites payed alot of attention to the mucus lining your nose and sinus. The mucus is most important to break down the smell and make it go away after the stimulus is gone. Well if your nose lining and sinus is dried out I am sure this must affect this process. Also very important is the Olfactory that sends the message to the main part of the brain lies dirrectly over the sinuses. I can't remember exactly but there is only a millimeter or less between the sinus and olfactory.....the more mucus the greater the distance along with the better the break down of the smell.

As a couple of you wrote that you tried a salt water wash and it made it worse well yes the salt would dry it out more while one of you mentioned using just warm water and it seamed to help :-D In some cases the smell would go away in a couple weeks or so/after stimulus was removed. Giving the body time to rebuild that lining/moisture.

Anyways I took this info to my mom and she started right away with the warm water that you draw up into your sinus to flush them out. She noticed a bit of relief right away not a whole lot but at least some. She did this 3 more times that day and the next day. My sister is a Pharmacy Tech and suggested a Nasal Lubricant called
"SECARIS LUBRICATING NASAL GEL" The smoke smell was gone the very next morning. Just to see if that was the real solution Mom stopped everything for a day.....smoke smell came back!!! Mom started with the nasal gel and the smoke smell and taste was gone again. The gel has NO medicine in it at all just a natural lubricant.

I really do think that the common threads between all of you aren't the exact irritant but the reaction to the irritant being drying out your sinus which reduces or even depletes the mucus layer in your nose and sinus. Which interrupting the process of smell. One or more people also mention some blood when blowing their nose real hard.......also a sign of a very dry liing of the nose and sinus.

Sorry if this is so long of a writing but I do really think this is "IT" Give it a try you have nothing to lose......well actually you do "the smoke smell" Good luck everyone and Please let me know how it goes.

Mine started after a terrible bought with a head cold/flu I just am getting over. It makes me crazy. Sometimes it is wood smoke, sometimes cigarettes. I have tried sinus medicine and salt water in my nose, but neither has helped. I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

The sinus or allergy medicines are usually decongestant and anti-histamines which are ment to DRY up the sinuses making every thing WORSE. The salt in the water is also going to make things worse because the salt will also dry your sinuses even more.

Try just WARM WATER NO SALT and a NASAL LUBRICANT found in the drug stores......just off the shelf. Also a vapourizer in your bedroom should help. Any thing that will add MOISTURE instead of drying your sinuses out should help.

I just talked to my Mom on the phone and she is doing great no smoke smell :-D She is just using the WARM WATER and the NASAL LUBRICANT "SERCARIS NASAL GEL" Mom is picking up a vapourizer today. She is amazed how this is working because she too tried every thing else.

GOOD LUCK and remember MOISTURE

i used to have this problem about a 2 years ago. i went to all sorts of doctors and they said it was a sinus problem but then i got immune to the nasal sprays. soo i went to some chinese herbal doctor who specializes using antigens in certain foods or objects you may be allergic to. i saw that i was allergic to a lot of foods so he treated me with herbal medicine. i continued the treatment for 3 months and i haven't smelled anything since. it's been about 6 months now.

so if you could find some doctor like this around your area he could treat your problem. it's just a little pricey.

here is his website
http://www.nasal.cc/

hope this helps.

I had never experienced smelling smoke. Don't smoke, don't drink, no coffee. I am not on any drugs, and haven't been on any before (41). I had pneumonia about 4 months ago and since then I am having this phenomena of smelling smoke as well. The general doc I went to said it's caused by the "drainage" of my sinuses due to the pneumonia. About a month or so ago it completely disappeared out of the blue. Then about a week ago, it resurfaced again for no reason. The only medicine I was taking during my sickness is some antibiotics, which I took for only 3 days because it made me dizzy and vomit. After that I didn't take anything.

Based on other threads, it seems like it does relate to sinus/nazal/olfactory issues.

I don't bother to see a doctor because (they just give you useless medicines), it's just annoys the heck out of me because it makes breathing difficult sometimes.

Please Try the warm water and nasal gel it really works. Any thing to get moisture back into your sinusis. I will put money on it. My mom has tried it a few times(what a great woman) going on and off the warm water flushes and the nasal spray as an experiment just to see if it really is the cure. EVERY time it stopped the smoke smell and taste. Just yesterday when I was visiting she told me that she doesn't need the warm water or nasal lubricant anymore that just the vapourizer in her bedroom is enough now. It has only been a week and a half since she first tried the warm water and nasal gel. It took me a while for her to give it a try she didn't think it would work or that the smell was actually from her sinus beening too dried out.....I guess it just seemed too easy for all these doctors not to figure this out. She was AMAZED and lets just say I am expecting a huge Christmas gift this year. HA HA JUST KIDDING

PLEASE let me know if any of you also try it.

What have you all got to lose besides the smoke smell, watery eyes and head aches

I just started smelling cigarette smoke too all the time!
It will drive u nuts after a few days..
also, i cant taste or smell as good as I used to.
does anyone else have nasal polyps./sinus polyps

I had surgery for deviated septum and oblation of turbinates 6 weeks ago. The smoke smell started about 3 weeks ago. It is driving me crazy! I quit smoking 6 years ago, but this smell is just like cigarette smoke. I haven't told me ENT doctor about it because I thought he would think I was nuts...but I see I'm not the only one. It has been going on for 3-4 weeks now. Will it ever stop or is this now a life long problem? I was having a horrible headache every morning before the surgery so I am glad I did it, but....

I have been smeeling smoke for a while now maybe since April and I don't know what it is. I am a non-smoker. At first I thought it was from going to the club and then coming home and going to sleep. But i have washed all my sheets, comforter, clothes and pillow cases and the smell is still there. I smell right now as I set here at work and type this message. I have made an doctor's appointment and I hope he can help me out. I have very bad Mirgrain off and on.
Please does anyone know what this maybe caused from?

i've been smelling smoke for a couple of days now, been sneezing a bit, but nothing else - driving me mad!

I am SO GLAD to stumble on this!! I have been freaking out for the last couple weeks. I smell cigarette smoke constantly. I have asked everyone in my office "can you smell it"? I have even gone outside to make sure no one is smoking near our building. I am a non smoker, and our office is a scents free office; so there are NO smells ever.

I thought maybe it was a sign of something majorly wrong with my head.

I've had the same problem with the smoke smell since earlier this summer after Irecovered from a severe sinus/cold infection. It's been driving me crazy too. I thought maybe the sinus infection had damaged my sense of smell, but the idea of the dry nasal lining makes sense. I started using a neti pot with warm salt water in April in order to get off of allergy meds - which I was having an allergic reaction to. That's been working very well getting me thru allergy season here in August. However, I will certainly try just the warm water to rinse my sinuses, and look for the moisturizing gel at the pharmacy. Thanks to all who have written in with their experiences - nice to know I'm not suffering alone.

I was smelling smoke, first intermittently, then increasingly often, then it seemed I was smelling it more often than not. Other symptoms I have had (and I don't know if it's related) are achiness (like fibromyalgia), especially in the neck and shoulders, and occasional headaches. I thought it was weird but quirky and didn't think much of it. I finally went to see a neurologist. I have seen two now, and after an MRI and a 24-hr ambulatory EEG, both neurologists confirm a seizure disorder. The MRI showed nothing abnormal; it was the brain activity seen in the EEG that led to the diagnosis. I started on seizure meds, and now I smell smoke less, some days not at all, but it's not gone. It takes awhile to build the medication up to a point where it really controls the seizures (which btw, I had no idea I was having). So if you're experiencing this symptom, make sure you get enough tests to confirm your diagnosis, especially those of you who are getting "sinus" answers without them.

First, like many others, I put the blame on my neighbours, thinking the smoke came from them. Now I know it is my problem.

After knowing so many of you have a similar problem, I went to see the doctor today. Result? All she said was she has never heard of this so it is not a problem. I am being too sensitive!

I get temporary relief when there is a second smell around. So when I need to breathe, I cup my hand over my mouth and the fragrance from my hand moisturizer drives away the smoke smell. Maybe I will try aroma therapy!

Good luck, everyone! Looks like our illness is a mystery!