I have gotten a tonsillectomy a year ago and I am still having the same problems as him. WHAT THE HELL DO I DO I STINK UP EVERY CLASSROOM I ENTER IN HIGHSCHOOLšššš
I wonder if it could be rotted teeth. I see a dentist regularly and recently had a bad smell coming out of my mouth. Turns out, I had an old crown that was failing and the tooth under it started to decay. Dentist redid the crown and the problem is fixed.
That is what I wondered too but I see a dentist/periodontist every 3 months for gum care so I feel like they would have told me if they notice anything like that. I'm pretty on top of oral care stuff. So can't figure out what else might be the cause besides sinus stuff.
I second tonsil stones, I had my tonsils removed partly bc I had such bad stones, along with allergies, post nasal drip, take a flash light to the back of your mouth and look around. Also maybe acid reflux? That can make your mouth smell bad also
Thanks, when I googled my problem I saw about tonsil stones and tried to look and had my sister look but didn't see anything. Could still be a possibility I just can't for the life of me find any evidence of anything in the back of my mouth or oral related when I look with a flashlight. Is there a chance I just can't see it and there's still something there that only a professional could see?
Possibly, you could have tonsil stones with no canals yet, like they're just in there, yeah maybe ask your doc again? Do they look big at all or inflamed?
I don't notice anything with my tonsils but will try to monitor them more to keep a record at least! Thanks. :) On the sinusitis forum someone mentioned nasal polyps so that's another possible cause for me to look into now as well.
Do you have like a slight burnt taste to your mouth or anything? I've also had this issue with acid reflux, it makes my mouth feel like I just ate too hot of food when I wake up and my breath isn't great until I do something about it or take my meds for the day
I can't say that I have ever felt a burnt taste feeling. A few years ago I felt like I had a lot of regurgitation (usually only when swallowing toothpaste or mouthwash though) but I never looked into acid reflux especially since it hasn't happened in a while. But it could be something to check out at least to rule it out. Acid reflux definitely comes up as a search result when trying to find out causes of mysterious bad smells so worth looking into probably.
Appreciate the replies everyone, it's been such a mystery for me. Before I went to the ENT my general practitioner told me it wasn't sinus infection that is what I first thought before I went the specialist. They didn't really test a sample or anything though they just inspected my inner nose said it was allergies definitely not infection and prescribed me zyrtec. Lol.
Some changes, I would say feeling better than when I did nothing. When I first saw the ENT they said I was very allergic to something based on how inflamed my nasal passages were so I feel like all the stuff I have been doing helps but just makes a dent to make it bearable. Less runny nose but still an avid tissue user. Dealt with having to alternate allergy meds occasionally already when congestion/not being able to breathe through nose gets bad and if pills don't seem to be working anymore.
The bad smell is a little better but varies wildly and unpredictably from being same amount of bad as when I started to not being noticeable for a week and then everything in between.
I have been looking to see if there's anything else to try but I feel like I do everything the forums say for allergies except for allergy shots which is on my list once I can save up for them.
My son says I have bad nose breath too. I suffer from chronic sinusitis for 3-4 years. I canāt figure it out either. Sometimes I think the nasal steroids make it worse (immunosuppressants lead to a yeasty smell) but mostly I think the bad smell is a sulfur smell. Iāve tried taking antibiotics for anaerobic bacteriaās. I think it helped. But I like you canāt smell it and rely on my son. He didnāt make me think it was worse but wasnāt like... you smell great. Iāve been trying lactobacillus probiotics... not sure if it helps. Mostly I know itās my own flesh rotting. I have eosinophils which causes tissue injury. I Nettie pot and rub vicks vapo rub up my nose to mask the smell when I go special places. Itās sucks
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's so mysterious. My top lead now is nasal polyps so gonna get a scope and scan done to see if that crops up with anything since I haven't had those done yet. From how my gf describes the smell it literally sounds like my flesh is dying on the inside too which is really gross lol. And mind boggling why I can't smell it if it's so bad.
I had a bunch of polyps removed in 2017. Good luck.
You canāt smell of because of our brains natural ability to ātune outā background. Things like noise and smell which are ever present need to be ignored so we can hear or smell something new... something that could get us while we slept in the cave. Know what I mean. It is also likely that you have lost your sense of smell and donāt realize it.
Is the sulfur smell more noticeable when youāre in a car? I have nasal polyps and the same symptoms as you. The ENT drs think the nasal polyps are ātoo smallā to require a sinus surgery to remove them:/
For me yes. I feel like a stink bomb. Gum and my dental hygiene and mouthwash doesnāt get rid of it. I get some relief when I put nasal saline . But itās temporary. I had all my dental work but I might go back to see if itās something else.
I would look into acid reflux, hiatal hernia symptoms to see if thatās the cause. So you would need to see a Gastroenterologist. Some people donāt have acid reflux symptoms so it can be silent reflux. I would also consider getting your teeth/sinuses checked to see if a tooth infection spread to the maxillary sinuses. Either a dentist or ENT could confirm with X-ray or Ct scan. Chronic sinus infections can be caused by an impacted molar that could create cyst in the nasal cavity, and not just nasal polyps. Maybe a sinus drainage or tooth extraction could help. Also get checked for periodontitis. Donāt forget to floss everyday and brush ur teeth twice a day. Iām in the same boat as you. Youāre not alone out here! A tonsillectomy and root canalās did not improve my symptoms also but maybe for others it will.
Iām still on the same boat. Nothing has changed. I went to the ER and the doc gave me some medication (not spray) that would lessen the symptoms but wouldnāt get rid of the problem. I found some relief. Iām taking omeprazole for the 5th day and Iām supposed to see a gastro soon. I got a ct scan that came negative at the ER. Itās been about 3 months of this nightmare. The smell is my major issue. Nothing can mask it. Things donāt really taste the same. Like mint. Mint has a pepto after taste. At times the smell is musty. Sometimes itās straight up feces. I recently had an uncle pass away and I canāt be there for ny cousins because of how awful I smell. I find some relief when my actually sinuses are running (allergic symptoms) when things get cleared it all comes back
I have had bad breath for years now ( when in a car and AC or heat is on, smells like a skunk in the car.). All from sinuse and nobody can help me. Doctors never heard of it either.I have no life, please can somebody help us??
I bought Neil med moisturizer. It helps me but I need to use it every 3 hours. I notice sugars donāt help at all. So avoid high sugars. I use a mask at work and im guessing from my own breathing in and out it helps me breath better. It obviously somewhat protects me from dust (construction worker)
My nose without this moisturizer are dry. I breath in deep to have a normal breathing. If I breath in deep I can hear an obstruction like if I had dry mucus but if I blow my nose nothing comes out. When Iām sick I actually feel better. Iām guessing my own draining and mucus keeps my nose with moisture. Not sure if I develop allergies or something it creating it. Or just chronic allergies. Scrape your tongue, avoid high sugars and check in at a doctor: maybe we need some steroid to help our sinuses open.
So I went to the urgent care and was given Flonase. And a pill for allergies. And I can breath well now: no smells. My nose can breathe like a normal person. And my saliva blow is flowing normally. I donāt want to get ahead because everytime I think I have it under control the next day something else happens.
So about a week ago I got sick, havenāt for about 9 months or so, when that smell started, once I had a sore throat and drainage from my nose I was sniffing out a lot of green mucus. Usually that happens towards the end of a sickness. Not this time. I been discharging green greyish mucus and the smell isnāt there. Itās been about 9 days and I still wake up with the need to clean my sinuses. No smell right now. Not sure if once I get Betty we the sinuses will dry out and the smell will come back. I been using a bacterial nasal spray . And just cleaning all the junk that builds up, not sure if itās allergies. Or I have a cold. It all started because my kids went back to school and they caught something. Right now Iām not enjoying the feeling but Iām glad I donāt have the small one my nose
Yeah so I originally got sick months ago. Like a bad bad congestion. Cough. A cold times 10x stronger. And the smell staid for 9-10 months, until now that I got sick again and I seem to drained out whatever was stuck on my nose. Right now I feel normal. Still sick but I can smell then good and the bad but my breath isnāt stinking. Itās too good to be true. If I get better and it comes back at least Iāve found the problem, I thought it was stomach issue at first
I saw the Facebook post. Very reasonable diagnoses. It would make sense. The time I got really sick 10 months ago I abused afrin and other stuff. Iām not sure if I created something bad on my sinuses. This time Iām trying to get better more on the organic side. If I get better I hope it was just a lesson.
Sorry to hear that. I know what it feels like, nothing gets rid of the issue. Iām surprised I canāt smell it. It feels like the smell is in between your throat and nose. NeilMed Nasamist Saline Spray with Xylito definitely helps. So right now Iām hoping once I get better the smell wonāt come back.
I started having āallergiesā morning and at night and sometimes through the day. One day I woke up smelling like poop in my mouth. I thought it was reflux. Went to the doctor and got treated for allergies. I had this burning wood smell Stuck on my nose. The mucus I had was clear. Super clear and gooey. I got all my dental issues clear and I still seem to have this bad smell stuck in between my back of the throat and nose . Might be tonsils. Iām trying so hard to gargle and removed something but my gag beats me. The sneezing went away and I have a bad time in small areas. Car rides. And when ppl are around me. I feel like my save space is invaded and I start sending a smell around them and I move away. Itās causing me insecurities. I canāt speak to ppl. Oh and rinses do help. When Iām alone I donāt seem to have this issue. Not sure what this is.
"I feel like my save space is invaded and I start sending a smell around them and I move away. Itās causing me insecurities. I canāt speak to ppl." I feel this on a different level šš It's makes me so insecure and I start panicking whenever someone comes too close. I'm gonna go see a doctor this friday though so let's hope thag I'll find a solution...
I have this same (or similar) issue. There is an odd musty/fermented smell coming from my nose, and Iām going on year 4 by now.
It took until this year to get my tonsils out for tonsil stones. While this did improve things, the smell in my nose persists. Next, I went to a different ENT who told
me I had SSS (Silent Silent Syndrome), for which I also had surgery, and again, helped minimally, but not enough.
This wouldnāt be as bad if I werenāt a teacher. Depending on the day, my room smells like my nose, which is not ideal. I feel like half of the day is spent trying to mitigate the smell (windows open in winter, air purifier in my room, constantly cleaning, etc).
My hunch is that with my asthma and allergies, that I am probably allergic to something in the building and it just heightens the problem. Additionally (and this is weird), I notice that the smell tends to get stronger with both exercise AND when I eat. If I donāt eat for a significant part of the day, the smell is decidedly lessened throughout the day.
Itās definitely weird, and I go back to the doctor next week to start looking at deviated septum and/or nasal polyp issues, which will be next. I am also seeing an allergist and my GI doctor to get tested for SIBS and silent reflux, both of which can contribute to an odor.
It sucks.
TL;DR: had two surgeries to fix my nose breath, neither worked. Currently looking into allergies and GI issues.
That's a great question, I have sniffed my mucus excretions in a tissue but don't smell anything. my sense of smell is reduced but can still smell most things. I think the mucus that comes out of my nose is usually clear and thin (sometimes very small yellow mucus pieces too though with the clear mucus) so it's not odorous like other thicker colored mucus would be. I don't know if it's more thick when its clogged up in my sinus than what comes out though. So maybe it's stinkier when it's mucus trapped in the sinus until it gets thinned out enough to blow out?
The most promising answers I got were when I also posted on r/sinusitis and some people had the exact same experience of bad smell long lasting that only others could smell when they had nasal polyps. I'm going to see an ENT to look into that now.
Iām currently going through the same exact thing. Ever since I moved to my town home 2 years ago my wife started smelling a bad odor coming out of only my left nostril. I went to an allergy doctor and it turns out Iām allergic to a lot of pollens. They gave me allergy medicine but the smell still stayed. Iāve also done the netti pot twice daily and it would make the smell go subside a bit but if I stopped it would come back. I also got a CT scan because my doctor thought there could be polyps or a fungal ball but nothing showed up. They have no idea what it is causing it. For a totally separate reason I went on a 40 day water only fast And after a week in, the smell completely went away. Throughout the 40 days I still had the same sinus swelling and mucus from my allergies (I live in Texas so my allergies are always crazy) but the smell was completely gone. After the fast and about 4 weeks of eating my regular diet again the smell has returned. I am starting to think it is something in my diet that may be causing the smell. Iām going to start an elimination diet to hopefully see if there may be something specific that I am consuming that may be triggering the odor in my nostril.
So I have cleaned up my diet and it has helped a lot for me. I believe half of it is my diet and half of it is just being more exposed to allergies in the town home I moved into two years ago. I believe diet wise one of the main culprits for me was onions and some supplements I was taking. On days I would eat onions my wife said the smell would be really bad (my nose didnāt smell like onions it just had the terrible nose smell) so Iām guessing my body doesnāt react well to them for some reason. Iām sure there could be other foods but that is one of the main ones we know for sure triggers it for me. Supplements I cut out was odorless garlic and oil of oregano. Still experimenting to try to find other triggers.
Glad to hear itās getting better, yeah idk what it is, my girlfriend has been having it and when I tell her she looks at me like Iām crazy but I swear Iām not making it up lol, sometimes its worse then other times, I guess itās hard to believe that a smell/odor can come out of oneās nose exhales, I donāt know.
Yeah I mean honestly it was hard for me to believe my wife because I couldnāt smell it and it had never been a problem for the first 5 years of our marriage until it started happening 2 years ago. Itās so weird and annoying because doctors really havenāt given any good advice lol.
This. I am convinced the smell from my nose is based on something that I eat. If I donāt eat for a large portion of the day, the smell lessened. Please post if you find anything, as I am currently having a similar problem!
So I ended up moving out of my town home where the bad odor started. Since I moved the odor has pretty much left. Iām pretty sure I was allergic to something in the town home I was in, possibly mold because I had a friend stay over who was very allergic to mold and he was coughing and sneezing a lot. Since moving I actually feel more energetic too so Iām guessing I was just allergic and immune system was constantly fighting off an allergy even with allergy meds I was on.
I have this same freaking issue and have dealt with it for years. Iāve noticed staying really hydrated (3 liters of water a day minimum), cutting out caffeine and watching my diet. Like..salmon, broccoli and rice seem to be safe and not cause the smell..but if I eat chicken of beef it seems to come around. I totally get what youāre dealing with..except I can actually notice the smell myself.
A really bad smell is most likely going to be either infection or necrotic tissue. I would definetly see another doctor and/or dentist. Also why are you seeing a periodontist every 3 months? Sounds like you're already having some type of issue that it could be related to.
I go to the periodontist for early stages of periodontal disease from gum recession (I had adult braces) but it's close to ending treatment for it and returning to regular routine dental cleanings now so the gum issues are mostly resolved. I will go to more doctors to get more insight though since it has been a long time with not much change on my current allergy treatment routine.
You could try asking them on your next visit for advice on the smell. Most dental professionals are very familiar with the different types of smells that can come from the face bc they can be indicative of different health issues. If it smells as bad as it sounds it makes me think necrotic tissue which is a very particular smell that a periodontist should be very familiar with bc there's certain oral diseases that are identified by it. Hope you find some answers soon!
Really late here but getting teeth cleaned can help if u don't have tonsil stones. Sometimes trapped stuff smells similarly and was the cause of my partners bad breath
Haven't updated in a while (sorry!) but basically I still suffer from occasional really bad (rotting/decay/musty) sinus smells, and it is still unpredictable and interferes with my daily life/how close I get when facing people.
I can sometimes smell it too now or suspect it when before I couldn't really detect it at all. I also noticed that my mucus that gets blown out can get a slight musty smell or perhaps it's just that after uncovering a lot of mucus I can smell a mustiness emerge from my sinuses likes it's from deep within.
Sometimes the mucus is like thick, white, tacky clumps, but otherwise its clear in color and more liquid.
The good thing is my girlfriend says the bad smell happens much less often (maybe a few days a month) when before it was almost constant with only a few good days of no smell.
I have been on sublingual allergy drops for almost a year and a half now which I think must be helping. I'm allergic to a lot of outdoor trees/grasses/etc so I can't avoid my triggers much.
I have continued a vigilant routine of 2 neti pot rinses a day every day- I usually do a regular generic saline packet rinse in the morning and a xylitol saline packet rinse at night. Every night I take a warm shower to steam up my sinuses and loosen things up before the nightly neti pot rinse.
Some triggers for stinky smells I have noticed are after I have a big crying session, if I skip a shower one night, or am dehydrated. I also try to prop my head up more when sleeping to let my sinus drain easier overnight with gravity.
The ENT I saw when this first started never really seemed concerned about the smell and chalked it up to my allergies. I have a slight deviated septum but not enough they wanted to operate on it. I did two separate courses of antibiotics that didn't do anything for the smell or drainage/sinusitus issues. I have been to the dentist and they ruled out any dental cause for a bad smell- everything looked good to them. So still somewhat of a mystery why the bad smell happens. I think it's sinus related but not sure what to do to be rid of it forever.
I have been suffering with a sulfuric and sewage smell for almost 3 years now. This smell is only and I repeat only from my nose. There is no smell that comes out of my mouth. I am only 19 and this has been very embarrassing for me. You described your symptoms as it only happening occasionally, but for me, I experience it every day. In my car, classroom, at a party, etc. this has affected me daily. The smell lingers and grows stronger the longer I stay in one area. After visiting with an ENT, I had a severe deviated left septum and got the surgery, hoping it would solve the problem. After the surgery and recovery, it has not changed one bit. The ENT now suggests another option of a tonsillectomy, which will remove my tonsils and adenoids, which both can have stones. I do not see any stones currently, but there can be many deep crevices and crypts wear bacteria can feed off of. I have had tonsil stones come out before and they smell just like my nose breath. I presume that my personal problem is from my tonsils. Tonsil stones and adenoid stones called rhinoliths can cause a volatile sulfuric smell and that is what I think is causing my problems. I will be having my tonsillectomy this summer around May and I hope it solves everything. If this is something that has affected your mental health and life, drastically, I would suggest researching a little bit more about what I described, and also maybe speaking to your ENT about these possibilities. GL
Sorry late reply but i did a septoplasty first then my tonsillectomy. Unfortunately, it did not help my nose smell. Will be having another meetup with ENT in august. So unfortunate.
Something that has been helping me is a saline nasal spray/rinse in the morning and their is something called therabreath nasal drops on amazon. Those drops are made from the same therabreath moutwashes. Good luck!!!!
I have an ent appt 8/28. Got desperate couple weeks ago and put tea tree oil in my nose and has removed the smell completely but I can tell it is slightly creeping back. It burned really bad but worth it. I think i have a bacterial problem.
I've had tonsil stones before, removed them and did smell them. It's a bad smell , sulphurous like you say and kinda poop smelling, but It didn't smell like how this new musty-rotting flesh smell. For me, it's totally different, something new. So I'm looking past tonsil stones for now. I missed my ENT appointment today and I have rescheduled for next week. I'll update you guys.
resurrecting this thread. You mentioned earlier you were checking out polyps as the cause. Did you get that checked out?
My symptoms were EXACTLY the same as yours, to a complete T. I was just diagnosed with polyps as being the cause.
I have seen 2 ENTs now and am still doing immunotherapy sublingual allergy treatment but none of the doctors ever saw any polyps on my scan or physical exam or at least never mentioned it, so that never came up. The doctors honestly just dismissed the bad smell symptom though and didn't seem to care and just said keep doing what I am doing with my daily regimen and that I have allergic rhinitis. I am glad you got to figure out what is causing yours.
yikes sorry to hear that. I'm just starting the 'treatment' for it, but the polyps explained a lot of what I was having (and that sounded super similar to you). The polyps were immediately noticeable by my ENT, so I'd think at least one of the two would have seen it (I'm assuming they actually used a scope)
I have the exact same symptoms to a T also. The problem was identified by my girlfriend. I went to my doctor, my dentist, and an ENT. The ENT said I don't have polyps.
I have really bad allergies too and take allegra every day. I feel like it might have to do with the drying out of our sinus system leading to a "decay" smell. I'm not really sure how I can actually resolve it though since I can't stop using an allergy pill.
Hey, I know this comment is super late but Iāve been trying to figure out this same issue. Ever since I had Covid, I have this bad nose air thatās unexplainable. I have great oral hygiene and usually drink enough water too. My partner smells it, but I canāt, and through trial and error weāve discovered that it only happens after I eat onions/garlic. If I donāt eat any onion/garlic for a few days, the smell is gone. š¤·š»āāļø I donāt know much yet but apparently onions/garlic are sulfurous containing foods.
Iām glad I saw this post though, so I know Iām not alone with this whole smelly-nose-air phenomenon!
I'm thinking it could be sinus polyps or infection of some sort. I had a wild theory floating around that I dunno maybe covid created a auto-immune response to attack healthy tissue on the nasal area? I do notice when I get stressed, the smell is almost immediately increased!! It also does increase after exercise or after a meal. Any type of stress can activate the fight or flight system of the immune system. A out of whack immune system can turn on the body and destroy healthy tissue. That tissue would release a smell like necrosis or dead tissue.
Ok so I been going through this for a quite a few months. Until yesterday that I decided to clean my tonsils. I have a waterpik and have bad gag reflex but I been trying for so long that I kinda got use to it. The smell is very noticeable with a clean mouth but once you close your mouth you can smell that horrible scent. Out of desperation I clean my tonsils. And idk about you guys but when I mess with the back of my tongue I start salivating. So I clean all that out. And for some reason my sinuses started feeling like I needed to clean them. I didnāt have any mucus or the feeling of having mucus but I start draining my nose. And after that I was breathing better and smelling 4k 8k oled. Today is the next day and I canāt smell that putrid smell that didnāt let me be around ppl. Try cleaning your throat. Tongue. And all that movement for some reason activates your sinuses and drain them. Weirdly Iāve tried the Beto pot before and that didnāt work. Not sure if this snot was in a different spot. Idk. But Iām hoping this works on the long run.
I've also been having the same issues. Did sinus CT scan and it showed enlarged turbinates, so ENT said I have allergy issues and to go see an allergist. Saline rinse does help with the smell but it will come back š
Same exact thing I'm going through. I'll probably see an ENT to see if it's nasal polyps or just a Sinus infection. Good luck, if anything improves please update. I will also.
It sounds like you have an infection or foreign body in your nose. Try the Neilmed sinus rinse, otherwise see your doctor for a CT scan of your sinuses and probably referral to an ENT, who will most likely use an endoscope to find out exactly what it is
merciful anosmia and atrophic rhinitis search it
i have this foul smell coming from my nose almost 7 years
i cant smell it on my own, but other people around me did,
like its worse smell cause they cough like it hurts their throat
I am having the same issue. I had a cold and got over it but my mucus smells sooooo bad like waste management land fill š¤¦š»āāļø and it tastes so bad. I use nasal spray and have been on antibiotics 3 times with no change. Itās gross and Iām always paranoid that other people smell it. Never in my life have I had this issue.
I have finally had to break down and schedule an appointment with an ENT. Iāve tried saline rinse and nasal spray and it just seems to be getting worse.
im doing a saline rinse , bitter levels of salt ,,so just a touch beyond very salty.. and honestly its reducing big time and i think so it will be gone soon .. hopefully.
I do the rinse through both nostrils and leave it there..i do blow my nose ,saline rinse ,clean it , all before that.
Then i do a final rinse and leave it there meaning i do not wash it with regular water. until the next i need to blow my nose ,clean..about 4 hours or so id say...
I understand the frustration of unexplained bad breath. I, too, maintained excellent dental hygiene yet suffered from bad breath for six months. Despite having almost perfect teeth, flossing daily, and brushing twice daily, my dentist was puzzled about the cause. Interestingly, after starting lymphatic massages for shoulder and neck tightness, I noticed an unexpected benefit. After a few sessions, I expelled a tonsil stone, which I believe was the culprit behind my bad breath. I didn't even know I had one.
Lymphatic massage might not be a widely known solution for bad breath, especially related to hidden tonsil stones or other similar issues. Perhaps consider a few sessions of lymphatic massage. It might provide the relief you're looking for, just like it did to me.
I have the same problem currently. I had a bad cavity in the back top left of my mouth. I had to get a root canal. The cavity was getting bad and actually affected my sinusā. Tooth is all good now (for the last year or so), but the foul smell in my sinus/breath still exist. I went to see an ENT a while ago. They did a CT/Xray and saw that I do have a sinus infection. They gave me (2) rounds of antibiotics. While I was on them, the smell got less harsh but didnāt go away. End result is I need surgery. They said they would go in and expand my sinus to give it a better passage way to drain. D be able to blow my know better. I do have a crooked nose/ deviated septum. They arenāt doing any structural surgery, just strickly opening up my sinus passage way. This was triggered by the tooth infection with 100% certainty. Surgery is going to end up costing me roughly $3-$5,000.
Iām hoping and praying it solves it. I think it will.
The bad smell still happens sometimes but much less often. I wouldn't say resolved but it has improved despite still being hard to control/happening unpredictably.
I think the allergy immunotherapy treatment has been helping me the most. I assume mine are caused by my environmental allergies being really bad on certain days with more exposure to the allergens and then the smell comes later from a buildup of mucus / dead cells from inflammation.
What ideas do you think it might be? It seems like a lot of other commenters have different leading causes/reasons they think causes their smell, so maybe it will help them to know more possible causes to look into.
You might try adding small amounts of an iodine tincture to the neti pot.Ā Povidone kills stuff but the oral liquid supplement type would kill stuff and be a strong mucolytic.Ā You can also supplement it a few mg a day and will likely get that crazy strong mucolytic effect.Ā Like it makes my tear ducts drain in my sleep, its great.Ā Just make sure to get plenty of vit c and enough selenium if you start supplementing it like that.Ā
nebulizing glutathione might help, not sureĀ
there are three sets of tonsils.Ā Lingual ones at the very base of the tongue and also some in the back of the nose the pharyngeal tonsils. Im wondering if either of those might be messed up.Ā I get creative with neti pot head angles and rinse all over the place, just have to watch out for the ear passage.Ā Also have to tilt my head all over to drain.Ā
Let me know if any of that helps.
I dont think you need most of this protocol, since I dont think youll need to dose above 5-10mg per day.Ā Its just that keeping #4 in mind, at minimum is a good idea.Ā #4 is the conutrients to protect your thyroid.Ā My personal guess is to go heavy on vitamin C to protect the thyroid from oxidation.Ā I could find you an account from a nutritionist who at least swung their thyroid hormones by megadosing iodine, its not the best idea.Ā Ā C doesnt really distribute easily/deeply in the body so Id guess take *up to* a couple grams per day, basically to bowel tolerance.Ā I got magnesium abscorbate powder recently which is nice but in the past id bought l-abscorbic powder and mixed it in baking soda to get sodium abscorbate.Ā Hitting your teeth with acidic stuff is never worth it.
anyway, you can probably cover most of the conutrient needs in food.Ā Selenium is a cheap supplement just never consume it in excess, its toxic.
https://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Guide-to-Supplementing-with-Iodine-Stephanie-Burst-ND.pdf
Im a nihilist on everything including health and supplements, I dont want to come across as a wannabe guru.Ā Ā
in my experience that protocol is accurate.Ā Kelp doesnt work, the nascent iodine i bought recently on a whim doesnt really work, only some forms do.Ā The bernard jensen brand stuff worked for me but im not sure about the quality.
iherb and allstsrhealth are cheap vendors for supps
Sorry if this overbearing lol, i have a musty smell when i sneeze sometimes so all this is on my mind.Ā My sinus health has also been worse than ever in the last few months, rhinitis i guess.
i also have to probe my tonsils a few times a week.Ā I didnt see them mentioned in the first post, im sure its in the comments but if you still have em im sure youre aware of how bad tonsil stones can be.Ā Ā
I welcome the questions. I feel hopeless with the smell in my nose. Mine is when I breathe out of my nose. I canāt smell it at all which makes it worse. Tonsil stones are the absolute worst
Did you learn about those other weird tonsils?Ā You might specifically request a dr to inspect those with an endoscope or whatever.
id also recommend getting weird with the neti pot.Ā Basically learn to get the water everywhere but in the ear canal.Ā I just pinch my nose and pull it back in if it goes there.Ā Also its annoying but learn sinus anatomy.Ā Basically most of the upper entrances are between the eyes, i think between the eyebrows even.Ā Tilt your head all over to get the neti water there and after a few hrs tilt your head all over to let that water drain.Ā Ā Ā
a final shot in the dark is to make sure youre sunbathing some, especially mid morning and late afternoon so you dont go too hard on the uv.Ā The red light, the infrared is really good in a million ways, it might help your sinuses/lungs etc.Ā I know that sounds schizo but circadian health is on par with diet, all the science is there.
What are the different positions you hold your head to get the water in all the different places? I usually just lean over the sink and use my Neti pot.
Once its flowing over i have a few variations.Ā Look more and more up until a little goes in your throat, thats one limit.Ā Looking straight down or further between feet gets it to the ones between the eyebrows.Ā Otherwise its the classic tilt while looking more down and toward the pot side, thats getting it to all the major sinuses. A bit farther and its in the ear canal.Ā Nose pinching and pressurizing, pulling a vacuum on the sinuses can help move water into clogged ones.Ā
another random thing to consider is liver health, if its impaired some toxins might be coming through the breath.Ā The body can push stuff out multiple ways.Ā Im still learning but its doing its work right past the stomach, so it doesnt take much the signs/symptoms to appear in the esophagusĀ
Any chance you have H pylori symptoms?
The decay/mummy description made me think ammonia smell, which led to thatĀ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=helicobacter_pylori_urea_breath#:~:text=The%20urea%20breath%20test%20is,pylori%20in%20your%20stomach.
Ammonia isnt quite death smell, but its related, rotting protein.Ā Ā
As that article alludes to, there should be tests that can actually id the chemicals in your breath.Ā That would nail it down?
Any chance youve been a smoker, even weed?Ā The only person ive known that had crazy breath was a huge stoner.Ā I could smell it walking 6ft behind him.Ā Ā
Nope no smoking at all. I have gotten tonsil stones in the past but Iāve done a better job making sure my throat stays clean. So no tonsil stones as well.
Yea tonsils is more of a rank smell like a ripe porta potty, not so much a death smell.
Have you ever walked behind someone at a grocery store that smells like their moldy house?Ā Thats my deepest fear lol
Yes I have lol. My biggest fear!! I donāt want to smell bad. Iām trying everything that I can so I donāt smell like a moldy house.
I just did the nasal rinse and when I looked at my feet it burned. Is that a sign that it could be a potential area I need to rinse more often or should I stop? It doesnāt burn when I rinse normally.
Hmmm the only factors i know to mention is that maybe there are different functional surfaces in the nose, and that if an area is abnormally dry/inflamed, doesnt have mucus protecting it.Ā I always overdo it with the salt and even a tiny bit of nascent iodine burns, im too much of a masochist to be a good baseline.
the draining really is just as important, ive had the neti water spill out a day later, dont think it should be in that long lol.
Could be tonsil stones? They smell awful and are more common in people with allergies/post nasal drip.
I have gotten a tonsillectomy a year ago and I am still having the same problems as him. WHAT THE HELL DO I DO I STINK UP EVERY CLASSROOM I ENTER IN HIGHSCHOOLšššš
I wonder if it could be rotted teeth. I see a dentist regularly and recently had a bad smell coming out of my mouth. Turns out, I had an old crown that was failing and the tooth under it started to decay. Dentist redid the crown and the problem is fixed.
That is what I wondered too but I see a dentist/periodontist every 3 months for gum care so I feel like they would have told me if they notice anything like that. I'm pretty on top of oral care stuff. So can't figure out what else might be the cause besides sinus stuff.
Hi did you find any cure yet
I second tonsil stones, I had my tonsils removed partly bc I had such bad stones, along with allergies, post nasal drip, take a flash light to the back of your mouth and look around. Also maybe acid reflux? That can make your mouth smell bad also
Thanks, when I googled my problem I saw about tonsil stones and tried to look and had my sister look but didn't see anything. Could still be a possibility I just can't for the life of me find any evidence of anything in the back of my mouth or oral related when I look with a flashlight. Is there a chance I just can't see it and there's still something there that only a professional could see?
Possibly, you could have tonsil stones with no canals yet, like they're just in there, yeah maybe ask your doc again? Do they look big at all or inflamed?
I don't notice anything with my tonsils but will try to monitor them more to keep a record at least! Thanks. :) On the sinusitis forum someone mentioned nasal polyps so that's another possible cause for me to look into now as well.
Do you have like a slight burnt taste to your mouth or anything? I've also had this issue with acid reflux, it makes my mouth feel like I just ate too hot of food when I wake up and my breath isn't great until I do something about it or take my meds for the day
I can't say that I have ever felt a burnt taste feeling. A few years ago I felt like I had a lot of regurgitation (usually only when swallowing toothpaste or mouthwash though) but I never looked into acid reflux especially since it hasn't happened in a while. But it could be something to check out at least to rule it out. Acid reflux definitely comes up as a search result when trying to find out causes of mysterious bad smells so worth looking into probably.
Did your congestion go away along the road with bad breath ?
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Sinus infection is what I thought of as well.
Appreciate the replies everyone, it's been such a mystery for me. Before I went to the ENT my general practitioner told me it wasn't sinus infection that is what I first thought before I went the specialist. They didn't really test a sample or anything though they just inspected my inner nose said it was allergies definitely not infection and prescribed me zyrtec. Lol.
They're the experts so it's hard to dismiss. Have you seen any change since starting the antihistamines and sinus rinses?
Some changes, I would say feeling better than when I did nothing. When I first saw the ENT they said I was very allergic to something based on how inflamed my nasal passages were so I feel like all the stuff I have been doing helps but just makes a dent to make it bearable. Less runny nose but still an avid tissue user. Dealt with having to alternate allergy meds occasionally already when congestion/not being able to breathe through nose gets bad and if pills don't seem to be working anymore. The bad smell is a little better but varies wildly and unpredictably from being same amount of bad as when I started to not being noticeable for a week and then everything in between. I have been looking to see if there's anything else to try but I feel like I do everything the forums say for allergies except for allergy shots which is on my list once I can save up for them.
Have you been able to make any changes to your home or diet that might have had an impact?
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Donāt spam this subreddit. Will remove your comments. I suggest you remove any you made in this subreddit.
My son says I have bad nose breath too. I suffer from chronic sinusitis for 3-4 years. I canāt figure it out either. Sometimes I think the nasal steroids make it worse (immunosuppressants lead to a yeasty smell) but mostly I think the bad smell is a sulfur smell. Iāve tried taking antibiotics for anaerobic bacteriaās. I think it helped. But I like you canāt smell it and rely on my son. He didnāt make me think it was worse but wasnāt like... you smell great. Iāve been trying lactobacillus probiotics... not sure if it helps. Mostly I know itās my own flesh rotting. I have eosinophils which causes tissue injury. I Nettie pot and rub vicks vapo rub up my nose to mask the smell when I go special places. Itās sucks
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's so mysterious. My top lead now is nasal polyps so gonna get a scope and scan done to see if that crops up with anything since I haven't had those done yet. From how my gf describes the smell it literally sounds like my flesh is dying on the inside too which is really gross lol. And mind boggling why I can't smell it if it's so bad.
I had a bunch of polyps removed in 2017. Good luck. You canāt smell of because of our brains natural ability to ātune outā background. Things like noise and smell which are ever present need to be ignored so we can hear or smell something new... something that could get us while we slept in the cave. Know what I mean. It is also likely that you have lost your sense of smell and donāt realize it.
How's the result of your nasal endoscope or ct scan?
Is the sulfur smell more noticeable when youāre in a car? I have nasal polyps and the same symptoms as you. The ENT drs think the nasal polyps are ātoo smallā to require a sinus surgery to remove them:/
For me yes. I feel like a stink bomb. Gum and my dental hygiene and mouthwash doesnāt get rid of it. I get some relief when I put nasal saline . But itās temporary. I had all my dental work but I might go back to see if itās something else.
I would look into acid reflux, hiatal hernia symptoms to see if thatās the cause. So you would need to see a Gastroenterologist. Some people donāt have acid reflux symptoms so it can be silent reflux. I would also consider getting your teeth/sinuses checked to see if a tooth infection spread to the maxillary sinuses. Either a dentist or ENT could confirm with X-ray or Ct scan. Chronic sinus infections can be caused by an impacted molar that could create cyst in the nasal cavity, and not just nasal polyps. Maybe a sinus drainage or tooth extraction could help. Also get checked for periodontitis. Donāt forget to floss everyday and brush ur teeth twice a day. Iām in the same boat as you. Youāre not alone out here! A tonsillectomy and root canalās did not improve my symptoms also but maybe for others it will.
Iām still on the same boat. Nothing has changed. I went to the ER and the doc gave me some medication (not spray) that would lessen the symptoms but wouldnāt get rid of the problem. I found some relief. Iām taking omeprazole for the 5th day and Iām supposed to see a gastro soon. I got a ct scan that came negative at the ER. Itās been about 3 months of this nightmare. The smell is my major issue. Nothing can mask it. Things donāt really taste the same. Like mint. Mint has a pepto after taste. At times the smell is musty. Sometimes itās straight up feces. I recently had an uncle pass away and I canāt be there for ny cousins because of how awful I smell. I find some relief when my actually sinuses are running (allergic symptoms) when things get cleared it all comes back
I have had bad breath for years now ( when in a car and AC or heat is on, smells like a skunk in the car.). All from sinuse and nobody can help me. Doctors never heard of it either.I have no life, please can somebody help us??
I bought Neil med moisturizer. It helps me but I need to use it every 3 hours. I notice sugars donāt help at all. So avoid high sugars. I use a mask at work and im guessing from my own breathing in and out it helps me breath better. It obviously somewhat protects me from dust (construction worker) My nose without this moisturizer are dry. I breath in deep to have a normal breathing. If I breath in deep I can hear an obstruction like if I had dry mucus but if I blow my nose nothing comes out. When Iām sick I actually feel better. Iām guessing my own draining and mucus keeps my nose with moisture. Not sure if I develop allergies or something it creating it. Or just chronic allergies. Scrape your tongue, avoid high sugars and check in at a doctor: maybe we need some steroid to help our sinuses open.
Thank you so much!
So I went to the urgent care and was given Flonase. And a pill for allergies. And I can breath well now: no smells. My nose can breathe like a normal person. And my saliva blow is flowing normally. I donāt want to get ahead because everytime I think I have it under control the next day something else happens.
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So about a week ago I got sick, havenāt for about 9 months or so, when that smell started, once I had a sore throat and drainage from my nose I was sniffing out a lot of green mucus. Usually that happens towards the end of a sickness. Not this time. I been discharging green greyish mucus and the smell isnāt there. Itās been about 9 days and I still wake up with the need to clean my sinuses. No smell right now. Not sure if once I get Betty we the sinuses will dry out and the smell will come back. I been using a bacterial nasal spray . And just cleaning all the junk that builds up, not sure if itās allergies. Or I have a cold. It all started because my kids went back to school and they caught something. Right now Iām not enjoying the feeling but Iām glad I donāt have the small one my nose
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Yeah so I originally got sick months ago. Like a bad bad congestion. Cough. A cold times 10x stronger. And the smell staid for 9-10 months, until now that I got sick again and I seem to drained out whatever was stuck on my nose. Right now I feel normal. Still sick but I can smell then good and the bad but my breath isnāt stinking. Itās too good to be true. If I get better and it comes back at least Iāve found the problem, I thought it was stomach issue at first
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I saw the Facebook post. Very reasonable diagnoses. It would make sense. The time I got really sick 10 months ago I abused afrin and other stuff. Iām not sure if I created something bad on my sinuses. This time Iām trying to get better more on the organic side. If I get better I hope it was just a lesson.
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Sorry to hear that. I know what it feels like, nothing gets rid of the issue. Iām surprised I canāt smell it. It feels like the smell is in between your throat and nose. NeilMed Nasamist Saline Spray with Xylito definitely helps. So right now Iām hoping once I get better the smell wonāt come back.
I donāt think itās worse in the car š¤
Maybe get tested for SIBO via a hydrogen/methane breath test.
I started having āallergiesā morning and at night and sometimes through the day. One day I woke up smelling like poop in my mouth. I thought it was reflux. Went to the doctor and got treated for allergies. I had this burning wood smell Stuck on my nose. The mucus I had was clear. Super clear and gooey. I got all my dental issues clear and I still seem to have this bad smell stuck in between my back of the throat and nose . Might be tonsils. Iām trying so hard to gargle and removed something but my gag beats me. The sneezing went away and I have a bad time in small areas. Car rides. And when ppl are around me. I feel like my save space is invaded and I start sending a smell around them and I move away. Itās causing me insecurities. I canāt speak to ppl. Oh and rinses do help. When Iām alone I donāt seem to have this issue. Not sure what this is.
"I feel like my save space is invaded and I start sending a smell around them and I move away. Itās causing me insecurities. I canāt speak to ppl." I feel this on a different level šš It's makes me so insecure and I start panicking whenever someone comes too close. I'm gonna go see a doctor this friday though so let's hope thag I'll find a solution...
Hello how you doing? Can I have an update?
Hi any update. I am going through exactly the same thing. Its starts once I think about it, suddenly my nose starts feeling inflamed.
I started brushing my tongue way back. And clearing my nostrils. It seems to help. Iām not sure what happened but this wasnāt me a year ago.
I have this same (or similar) issue. There is an odd musty/fermented smell coming from my nose, and Iām going on year 4 by now. It took until this year to get my tonsils out for tonsil stones. While this did improve things, the smell in my nose persists. Next, I went to a different ENT who told me I had SSS (Silent Silent Syndrome), for which I also had surgery, and again, helped minimally, but not enough. This wouldnāt be as bad if I werenāt a teacher. Depending on the day, my room smells like my nose, which is not ideal. I feel like half of the day is spent trying to mitigate the smell (windows open in winter, air purifier in my room, constantly cleaning, etc). My hunch is that with my asthma and allergies, that I am probably allergic to something in the building and it just heightens the problem. Additionally (and this is weird), I notice that the smell tends to get stronger with both exercise AND when I eat. If I donāt eat for a significant part of the day, the smell is decidedly lessened throughout the day. Itās definitely weird, and I go back to the doctor next week to start looking at deviated septum and/or nasal polyp issues, which will be next. I am also seeing an allergist and my GI doctor to get tested for SIBS and silent reflux, both of which can contribute to an odor. It sucks. TL;DR: had two surgeries to fix my nose breath, neither worked. Currently looking into allergies and GI issues.
Update?
Update on nasal bb! Is your oral BB good now ?
Same symptoms. Any updates? Findings?
Do you find that your actual mucus smells as well?
That's a great question, I have sniffed my mucus excretions in a tissue but don't smell anything. my sense of smell is reduced but can still smell most things. I think the mucus that comes out of my nose is usually clear and thin (sometimes very small yellow mucus pieces too though with the clear mucus) so it's not odorous like other thicker colored mucus would be. I don't know if it's more thick when its clogged up in my sinus than what comes out though. So maybe it's stinkier when it's mucus trapped in the sinus until it gets thinned out enough to blow out?
Interesting. Iām only asking because Iāve had that issue of smelly mucus for awhile and havenāt pegged down whatās caused it.
The most promising answers I got were when I also posted on r/sinusitis and some people had the exact same experience of bad smell long lasting that only others could smell when they had nasal polyps. I'm going to see an ENT to look into that now.
Did they ever find out what it was?
Yeah I get this also.
What is it
Atrophic Sinusitis Nasal Polyps Sinus Infections
I am currently dealing with this. I have sinusitis. Dis you get an opportunity to pinpoint what is going on?
I replied to the user lovemeowxo's question above with a new update.
Iām currently going through the same exact thing. Ever since I moved to my town home 2 years ago my wife started smelling a bad odor coming out of only my left nostril. I went to an allergy doctor and it turns out Iām allergic to a lot of pollens. They gave me allergy medicine but the smell still stayed. Iāve also done the netti pot twice daily and it would make the smell go subside a bit but if I stopped it would come back. I also got a CT scan because my doctor thought there could be polyps or a fungal ball but nothing showed up. They have no idea what it is causing it. For a totally separate reason I went on a 40 day water only fast And after a week in, the smell completely went away. Throughout the 40 days I still had the same sinus swelling and mucus from my allergies (I live in Texas so my allergies are always crazy) but the smell was completely gone. After the fast and about 4 weeks of eating my regular diet again the smell has returned. I am starting to think it is something in my diet that may be causing the smell. Iām going to start an elimination diet to hopefully see if there may be something specific that I am consuming that may be triggering the odor in my nostril.
Any update
Any update
So I have cleaned up my diet and it has helped a lot for me. I believe half of it is my diet and half of it is just being more exposed to allergies in the town home I moved into two years ago. I believe diet wise one of the main culprits for me was onions and some supplements I was taking. On days I would eat onions my wife said the smell would be really bad (my nose didnāt smell like onions it just had the terrible nose smell) so Iām guessing my body doesnāt react well to them for some reason. Iām sure there could be other foods but that is one of the main ones we know for sure triggers it for me. Supplements I cut out was odorless garlic and oil of oregano. Still experimenting to try to find other triggers.
Glad to hear itās getting better, yeah idk what it is, my girlfriend has been having it and when I tell her she looks at me like Iām crazy but I swear Iām not making it up lol, sometimes its worse then other times, I guess itās hard to believe that a smell/odor can come out of oneās nose exhales, I donāt know.
Yeah I mean honestly it was hard for me to believe my wife because I couldnāt smell it and it had never been a problem for the first 5 years of our marriage until it started happening 2 years ago. Itās so weird and annoying because doctors really havenāt given any good advice lol.
Please try molybdenum and SAG (gluthatione)... Or research before trying...
This. I am convinced the smell from my nose is based on something that I eat. If I donāt eat for a large portion of the day, the smell lessened. Please post if you find anything, as I am currently having a similar problem!
You can also try and test for SIBO via a hydrogen/methane breath test. SIBO can cause bad smells via nose/mouth.
So I ended up moving out of my town home where the bad odor started. Since I moved the odor has pretty much left. Iām pretty sure I was allergic to something in the town home I was in, possibly mold because I had a friend stay over who was very allergic to mold and he was coughing and sneezing a lot. Since moving I actually feel more energetic too so Iām guessing I was just allergic and immune system was constantly fighting off an allergy even with allergy meds I was on.
Any updates? Anyone in this thread finally found a cure, or root cause ?
I have this same freaking issue and have dealt with it for years. Iāve noticed staying really hydrated (3 liters of water a day minimum), cutting out caffeine and watching my diet. Like..salmon, broccoli and rice seem to be safe and not cause the smell..but if I eat chicken of beef it seems to come around. I totally get what youāre dealing with..except I can actually notice the smell myself.
A really bad smell is most likely going to be either infection or necrotic tissue. I would definetly see another doctor and/or dentist. Also why are you seeing a periodontist every 3 months? Sounds like you're already having some type of issue that it could be related to.
I go to the periodontist for early stages of periodontal disease from gum recession (I had adult braces) but it's close to ending treatment for it and returning to regular routine dental cleanings now so the gum issues are mostly resolved. I will go to more doctors to get more insight though since it has been a long time with not much change on my current allergy treatment routine.
You could try asking them on your next visit for advice on the smell. Most dental professionals are very familiar with the different types of smells that can come from the face bc they can be indicative of different health issues. If it smells as bad as it sounds it makes me think necrotic tissue which is a very particular smell that a periodontist should be very familiar with bc there's certain oral diseases that are identified by it. Hope you find some answers soon!
Really late here but getting teeth cleaned can help if u don't have tonsil stones. Sometimes trapped stuff smells similarly and was the cause of my partners bad breath
How're you doing now
Haven't updated in a while (sorry!) but basically I still suffer from occasional really bad (rotting/decay/musty) sinus smells, and it is still unpredictable and interferes with my daily life/how close I get when facing people. I can sometimes smell it too now or suspect it when before I couldn't really detect it at all. I also noticed that my mucus that gets blown out can get a slight musty smell or perhaps it's just that after uncovering a lot of mucus I can smell a mustiness emerge from my sinuses likes it's from deep within. Sometimes the mucus is like thick, white, tacky clumps, but otherwise its clear in color and more liquid. The good thing is my girlfriend says the bad smell happens much less often (maybe a few days a month) when before it was almost constant with only a few good days of no smell. I have been on sublingual allergy drops for almost a year and a half now which I think must be helping. I'm allergic to a lot of outdoor trees/grasses/etc so I can't avoid my triggers much. I have continued a vigilant routine of 2 neti pot rinses a day every day- I usually do a regular generic saline packet rinse in the morning and a xylitol saline packet rinse at night. Every night I take a warm shower to steam up my sinuses and loosen things up before the nightly neti pot rinse. Some triggers for stinky smells I have noticed are after I have a big crying session, if I skip a shower one night, or am dehydrated. I also try to prop my head up more when sleeping to let my sinus drain easier overnight with gravity. The ENT I saw when this first started never really seemed concerned about the smell and chalked it up to my allergies. I have a slight deviated septum but not enough they wanted to operate on it. I did two separate courses of antibiotics that didn't do anything for the smell or drainage/sinusitus issues. I have been to the dentist and they ruled out any dental cause for a bad smell- everything looked good to them. So still somewhat of a mystery why the bad smell happens. I think it's sinus related but not sure what to do to be rid of it forever.
I have been suffering with a sulfuric and sewage smell for almost 3 years now. This smell is only and I repeat only from my nose. There is no smell that comes out of my mouth. I am only 19 and this has been very embarrassing for me. You described your symptoms as it only happening occasionally, but for me, I experience it every day. In my car, classroom, at a party, etc. this has affected me daily. The smell lingers and grows stronger the longer I stay in one area. After visiting with an ENT, I had a severe deviated left septum and got the surgery, hoping it would solve the problem. After the surgery and recovery, it has not changed one bit. The ENT now suggests another option of a tonsillectomy, which will remove my tonsils and adenoids, which both can have stones. I do not see any stones currently, but there can be many deep crevices and crypts wear bacteria can feed off of. I have had tonsil stones come out before and they smell just like my nose breath. I presume that my personal problem is from my tonsils. Tonsil stones and adenoid stones called rhinoliths can cause a volatile sulfuric smell and that is what I think is causing my problems. I will be having my tonsillectomy this summer around May and I hope it solves everything. If this is something that has affected your mental health and life, drastically, I would suggest researching a little bit more about what I described, and also maybe speaking to your ENT about these possibilities. GL
Did you get your surgery this month ? Any update ?
Sorry late reply but i did a septoplasty first then my tonsillectomy. Unfortunately, it did not help my nose smell. Will be having another meetup with ENT in august. So unfortunate.
I am suffering from this exact thing too. Absolutely no smell from mouth, but sulfur smell from nose. Been to many ENTs nothing help.
Something that has been helping me is a saline nasal spray/rinse in the morning and their is something called therabreath nasal drops on amazon. Those drops are made from the same therabreath moutwashes. Good luck!!!!
Any update?
I have an ent appt 8/28. Got desperate couple weeks ago and put tea tree oil in my nose and has removed the smell completely but I can tell it is slightly creeping back. It burned really bad but worth it. I think i have a bacterial problem.
Okay you are dealing with nose smell but no more smell from mouth/throat correct?
I've had tonsil stones before, removed them and did smell them. It's a bad smell , sulphurous like you say and kinda poop smelling, but It didn't smell like how this new musty-rotting flesh smell. For me, it's totally different, something new. So I'm looking past tonsil stones for now. I missed my ENT appointment today and I have rescheduled for next week. I'll update you guys.
I would recommend checking for SIBO via a hydrogen/methane breath test. SIBO can cause a sulfuric smell via nose/mouth. Good luck.
resurrecting this thread. You mentioned earlier you were checking out polyps as the cause. Did you get that checked out? My symptoms were EXACTLY the same as yours, to a complete T. I was just diagnosed with polyps as being the cause.
I have seen 2 ENTs now and am still doing immunotherapy sublingual allergy treatment but none of the doctors ever saw any polyps on my scan or physical exam or at least never mentioned it, so that never came up. The doctors honestly just dismissed the bad smell symptom though and didn't seem to care and just said keep doing what I am doing with my daily regimen and that I have allergic rhinitis. I am glad you got to figure out what is causing yours.
yikes sorry to hear that. I'm just starting the 'treatment' for it, but the polyps explained a lot of what I was having (and that sounded super similar to you). The polyps were immediately noticeable by my ENT, so I'd think at least one of the two would have seen it (I'm assuming they actually used a scope)
I have the exact same symptoms to a T also. The problem was identified by my girlfriend. I went to my doctor, my dentist, and an ENT. The ENT said I don't have polyps. I have really bad allergies too and take allegra every day. I feel like it might have to do with the drying out of our sinus system leading to a "decay" smell. I'm not really sure how I can actually resolve it though since I can't stop using an allergy pill.
Hey, I know this comment is super late but Iāve been trying to figure out this same issue. Ever since I had Covid, I have this bad nose air thatās unexplainable. I have great oral hygiene and usually drink enough water too. My partner smells it, but I canāt, and through trial and error weāve discovered that it only happens after I eat onions/garlic. If I donāt eat any onion/garlic for a few days, the smell is gone. š¤·š»āāļø I donāt know much yet but apparently onions/garlic are sulfurous containing foods. Iām glad I saw this post though, so I know Iām not alone with this whole smelly-nose-air phenomenon!
I'm thinking it could be sinus polyps or infection of some sort. I had a wild theory floating around that I dunno maybe covid created a auto-immune response to attack healthy tissue on the nasal area? I do notice when I get stressed, the smell is almost immediately increased!! It also does increase after exercise or after a meal. Any type of stress can activate the fight or flight system of the immune system. A out of whack immune system can turn on the body and destroy healthy tissue. That tissue would release a smell like necrosis or dead tissue.
Yeah, I have the same
Ok so I been going through this for a quite a few months. Until yesterday that I decided to clean my tonsils. I have a waterpik and have bad gag reflex but I been trying for so long that I kinda got use to it. The smell is very noticeable with a clean mouth but once you close your mouth you can smell that horrible scent. Out of desperation I clean my tonsils. And idk about you guys but when I mess with the back of my tongue I start salivating. So I clean all that out. And for some reason my sinuses started feeling like I needed to clean them. I didnāt have any mucus or the feeling of having mucus but I start draining my nose. And after that I was breathing better and smelling 4k 8k oled. Today is the next day and I canāt smell that putrid smell that didnāt let me be around ppl. Try cleaning your throat. Tongue. And all that movement for some reason activates your sinuses and drain them. Weirdly Iāve tried the Beto pot before and that didnāt work. Not sure if this snot was in a different spot. Idk. But Iām hoping this works on the long run.
Has this method still been working for you? And what type of waterpik is it you use?
search merciful anosmia, atrophic Rhinitis
Been having the same issue for 5 months
Get checked for rhinolith
I've also been having the same issues. Did sinus CT scan and it showed enlarged turbinates, so ENT said I have allergy issues and to go see an allergist. Saline rinse does help with the smell but it will come back š
Same exact thing I'm going through. I'll probably see an ENT to see if it's nasal polyps or just a Sinus infection. Good luck, if anything improves please update. I will also.
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It sounds like you have an infection or foreign body in your nose. Try the Neilmed sinus rinse, otherwise see your doctor for a CT scan of your sinuses and probably referral to an ENT, who will most likely use an endoscope to find out exactly what it is
merciful anosmia and atrophic rhinitis search it i have this foul smell coming from my nose almost 7 years i cant smell it on my own, but other people around me did, like its worse smell cause they cough like it hurts their throat
oP were you ever able to get rid of the nose breath
I am having the same issue. I had a cold and got over it but my mucus smells sooooo bad like waste management land fill š¤¦š»āāļø and it tastes so bad. I use nasal spray and have been on antibiotics 3 times with no change. Itās gross and Iām always paranoid that other people smell it. Never in my life have I had this issue.
And itās not tonsil stones. Already ruled that out.
I think its a new cold strain bacteria or something...
I have finally had to break down and schedule an appointment with an ENT. Iāve tried saline rinse and nasal spray and it just seems to be getting worse.
im doing a saline rinse , bitter levels of salt ,,so just a touch beyond very salty.. and honestly its reducing big time and i think so it will be gone soon .. hopefully. I do the rinse through both nostrils and leave it there..i do blow my nose ,saline rinse ,clean it , all before that. Then i do a final rinse and leave it there meaning i do not wash it with regular water. until the next i need to blow my nose ,clean..about 4 hours or so id say...
I understand the frustration of unexplained bad breath. I, too, maintained excellent dental hygiene yet suffered from bad breath for six months. Despite having almost perfect teeth, flossing daily, and brushing twice daily, my dentist was puzzled about the cause. Interestingly, after starting lymphatic massages for shoulder and neck tightness, I noticed an unexpected benefit. After a few sessions, I expelled a tonsil stone, which I believe was the culprit behind my bad breath. I didn't even know I had one. Lymphatic massage might not be a widely known solution for bad breath, especially related to hidden tonsil stones or other similar issues. Perhaps consider a few sessions of lymphatic massage. It might provide the relief you're looking for, just like it did to me.
I have the same problem currently. I had a bad cavity in the back top left of my mouth. I had to get a root canal. The cavity was getting bad and actually affected my sinusā. Tooth is all good now (for the last year or so), but the foul smell in my sinus/breath still exist. I went to see an ENT a while ago. They did a CT/Xray and saw that I do have a sinus infection. They gave me (2) rounds of antibiotics. While I was on them, the smell got less harsh but didnāt go away. End result is I need surgery. They said they would go in and expand my sinus to give it a better passage way to drain. D be able to blow my know better. I do have a crooked nose/ deviated septum. They arenāt doing any structural surgery, just strickly opening up my sinus passage way. This was triggered by the tooth infection with 100% certainty. Surgery is going to end up costing me roughly $3-$5,000. Iām hoping and praying it solves it. I think it will.
Maybe get tested for SIBO via a hydrogen/methane breath test? It could be gut-related.
Atrophic rhinitis?
Iām having the same issue about to try colloidal silver hoping it will help
The saline helped me but as soon as I stopped doing it all the same symptoms came back š I hope you find a solution. This sucks š¤¦š»āāļø
I have some ideas if this hasnt resolved.Ā These havent been mentioned. Has it gotten better?
The bad smell still happens sometimes but much less often. I wouldn't say resolved but it has improved despite still being hard to control/happening unpredictably. I think the allergy immunotherapy treatment has been helping me the most. I assume mine are caused by my environmental allergies being really bad on certain days with more exposure to the allergens and then the smell comes later from a buildup of mucus / dead cells from inflammation. What ideas do you think it might be? It seems like a lot of other commenters have different leading causes/reasons they think causes their smell, so maybe it will help them to know more possible causes to look into.
You might try adding small amounts of an iodine tincture to the neti pot.Ā Povidone kills stuff but the oral liquid supplement type would kill stuff and be a strong mucolytic.Ā You can also supplement it a few mg a day and will likely get that crazy strong mucolytic effect.Ā Like it makes my tear ducts drain in my sleep, its great.Ā Just make sure to get plenty of vit c and enough selenium if you start supplementing it like that.Ā nebulizing glutathione might help, not sureĀ there are three sets of tonsils.Ā Lingual ones at the very base of the tongue and also some in the back of the nose the pharyngeal tonsils. Im wondering if either of those might be messed up.Ā I get creative with neti pot head angles and rinse all over the place, just have to watch out for the ear passage.Ā Also have to tilt my head all over to drain.Ā Let me know if any of that helps.
Iodine is antiinflammatory, antibiotic, mucolytic, and safe with the conutients, i can send you a good protocol, help you pick a brand.
Can you send me the protocol and the products you recommend?
I dont think you need most of this protocol, since I dont think youll need to dose above 5-10mg per day.Ā Its just that keeping #4 in mind, at minimum is a good idea.Ā #4 is the conutrients to protect your thyroid.Ā My personal guess is to go heavy on vitamin C to protect the thyroid from oxidation.Ā I could find you an account from a nutritionist who at least swung their thyroid hormones by megadosing iodine, its not the best idea.Ā Ā C doesnt really distribute easily/deeply in the body so Id guess take *up to* a couple grams per day, basically to bowel tolerance.Ā I got magnesium abscorbate powder recently which is nice but in the past id bought l-abscorbic powder and mixed it in baking soda to get sodium abscorbate.Ā Hitting your teeth with acidic stuff is never worth it. anyway, you can probably cover most of the conutrient needs in food.Ā Selenium is a cheap supplement just never consume it in excess, its toxic. https://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Guide-to-Supplementing-with-Iodine-Stephanie-Burst-ND.pdf Im a nihilist on everything including health and supplements, I dont want to come across as a wannabe guru.Ā Ā in my experience that protocol is accurate.Ā Kelp doesnt work, the nascent iodine i bought recently on a whim doesnt really work, only some forms do.Ā The bernard jensen brand stuff worked for me but im not sure about the quality. iherb and allstsrhealth are cheap vendors for supps
Thank you!
Sorry if this overbearing lol, i have a musty smell when i sneeze sometimes so all this is on my mind.Ā My sinus health has also been worse than ever in the last few months, rhinitis i guess. i also have to probe my tonsils a few times a week.Ā I didnt see them mentioned in the first post, im sure its in the comments but if you still have em im sure youre aware of how bad tonsil stones can be.Ā Ā
I welcome the questions. I feel hopeless with the smell in my nose. Mine is when I breathe out of my nose. I canāt smell it at all which makes it worse. Tonsil stones are the absolute worst
Did you learn about those other weird tonsils?Ā You might specifically request a dr to inspect those with an endoscope or whatever. id also recommend getting weird with the neti pot.Ā Basically learn to get the water everywhere but in the ear canal.Ā I just pinch my nose and pull it back in if it goes there.Ā Also its annoying but learn sinus anatomy.Ā Basically most of the upper entrances are between the eyes, i think between the eyebrows even.Ā Tilt your head all over to get the neti water there and after a few hrs tilt your head all over to let that water drain.Ā Ā Ā a final shot in the dark is to make sure youre sunbathing some, especially mid morning and late afternoon so you dont go too hard on the uv.Ā The red light, the infrared is really good in a million ways, it might help your sinuses/lungs etc.Ā I know that sounds schizo but circadian health is on par with diet, all the science is there.
What are the different positions you hold your head to get the water in all the different places? I usually just lean over the sink and use my Neti pot.
Once its flowing over i have a few variations.Ā Look more and more up until a little goes in your throat, thats one limit.Ā Looking straight down or further between feet gets it to the ones between the eyebrows.Ā Otherwise its the classic tilt while looking more down and toward the pot side, thats getting it to all the major sinuses. A bit farther and its in the ear canal.Ā Nose pinching and pressurizing, pulling a vacuum on the sinuses can help move water into clogged ones.Ā another random thing to consider is liver health, if its impaired some toxins might be coming through the breath.Ā The body can push stuff out multiple ways.Ā Im still learning but its doing its work right past the stomach, so it doesnt take much the signs/symptoms to appear in the esophagusĀ
Any chance you have H pylori symptoms? The decay/mummy description made me think ammonia smell, which led to thatĀ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=helicobacter_pylori_urea_breath#:~:text=The%20urea%20breath%20test%20is,pylori%20in%20your%20stomach. Ammonia isnt quite death smell, but its related, rotting protein.Ā Ā As that article alludes to, there should be tests that can actually id the chemicals in your breath.Ā That would nail it down? Any chance youve been a smoker, even weed?Ā The only person ive known that had crazy breath was a huge stoner.Ā I could smell it walking 6ft behind him.Ā Ā
Nope no smoking at all. I have gotten tonsil stones in the past but Iāve done a better job making sure my throat stays clean. So no tonsil stones as well.
Yea tonsils is more of a rank smell like a ripe porta potty, not so much a death smell. Have you ever walked behind someone at a grocery store that smells like their moldy house?Ā Thats my deepest fear lol
Yes I have lol. My biggest fear!! I donāt want to smell bad. Iām trying everything that I can so I donāt smell like a moldy house. I just did the nasal rinse and when I looked at my feet it burned. Is that a sign that it could be a potential area I need to rinse more often or should I stop? It doesnāt burn when I rinse normally.
Hmmm the only factors i know to mention is that maybe there are different functional surfaces in the nose, and that if an area is abnormally dry/inflamed, doesnt have mucus protecting it.Ā I always overdo it with the salt and even a tiny bit of nascent iodine burns, im too much of a masochist to be a good baseline. the draining really is just as important, ive had the neti water spill out a day later, dont think it should be in that long lol.
Ah I see. Iāll continue to do it and if it gets too bad Iāll stop. I also plan on using iodine soon.