Friday, August 6, 2021

Head Problems: Tinnitus and Phantosmia

    I quite often hear and smell things that aren't actually there. Do I think that I'm odd or broken? Yes. Absolutely. While I have battled with Tinnitus for over 2 decades, I didn't know that there was a connection between tinnitus, double hearing, and phantosmia. Turns out, some of the same things that can cause tinnitus (like head trauma) can also cause phantosmia. 

    Phantosmia, also called olfactory hallucination, is a condition that makes you detect smells that aren't really there. These smells can vary from person to person and can be nice or nasty. One or both nostrils may be affected and these phantom smells may seem to always be there or they may come and go. 

    Most recently, I've been suffering from random phantosmia throughout my day. And it is not a pleasant smell. No, I work in a diesel engine shop, there's always something that smells burnt, but this is worse. I have been smelling (or thinking that I smell) dog poo. That's right, I've been checking my shoes for the source of the smell every-singe-time. It wasn't until I was doing some research on the cause and effects of certain decibels on tinnitus did I run across the term phantosmia. Even I had to look it up (references from my search are at the bottom).

    Thankfully, the majority of my condition is bearable. The tinnitus does bother me sometimes, especially at night or when in a building with a lot of mechanical sounds, like electronics and appliances. The simple and nearly silent computer hard drive cooling fan can bother me more than a running diesel engine. I manage though. Sometimes a shake of my head or jiggling my ear can help reduce the irritation.


I am an odd duck, that's for sure!





https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/51055-Understanding-diplacusis 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/temporal-lobe-seizure/expert-answers/phantosmia/faq-20058131 

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