The "smell" of illness?

[Lifegavemelemons]

OK, so this is a sensitive one.

I have an elderly friend (80's) who comes to visit maybe 6 times a year (pre-covid) she's lovely and has been very good to me over the years. She has had a lot of illness over the last few years, including cancer, but has responded well to treatment. She has come to me for a week+ at a time when her family have been away as they don't like her to be alone with no support. Her mobility is not good, but we go out and about to Xmas markets and have a lot of afternoon teas and meals out when she comes. I live in a scenic part of the country so lots of drives out. I generally put on a few pounds each visit 🤣. Love seeing her.

She's with me for a couple of weeks ATM and I am struggling a lot with her smell. Something is VERY different. The smell is strong and not at all pleasant. I know her clothes are clean as we've done a couple of clothes washes while she's been here - and she showers daily, so it's not that. The room she is in smells very strong and I will have to do a thorough fumigate when she goes. I'm really not exaggerating - I have dogs and cats so my house is not all "linen and lavender" smelling by any means.

I haven't said anything, and won't, but have done some serious googling - and yes, humans can smell sickness. Not as well as dogs, naturally, but it is a thing, and unconnected with hygiene.

Anyone had experience of this? I assume it could mean a deterioration in her health? Ironically she has seemed a lot more mobile this time round and has not been falling asleep as randomly as on previous visits.

There's a BBC article about how Parkinson's has a particular smell.

I'm a nurse & can smell loads of illnesses & infections. Can often tell which antibiotic infections will be sensitive to. I can smell leg ulcers from practically a mile away. Parkinson's smells like mothballs, a really strong, very distinct musty type smell. I can often smell different medications that people take as well.
I can def smell cancer, I currently know someone who has that smell, they have had numerous investigations but nothing diagnosed, I can still smell it though.

I can always smell when my daughter’s about to be poorly. My OH has developed a really odd smell followed by some symptoms, but has had ok blood test results so he’s not bothered! Despite the symptoms being there still!

I was a nurse. I could definitely smell multiple sclerosis. My grandad had it and so did quite a few men I nurses with it over the years. They smelled very similar.

I can always smell the DCs when they're about to become poorly. Their breath smells like TCP. My mum used to say the same about us and she can smell it on my two as well!

The exception being that we all have Covid.... Because I can't smell anything at all. Or taste my lovely lamb dinner earlier 😭

When my dad was taken to A & E after collapsing I was aware of a not very pleasant smell and it was very strong as I could still smell it on my hands afterwards. Unfortunately he died within 48 hours and I remember googling it afterwards . I think it may have been his kidneys breaking down as he had multiple organ failure.
Also I had a mental breakdown and suffered psychosis. I kept smelling a weird smell at times . It was unnerving and disappeared when I got hospitalised and better .

I can smell illness. I always know when my children are about to get a cold etc as they have a funny smell about them for a day or so beforehand.
I also noticed a particular smell on my DF before he died of a certain type of cancer. The smell was present for the last few weeks of his life and wasn't like anything I'd smelled before. It seemed to be coming through his skin rather than his breath and I presumed it was possibly some kind of product that the hospital used on him (he wasn't on chemo / meds as the diagnosis was terminal). It wasn't particularly unpleasant, just different. I recently attended the funeral of a colleague who died from the same type of cancer and as the coffin passed me (I had an 'aisle' seat in the church so was very close) I got a whiff of the exact same smell I remembered from DF. I'm certain that it was the cancer that was making the unique smell.

@Tee20x

Such an interesting thread. To those who can smell when their kids are sick what does it smell like ?!! Trying really hard to imagine it.

I can always smell it, with my children and sometimes other people. It’s just a smell of illness, I can’t compare it to any other smell.

tiktokniknok

@stayathomerFor a moment there I thought you were calling all the people who can smell illness 'mad'🤦🏻‍♀️

I read my comment back and it sounded like that!!!!(I didn'tmean that!!)

Gum disease has a very unique smell
It’s like a combination of rotten flesh sulphur and the back of a dustbin lorry.
It’s called perio breath once you smell it you won’t forget it

Years ago DH was very ill with chicken pox and was in bed for a few days. Our bedroom smelt weird, I can't describe it, it was just an 'ill' smell. It disappeared when he recovered.

This thread is fascinating. I have a strong sense of smell but haven't really smelt illness before or maybe just not thought about it other than the you've been in bed for days and this room needs airing sort of smell. Or maybe just thought of it as the result of the general hospital smell. Some wards I worked on smelt of maleana or urine or peg feeds. Dd1 gets very a very strong smell to her breath when she has a sore throat. I'm going to pay more attention now.

No, you are definitely smelling something that is nothing to do with hygiene. Haven't RTFT but every time my daughter is ill, I know a day or two in advance (without exception) by a strong sour smell on her. Mainly her breath, so if she's been in a room I can smell it immediately, but also on her skin.

The first time I smelled it when she was a baby I had a horrible sense of dread it set off in me and it happens every time, that same feeling. Her Dad cannot smell this at all and thinks I'm mad but my Mam can smell it too, every time, sometimes before me.

I hope your friend is ok

And I wish the medics that can smell diagnose could do 'smell surgeries' where they send people off for official diagnosis. Might save some lives/ time with loved ones

Definitely believe you can smell illness. Both grandparents with cancer had a smell about them.
A friends dog had cancer too-I commented that the dog mustn't have long left (it didn't 😞) as it smelt like both my grandparents with cancer.
It's an awful smell that I unfortunately associate with death. Smelt it a few times at work too. I can't really describe it but is just smells very poorly and wrong.

I can smell when my DC or DH are unwell, not really on them but in their bedrooms in the morning.

I remember being able to smell my son's ear infection a good week before it was diagnosed. Had no idea what it was at the time but it just smelt of sour milk constantly....

Fungating tumour? Those smell truly awful.

I've found this thread absolutely fascinating. A lot I had no idea about (PD). I'm a nurse and can smell
UTI's
BV
Melena
Leg ulcers
C Diff
Stomas
Ketones
And not a smell but I know when someone is pregnant.

Interesting that you say it's like a rotting smell.

For weeks I was getting a strong smell from my mother. The only way I could describe it was that it smelled like death, but rotting fits closely to that too. I didnt say anything to her, but I told my dad to pay attention because something wasn't right.

A week later she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had ignored it and it had created a hole in her breast. I wish I'd said something sooner.

Sounds like you have a beautiful friendship. I hope all is as okay as it can be with your friend

@CaMePlaitPas

I wonder whether any of you can help me, sorry I'm pigging backing on your thread OP. When my husband sneezes it smells unpleasantly sweet. I've never experienced anything like it before, and it's actually the only time I've ever been able to smell something. He can't smell it, it's like pollen but stronger and more intrusive. Does anyone know what it might be?

Possibly infected sinuses?

Well, she's gone home now - so fingers crossed it was just the meds change.

Fascinating thread though - I'm really glad I started it - had no idea that so many humans could smell, and differentiate, different illnesses. I knew dogs could, of course, but thought it was generally outside of our range.

@CaMePlaitPas I've heard of people doing stinky 'pollen' sneezes before. I don't think there's a definite explanation for them though.

www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-sneezes-smell-like-honey/amp/

@cosmopolitanplease Thank you! Glad it looks like it's nothing serious

I can smell hayfever in the air, I guess it's the pollen. And I can smell a sneeze, which is revolting tbh
Hope your friend is ok