Shit… this is bad isn’t it?

[AJT43]

A few months ago I smelt burning on and off for a few days; I was about to see the GP about it and it just stopped.
Fast forward I’ve had it a few times since but it passed quickly.
The last 3 or so days I’ve been smelling burning and foul smells on and off. Then this morning I woke up with a terrible headache at the back of my head.
I plan on calling the GP first thing on Monday morning but I am honestly so scared. Google tells me the bleakest thing. I’m 31 years old with 2 small children and I’m just terrified.

Try not to worry.
Are you drinking enough water?
That might explain your headaches.
It's good you have made an appointment to see your GP.

Googling ailments its very bad indeed. See the GP. It is probably something like your neighbour's cooking and a lumpy pillow.

Maybe it's sinuses or an infection, have you got any other symptoms, what are you afraid of.

Why are you assuming this is a health issue and not something actually burning?

Check your sockets. We had an on and off burning smell and eventually tracked it up a socket in the utility room.

Never google unless nhs. I used to get the smelling thing. Never came to anything. When I was as younger I used to get blinding migraine headaches.

Nobody else can smell it, I’ve had it in the house, in somebody else’s house, out in town today! Everywhere

Brain tumour honestly. Especially with the burning smell. There’s some scary stories online about burning smells and headaches being brain tumours 😩

We’ve all had a look around but nobody else can smell it, I can also smell it out of the house

I thought this was a symptom of covid?

It's been very warm the past few days so I would assume dehydration brought your headache on.

OP, I had the burning smell thing and it ended up as a sinus-y, covid-y virus. It’s not always a brain thing.

I had this, it was a sinus infection. Googling will always diagnosis you with death is near.

I go blind and smell all manner of things as part of my migraines, as well as completely losing the ability to speak/find words and even sometimes use one side of my body.

Do not underestimate how scary they can be. And you can start getting them at any time, my mum has started in her 80s.

It is far more likely to be something like this than the worst, especially in the absence of other symptoms

Far more likely that the phantosmia is post COVID, migraine, allergies, idiopathic (no known cause), anxiety, sinus infection…

Here is an actual NHS factsheet about this very COMMON symptom (as the point out) 😁 Hope that puts your mind at rest a bit. Step away from Dr Google 😂

https://apps.nhslothian.scot/refhelp/guidelines/neurology/phantosmia/

I would assume it's covid, particularly with the headache.

Altered sense of smell is classic COVID. Far more likely that anything nefarious like a brain tumour.

I smell cigarette smoke the day before my migraine attacks. I'll bet it's that. Don't panic!

I got a headache once, whole pushing the double so bad.. like someone hit me at the back of the head with a stick .. got the mri, found fluid filled spaces in my brain.. and all benign and normal.. go to your gp, MRI S aren’t that expensive privately if the wait list are long.. and get your peace of mind..

I once had a foul smell in my nose after a bad case the flu. It tasted for a long time but it was the result of a bad sinus infection.

I had this for a few months.

then developed cluster headaches.

I honestly thought I was dying (cluster attacks are bloody soul destroying in painful.

Burning then stopped. Cluster headaches got worse and worse and now after 8 months appear to have broken - I’ve gone from 5 days a week of attacked to 5 attacks in 3 weeks.

Of you’ve been having them months and months with no progression of any other neurological symptoms I wouldn’t be jumping straight to a tumour.

Not going to deny I was terrified I had one but if anyone’s ever had cluster headaches they’d know why!

Worthwhile seeing the GO though as likely something sinus related.

I just Googled it, “ Phantosmia is almost always benign” is the top entry, the two following suggestions are migraines and Covid.

I understand why your mind jumps to the worst case scenario but get yourself to the doctors asap because you’ll probably come away feeling hugely reassured.

It the burnt toast you need to worry about.

That is quite literally what I’m smelling
and also foul smells.
please tell me why I need to worry x

It needs checking out, but it may be a sinus or dental infection. Try not to worry. See your GP.

Go and get it checked out properly, that's the only thing to do.

There are lots of viral things which can also give those symptoms, and brain tumours are vanishingly rare.

There is no empathy in a search engine and Dr Google is not your friend, or course you are going to worry but if you get it checked out and monitor any issues then you're taking care of yourself.