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.

I've had that burning smell on and off since around covid era

It can be something that happens long after having covid. I sometimes can smell a smell that others can't.. but last time I used ear drops and decongestant and it went. Also saline nasal spray. It could be congestion

I had this a few years ago. Thought the same worst case scenario than you. Had a camera up my nose and they luckily couldn’t find anything. Was diagnosed with Cosma thankfully

I had this for months after having covid. Was convinced my neighbours had installed a faulty log burner, then realised I was smelling the smell outside of the house as well. It did go away but it took a really long time to go.

I get this every so often. Mine is the smell like muck spreading on the fields. My doctor recommended using a Beconase spray. It helped a bit.

Good luck for tomorrow. I am sure your mind will be put at ease. Sounds like its a sinus thing. Googling is probably the worst thing you can do. I was convinced I had Aids once from Googling something but understand the temptation to do so.

Virus. Allergies , sinusitis are the most likely .
I have allergies and get sinusitis easily , can smell weird things that family swear they can’t smell .

Possibly nasal polyps and associated infection. Just get it checked out with GP. Hope all goes well.

I smell toast.
That's when I know my Nan is here.

Could you be pregnant?

Good luck tomorrow, glad you're going to see the doctor. Update us x

Absolutely not x

It’ll be sinuses with the headache too. I get weird smells from taking some medication (trimethoprim in particular) - some people seem to have a quirk in their olfactory pathway. This kind of thing honestly is more common than you think and vast, vast majority of cases are nothing exciting at all.

Please do a covid test and wear a mask when you see the doctor. If you are infectious, you don't want to pass it on to anyone else at the doctor's surgery.

I tested yesterday and today, both negative x

The first time I had Covid I lost my sense of smell for three months. I didn’t realise it had gone until I started burning food and my DH insisted the dog had rolled in fox poo and DS’s bedroom stank. I was blissfully unaware of all smells.

Then they announced that it was a side effect of Covid and I realised that. I must have had the virus ( I’m in health care and many of us had very mild symptoms early on before testing was available Feb/Mar 2020)

The first sign my sense of smell was returning was waking up to the smell of burning. Then intermittently through the day. It took another 2-3 months to return to normal.

Anosmus can occur with a number of viruses. It sounds like your recent bout of flu could be the cause.

Definitely see the doctor but I just wanted to say that I had "original" covid years ago when it was first a thing, lost my smell for 5 months, and since it came back I smell burning and cigarettes where there are none, and I also can't decipher between bad/strong smells ie onions, poo and fish all just smell like one bad smell. I'm not saying you've got Covid, but just wanted to reassure you that these things are rarely brain tumour related and it could possibly be a long Covid symptom or something to do with your sinuses 🤞🏼

I get this and put it down to my sinus's or a migraine, i'll be interested to see what your GP says

At GP in 45 mins
Will update x

Good luck x

You’re really going to have to push for them to do anything other than tell you it’s your sinuses/hormines/from the flu you had.

could be dental. weirdly - I can smell wet dog if I look at a picture of a dog. brains are weird.

I had phantom smell for a few days just before I came down with Covid symptoms which included a horrible headache - I was searching the house for the cause of the rancid ammonia smell - also I would smell burning from time to time.
Once I’d had Covid symptoms for a couple of days I lost all sense of smell for about 2 weeks.
it could be a virus like this or a sinus infection so please don’t panic.

Hay fever can cause unpleasant phantom odours, it absolutely sounds like this is the issue

Hi everyone. I’ve got really bad sinusistis. Got some steroid nasal spray and a follow up appointment in 4 weeks