My husband smells but only I can smell it

[Foodie731]

I'm worried my husband might be ill but I can't just make him go to the doctors and say 'I smell bad to my wife! "

I have always been able to smell illness on both my children. I believe this is quite common.
I can smell the same thing on my husband but much much stronger to the point its becoming unbearable for me. I can even smell it when I go into a room that he has been in.
I have been able to smell it on him for the past year. But he hasn't been poorly. He actually had covid and during that time the smell went away! It's come back even stronger. No one else can smell it apart from me.
It's not due to bad hygiene, it's not on his clothes or his skin. It's starting to affect my marriage because I don't want to be too close to him. The smell is overwhelming for me and makes me want to gag. I've read that people can smell cancer and it's got me worried. I know this sounds completely rediculous but what is it that I'm smelling? It's like a sour, sweet, rotting type smell

I'm glad I'm not going mad!

I've talked to him about it a little but I've not told him that I can smell it nearly all the time. There are some times that I can't smell it, for example if he wears aftershave. But when he's at home and it's just his natural smell it's absolutely horrible. He does suffer from stomach /digestion problems.
We have suffered from marriage problems so could be that! It could be stress.
I really don't think he would agree to go to the doctors about it. Don't really know what to do!

Vapour rub up the nose if he won't go to the drs. Your nose obv.

Please update us if you ever find out what it is. Fingers crossed for it's the marital problems and you've just gone of his scent

Has he been for a dental check up recently?

But at the end of the day if he won't go to the doctor and/or dentist there is nothing you can do about it.

If hes been in hosptail lately i doubt its anything that bad could be your sense of smell is off you could have had covid and not know about it

Being able to smell illnesses is a very real thing, although I'd probably feel like a bit of a tit going to the gp and saying my husband smells weird, It's probably worth going and for them to do some checks.

As above, Parkinson's is detectable by smell. My dad has it and the back of his neck smells terrible. This is where sebum is most easily smelt - that's the oil secreted by skin. Have you smelt the nape of his neck??

Does he walk with a shuffle? Is his handwriting getting smaller? Is his face more expressionless that before? does he have bowel problems? Any more obsessive behaviour? All of those are early signs and a good reason to see the GP. - later signs are 'freezing' as well as shaking, more difficulty walking and many more.

Oh my goodness am I glad I read this. I have exactly the same issue! It definitely carries on his breath. I have smelt it for years and it drives me crazy! I've never had COVID nor has he, he got complimented on his great hygiene at the last dentist visit so I don't think it's that either. It smells even stronger to me during both my pregnancies, although it is constantly present and smellable even when I am not pregnant. I can't vare to smell it long enough to even identify the type of odour (like is it metallic etc). Relationship wise we are doing great too so it isn't that; I truly think he's the best person I've ever met, if anything this smell is his worst quality!
This has been driving me mad for years. I have only ever smelt it on one other person, though no where near as strong, and do not know their medical history.
I really hope someone here has an answer.

So interesting. When my son was born, I distinctly remember being repulsed by the smell of my husband. It wasn't his breath or sweat. But it was horrendous. I was stuck in hospital for a while and when he came in he made the whole room smell.

I never worked it out but he was an abuser. It was a very emotional and difficult period of my life. The abuse got worse during pregnancy and after birth. I think perhaps it was something in my brain picking up something wrong with him.

The smell isn't coming from his mouth /breath and it's not on a particular area. It's like an aura around him that can be smelt to be from metres away. I can smell it as soon as he has washed but it does get stronger as time goes on.

He should go to the doctors - this for your sake as a well as his. If he doesn't, that doesn't reflect well on him or your marriage, does it?

If it's stress or anxiety, it could be either of you.

You - www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130924174150.htm#:~:text=New%20research%20shows%20how%20anxiety,make%20typically%20benign%20smells%20malodorous.&text=In%20evolutionary%20terms%2C%20smell%20is%20among%20the%20oldest%20of%20the%20senses.,-In%20animals%20ranging

Him (2nd link is for women but it's the same for men)
www.menshealth.com/health/a19544884/why-stress-sweat-smells-so-bad/
flo.health/menstrual-cycle/lifestyle/hygiene-and-beauty/stress-sweat

We have suffered from marriage problems so could be that!

What's been happening in your marriage @Foodie731 ?

As he's been in and had tests etc recently, he's probably ok. Maybe you've caught a dose of The Ick.

I do not want to scare you. But if you are the only one to smell it, perhaps it is something to do with you? Have you had a check up recently?

I was going to say about parkinsons as well . There is a university in Scotland that I think was researching the smell .

This happened to my mum and dad, as she thought he had a bad acrid smell. My dad now drinks juice of one lemon each morning and the smell has gone away.... apparently!

@Abcdefu

Haemocromatosis has a spell?

Definitely yes.

My Dad had a sour smell emanating from him for a couple of years before he was diagnosed with Bowel cancer
Stress can also cause changes in smell
It's not diabetes if his sugars are in normal range

I’ve read that some women had been impacted in this way by covid: essentially the pheromones that originally attracted them to their husband are now being smelt in a negative or off putting way. Some people have split up over this!

I wonder if you did have covid and this is now the outcome.

Pay for some private tests ?

It might be worth changing his diet for a month to see if it changes. take out all FODMAPS or nightshades or oxalate foods maybe? Veggie if he eats meat or carni if he is veggie. It would add to what you know at least.

Maybe it is me! Maybe I have had covid before. But why can I only smell it on him and no one else.

I can't answer because I don't know, but I can absolutely smell when my DC is ill, and the smell usually starts before the fever/cough/other symptoms even show.

I can say with confidence a day or two before symptoms begin 'DC's coming down with something' and I'm right every time - last time it was a viral infection. It's stronger when there's a fever present for me.

I've not smelled it in an adult partner though. It's, as you say, not limited to a certain part of their body but more an aura. I don't have to be too close to smell it either.

You've had some good advice - I wouldn't dismiss this though and would probably take the advice to really look into it further, both for his health and your marriage!

Hi - I’ve the same thing happening with my husband. Started a few months ago. Did you ever get an answer?

Hey, I am having the same issue! I can’t figure out what it is and nobody else seems to be able to smell it. Did you ever figure out what it is? He doesn’t have health insurance so he hasn’t gone to a Dr in years but the smell comes and goes so sometimes it’ll be weeks without the smell and then it comes back!

I'm curious. People who are having this issue. Are you happy in your relationship?

I don't mean to be woo about it, but my exh was an abusive shit. The time I could smell him was after I gave birth so I think it was hormonal possibly, but there was no reason for it on his side. Looking back it feels like my body was telling me something.

I suspect his diet wasn't good at that time as I was in hospital and not doing it for him but I swear it was only me that smelt it.