Is smelling burnt toast a symptom of a seizure?Ī seizure is an abnormal brain firing. If you or someone else may be having a stroke, call 911 and go to the nearest emergency room right away. Immediately call your local emergency services if you or someone you know shows signs of a stroke. For example, you could have them say “The early bird catches the worm.” Ask the person to repeat a phrase without slurring. Look for signs of drooping on one side of the face. A simple “FAST” test can help you recognize a stroke in yourself or others: Stroke symptoms come on suddenly, without warning. Fast action improves the odds of recovering fully after a stroke. However, it’s important to be aware of the warnings signs of a stroke so that you can take quick action if one occurs. There’s no evidence that suggests phantosmia is a sign of a stroke. Is smelling burnt toast a sign of a stroke? These changes are usually temporary and go away within several months after completing treatment. Because of this, radiation for throat or brain cancer can lead to changes in smell.
Radiation treatment can damage healthy cells near the cancer cells it targets. Radiation treatment for throat or brain cancer Other chemicals such as chemical solvents may also cause phantosmia, but the link is less clear. Metals like lead, nickel, and mercury are most likely to cause you to smell odors like burnt toast. Long-term exposure to neurotoxins can alter your sense of smell.
Neurotoxins are chemicals that are toxic to your nervous system. Dental issuesĭental issues, especially persistent dry mouth, can lead to you smelling phantom smells. This is usually temporary, but can continue for long after the infection has gone away, as the damage heals. Upper respiratory infectionĭamage to the olfactory system after an infection is a common cause of phantosmia. This is because they can damage your olfactory system. They’re usually caused by chronic inflammation and are one of the most common causes of issues with your sense of smell. Nasal polyps are soft, painless, non-cancerous growths on the inside of your nose. Antihistamines can usually relieve congestion and improve the issue. AllergiesĬongestion from allergies can temporarily damage your olfactory system and cause you to smell things that aren’t there, like burnt toast.
These olfactory hallucinations happen just before or during a migraine, and will usually last around 5 minutes to an hour. Phantom smells are an uncommon type of migraine aura, which is a sensory disturbance just before a migraine happens. Even just one infection can temporarily damage the olfactory system and cause you to smell things like burnt toast. Potential causes include: Sinus infectionĬhronic sinus infections can disturb your olfactory system and cause phantosmia that lasts a long time. Smelling burnt toast can also be a sign of a medical condition, including some serious conditions. Issues that begin in the nose, either in the olfactory nerves in the nose itself or in the olfactory bulb just above the nose, account for 52 to 72 percent of phantom smells. Research suggests that phantom smells can be caused by issues in the nose or in the brain. It’s not fully understood why some people smell things that aren’t there, such as burning toast. Can smelling something burning be a sign of a medical condition?