Imagine smelling something that isn’t there. Now imagine if these smells were always around, persisting through everyday life without any apparent reason.
These "phantom odors" occur when someone smells something, but there is nothing in the environment that corresponds to the often unpleasant odors. Though it may seem like a minor irritation, a persistent problem with smells can come with some risks and indicate other health issues, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
About one in 15 people in the study smelled phantom odors, according to researchers from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders who looked at national health survey records between 2011 and 2014 from more than 7,400 people over 40 years old.
Who is most at risk
A particularly striking find in the thousands of records: About twice as many women as men reported phantom odors, especially those under age 60.
There may be several explanations. Prior research suggests that women are generally better than men at naming odors, and women are more often negatively affected by odors around them. They may also have a heightened sense of smell and be more likely to report a problem with phantom smells, according to past research.
