What Causes a Phantom Minty Smell Inside the Nose?
Do you smell something minty nearly every time you inhale, as though it’s coming from INSIDE your nose?
And you haven’t even eaten anything minty, either!
If you smell something minty coming from inside your nose, one of two possibilities comes to mind:
• There is something inside your nose that’s generating the scent of mint.
• The detection of this odor is imaginary, in that a source for this actual odor is absent, such as a bit of mint toothpaste up a nostril.
“Smelling things that are not present is called phantosmia,” says Gene Liu, MD, MMM, and Chief, Division of Otolaryngology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.
“This can be caused by a laundry list of reasons including seizure activity in the area of the brain that is associated with smell; irritation of the olfactory nerve from medications or trauma; atypical migraines; tumors in the area of the brain or along the nerve associated with the sense of smell; possibly some vitamin deficiencies; Parkinson’s; Alzheimer’s; and other neuropsychiatric disorders.”
Why would the odor be minty, of all things?
Dr. Liu explains, “Specifically, a minty smell does not ‘ring any bells’ for a particular cause.
“There is also no mention in the medical literature about a minty smell being any more or less common than other smells in cases of phantosmia,” which are often of a burning or smoky nature.
“If you are experiencing phantosmia of any kind, a visit to your doctor is probably a good idea given some of the rare, but potentially serious, causes.”
It might be linked to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy, where abnormal brain activity affects smell perception.
Other potential serious causes include temporal lobe seizures, brain tumors or head injuries that impact areas of the brain responsible for processing smells.
Infections or inflammation in the nasal cavity or sinuses, though less severe, can also contribute to phantosmia.
“Thankfully, most cases of phantosmia tend to go away on their own and usually are not associated with any serious medical issues,” says Dr. Liu.
If you have a mint smell up your nose, or at least, it seems that way, have you checked around to see if any external agents might be causing this, such as a spot of toothpaste high up on your shirt?
Dr. Liu’s clinical areas of focus cover a broad range including surgery of the head and neck, sinuses and thyroid, and disorders of the ears, salivary glands and vocal cords.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
What Is the “Best” Kind of Brain Tumor to Have?
Any brain tumor is bad news, but there are the deadliest and then there are “good” ones – from a relative standpoint, of course.
If you could choose a particular brain tumor to have, there is actually a certain kind that qualifies as being the “best.”
Or, to put it another way, the least life-threatening. (more…)
Why Can Tinnitus Onset Be Years After a Loud Sound?
Tinnitus can be caused by loud noise, but sometimes the continuous ringing in the ears occurs years after the loud sound. (more…)
Hearing Aids Making Tinnitus Worse? Causes & Solutions
“Hearing aids should not be causing one’s tinnitus to worsen and if they do, a visit to the audiologist is necessary,” says Rivka Strom, AuD, CCC-A, chief audiologist at Central Hearing LLC in NY.
“The audiologist should check that the hearing aid is not set inappropriately loud,” continues Strom.
Hearing Aid Adjustments
“It is important that the audiologist perform a test called real ear measures (REM) to ensure appropriate settings of the hearing aid and to make sure the hearing aid never gets too loud to the point where it can exacerbate the tinnitus,” explains Strom.
“Further, there is a condition known as hyperacusis which is highly comorbid with tinnitus.
“Hyperacusis refers to sensitivity to loud sounds. Severe hyperacusis occurs when an individual has difficulty tolerating everyday sounds which do not seem loud to others.”
Hyperacusis is not a disorder that’s caused by anxiety or the so-called all in a person’s head. It’s a real condition, and it’s not just a mere dislike of certain sounds.
Many people with hyperacusis do indeed suffer from tinnitus.
So while plugging one’s ears at the sound of piercing screams from playing children or an ambulance siren do not reflect hyperacusis, plugging one’s ears to the sound of leaves rustling, the sound of two people on TV kissing, or the sound of a fan would be very suggestive of hyperacusis, or at least, selective hyperacusis.
Sometimes, the noise of everyday sounds can literally cause ear pain in someone with severe hyperacusis. Here are examples of those sounds:
• Loud Music: Concerts, loudspeakers, or headphones at high volumes.
• Traffic Noise: Car horns, engine noise, and sirens.
• Appliances: Vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and dishwashers.
• Construction Sounds: Hammering, drilling, and heavy machinery.
• Office Noises: Keyboard typing, phone ringing, and printer sounds.
• Public Announcements: Loudspeakers in stations, airports, or shopping centers.
• Crowded Places: Background noise in restaurants, malls, or busy streets.
• Household Items: Blenders, coffee makers, and hair dryers.
• Animal Sounds: Barking dogs, chirping birds, or loud animal calls.
• Emergency Alarms: Fire alarms, car alarms, and emergency vehicle sirens.
• Social Interactions: Loud talking, laughter, or shouting in social settings.
“If an individual with tinnitus has hyperacusis and it is not addressed prior to wearing hearing aids, it can appear that the hearing aids are worsening the tinnitus — when it can just be that having access to everyday sounds from the hearing aid could result in the experience of hyperacusis and possibly tinnitus,” says Strom.
Dr. Strom is a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and has received several awards including Brooklyn College’s Excellence In Audiology Award.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
Can Martial Arts Class Loud Yelling Cause Hearing Loss ?
Can all those loud “Kiiii-aiiii!”s actually harm the hearing of students in martial arts classes?
A male adult’s booming voice can be quite loud, while the children – especially eager novices – are capable of emitting very loud, shrill shrieks on command or during specific portions of a “kata” – choreographed punches and kicks against imaginary opponents.
I have many years of martial arts training in a variety of schools. Students are encouraged to yell/shout as loud as possible, especially the kids, who will eat this encouragement up.
Some instructors will bellow, “Louder! Louder! I can’t hear you!”
The fair question, then, is if over time, one-hour martial arts classes will result in hearing loss. A lot of shouting also comes from instructors.
“Any form of yelling that is prolonged can potentially affect one’s hearing, although it depends on the intensity and duration of the yelling,” says Rivka Strom, AuD, CCC-A, chief audiologist at Central Hearing LLC in NY.
“In general. listening to any noise at an unsafe level for an extended period of time is damaging,” continues Strom.
“The higher the level of noise and the longer individuals are exposed to it, the greater the risk of suffering harm from it.
“Guidelines were established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) regarding exposure levels to loud noise, and this includes any noise including yelling and screaming.
“Although intensity and duration are the main factors here, it should be noted that frequency [a measure of the pitch of a sound] may have some minimal influence of the extent of the damage, with higher frequency sounds worse than low frequency sounds.”
Whether loud yelling and shrieking in a karate class causes gradual hearing loss, or repeated attendance at live concerts or nightclubs does, one thing is a constant: The noise-induced hearing loss is insidious and stealthy.
When you get a sunburn, you feel and see it. When the nerve cells in the inner ear, that capture sound waves and transmit them to the brain for interpretation, are irreversibly damaged, there is no pain or visible damage.
Think of gradual hearing loss like gradually increasing visual impairment.
Your once 20/20 vision is now 20/40, but you may not realize it until you have a vision test. But you can still function pretty well with 20/40 vision.
Likewise, with mild hearing loss, you can still function very well. All you need to do is ask people to repeat what they said, or you might move closer to them to hear them better, or raise the volume of the TV. It doesn’t occur to you that this is hearing loss.
If your martial arts school is loud and shrieky, wear ear plugs.
You can also seek out a karate school that does not emphasize excessive yelling.
This will likely be the case in a program in which tournament competition is NOT a big part, since kata competitors are encouraged to holler as loud as possible.
On the other hand, schools that emphasize street self-defense often encourage female students to yell as loud as possible in staged assaults.
I would say, though, that martial arts schools that display a ton of trophies in their front windows and boast “champions” will be the loudest.
I have actually heard tournament judges say that loudness is a key factor in deciding who gets the first place kata trophy.
Dr. Strom is a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and has received several awards including Brooklyn College’s Excellence In Audiology Award.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Tinnitus Suddenly Starts in One Ear but No Loud Noise Exposure: Causes
What are the likely causes of tinnitus suddenly affecting one ear when you have not been exposed to loud noise like a concert or auto racing event? (more…)
What Makes Tinnitus Sometimes Go Away Overnight?
Isn’t it wonderful when your tinnitus magically goes away overnight?
Unfortunately, it comes back to rattle you all throughout your waking moments. (more…)
Five Year Old Constantly Clears Throat: Causes, Solutions
“In general, throat clearing is a non-specific a symptom of many things,” says Dr. Bande Virgil, MD, a board certified pediatrician, professor of clinical pediatrics, and Amazon Best Selling Contributing Author of “The Chronicles of Women in White Coats.”
Why Do Infants Scratch Their Heads?
Why shouldn’t an infant be scratching his or her head?
After all, adults and kids do it all the time: There are many reasons an infant and any other age person will sometimes scratch their head.
The head is covered by skin. And skin is prone to itching. And when something itches, what do we do? We scratch it.
An infant’s fingers can make their way to his or her head and scratch an itchy area, even though the movements won’t be as coordinated due to the infant’s lack of neuromuscular development.
This may create the illusion that something worse is going on, when all it is, is a very harmless little itch.
A bug could have momentarily landed on the scalp. Are there houseplants in the baby’s room?
Houseplants sometimes attract tiny gnat-like flies. However, this is not the most likely reason for the itching—only a very unconsidered one.
Common Reasons
“Most infant head scratching is normal,” says Joel Gator Warsh, MD, of Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine, Studio City, CA, and part of the pediatric staff of Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
“Like any adult, there can be a variety of reasons babies scratch their head including behavior, irritation, dry skin and infections.
“The most common cause of an itchy scalp in infants is seborrheic dermatitis, which is a common dermatologic condition with dry, flaky skin of the scalp in babies. It looks crusty and yellow.”
This is the same condition that causes dandruff in adults. Because adults (most, anyways) have much more hair than infants, the distinctive appearance of seborrheic dermatitis is concealed.
On a baby with very little hair, it will look more serious than it actually is. But never diagnose it yourself. Always have a doctor make the official diagnosis.
Dr. Warsh also says, “Infection of the hair follicles called folliculitis can lead to inflammation and an itchy scalp.
“Eczema, which is a condition of dry skin and moisture loss, can lead to inflammation of the scalp leading to constant scratching.”
Getting an Infant to Stop Scratching His Head
“Try using coconut butter, shea butter or a topical emollient,” says Dr. Warsh.
“A shampoo or product can cause a chemical dermatitis leading to an itchy scalp.
“I would also consider a vitamin and nutrient deficiency such as B vitamins, zinc or selenium which can affect hair growth and the skin.”
Dr. Warsh and his Studio City, Los Angeles clinic treat a wide array of common pediatric issues using holistic and conventional treatments. He works with nutritionists, naturopaths, Ayurvedic practitioners, acupuncturists and more.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
BOTH Wrists Hurt Every Time You Do Pushups: Causes, Solutions
How is it that every time you do pushups, BOTH wrists end up hurting, yet you have no problem doing other pushing routines at the gym?
Though carpal tunnel syndrome can cause a pain in both wrists, it isn’t nearly the most likely cause, especially if the only time you feel the pain is during pushups.
Furthermore, carpal tunnel syndrome, if it causes pain during pushing exercises, will also likely be causing other symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the fingers and/or forearm tingling and pain – regardless of activity.
There is a much more likely cause of experiencing pain in both wrists upon doing pushups.
“The tendons and ligaments from the hand to the forearm are what gives the wrist its flexibility,” begins J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
“If pain is in both wrists during pushups, it’s often due to a lack of flexibility,” says Dr. Anderson.
“People tend to lose flexibility in their wrists unless they are doing regular exercises involving the wrist or stretching and flexibility exercises targeting the wrists.”
Flexibility Exercises
Pushups will improve flexibility in the wrists, since this exercise requires sustained wrist extension – unless you do variations such as pushups on your knuckles, fingertips or using handles or dumbbells.
But these variations, if done for every set, will deprive the joint from developing more flexibility. Do them for some sets but not all.
What you can also do, however, is simply pull (gently) your hand towards the topside of your forearm with the other hand and hold for 30 seconds, a few times every day. This will loosen things up.
A more comprehensive approach is to take up yoga. Many positions involve sustained wrist extension and will strengthen the joint.
“Pain in the wrist during exercise means the body is trying to warn the person of a problem,” says Dr. Anderson.
“Heeding the warning by changing position, modifying the exercise or stopping exercise altogether may keep the person from developing a more serious condition,” if the situation is more than just a benign case of stiff joints.
“If you experience pain in the wrist that is not immediately relieved when the exercise has stopped, it may require icing and/or bracing.
“If the pain is intense or lasts longer than 48 hours, seek the attention of a medical professional.”
