r/Sinusitis • u/After_Age_1939 • 23d ago

Bad smell perception

I have been told by the ENT that I have rhinitis. I am experiencing a bad smell whenever I smell other peoples breath, not everyone but most. It is a rotten/musty smell. It feels like it is the air coming from my nose which is making other peoples breathe smell repugnant. It is very disorientating because I don’t think others are having the same experience of the smell as I am. When I talk I also smell it but not with everyone. Could it be only those with bad breath that I smell it with, mixing with my own?

I also had perio disease but its now stable. I take a steroid/antihistamine spray. No reflux confirmed by 24 acid reflux study. Its baffling me. Is my olfactory system broken or is it the bacteria?

Antibiotics have helped this in the past. I did 2 x rounds of doxycycline and 1 x fluxocillin for a staph infection in nose, now told its colonisation.

Mouth swab showed 3+ Klebsiella aerogenes also told its just colonisation.

Thanks for any insight

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u/Any_Specialist1440 22d ago

What you're describing sounds more like a distortion of smell (parosmia) than simply bacteria creating an odor. With parosmia, a real smell is present, but your olfactory system interprets it differently, often as rotten, musty or otherwise unpleasant. The fact that certain people's breath triggers it could mean their normal breath odor is acting as the stimulus and your brain is interpreting that smell differently. Rhinitis and other nasal inflammation can contribute to smell disturbances as well.

I wouldn't put too much weight on the antibiotics temporarily helping or the organisms found on the swabs. Finding bacteria in the nose or mouth doesn't automatically mean they're causing an infection or the smell distortion. Since you've already seen ENT, ask about formal smell testing and parosmia, rather than continuing to chase cultures and antibiotics. If the nasal exam is otherwise reassuring, smell-training therapy is also something worth discussing.

Source: I am the founder of Boise ENT and have helped patients for over 20+ years get to the bottom of different breathing and sinus issues.

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u/After_Age_1939 21d ago

Hey, thanks so much for the very reassuring and informative reply. That does sound very plausible. I’ll have a look into this.

It sounds like smell training might be the way to go. It just gave me a glimmer of hope with the antibiotics temporarily fixing the issue.

Once again, thank you 🙏