In the article, we will consider why the smell in the nose happens.
Runny nose with stuffy nose occurs, as a rule, as a result of otolaryngological and catarrhal diseases. However, in some cases, an unpleasant odor from the nose may also appear. In fact, our body is able to talk about its condition in many different ways. One of them is smells. Absolutely every person consciously or intuitively knows which smell is inherent in him and which is unusual. For example, the appearance of the smell of ammonia can cause any suspicion, since normally people cannot exude a similar aroma. Next, we will understand what are the main reasons for the occurrence of certain odors in the nose and what should be done if a person feels such aromas.
Possible pathologies
An unpleasant smell from the nose can serve as a sign of the development of purulent sinusitis. The appearance of a smell from the nasal cavity indicates various pathologies. Typically, such a phenomenon may indicate a purulent or infectious process occurring in the respiratory tract. In some situations, the smell indicates the presence of foreign objects in the nose. Often this condition is observed in patients who are in childhood. Specialists claim that the following pathologies can provoke a fetid smell in the nose:
- The development of sinusitis. With this disease, an inflammatory process is observed in the sinuses. Other symptoms of sinusitis include headache along with dizziness and purulent discharge from the nasal cavity.
- The development of rhinitis in acute form. In this condition, the mucous membrane can become inflamed, and multiple purulent discharge occurs in the nose. Very often with this pathology, there is a smell of pus in the nose.
- Infections that result from the action of pathogenic bacteria. In this case, the smell may be intermittent.
- With parosmia, the presence of a disturbed sense of smell in a patient is considered characteristic. In this case, the patient has a bad sense of smell. A person may complain of a putrefactive smell. This disease is often a complication of some pathologies.
- Stench may occur as a result of tonsillitis, rhinoscleroma, or adenoiditis.
- In addition, the bad smell of nasal discharge in people arises from the lake. This is called atrophic rhinitis or fetid rhinitis. This pathology arises extremely rarely, and its causes are not completely understood. It is believed that the factors against which this disease develops include a genetic predisposition. In this case, inflammation can occur not only in the nasal mucosa, but also in the cartilage of the nose and tissues of the bones. Crusts may begin to form, due to the presence of which the smell is in the nose.
Next, let's talk about the reasons that contribute to the emergence of certain unpleasant aromas.
Causes
The factors contributing to the appearance of a smell in the nose include:
- Weakened immune system.
- The effect of unbalanced and poor nutrition.
- The presence of diseases in the nose.
- Living in adverse environmental conditions.
- Due to surgery.
- Against the background of constant contact with allergens.
- Due to a lack of vitamins in the body.
- Against the background of adverse living conditions.
- Due to violation of hygiene rules.
As you can see, the causes of nose odor in an adult can be very different.
In rare situations, a bad smell can occur as a result of diseases of the digestive, endocrine and nervous systems, and in addition, against the background of pathologies of bones, kidneys and joints.
What causes the smell of ammonia and acetone?
The smell appears for various reasons. There is a whole variety of mechanisms for the development of this symptom. It is worth noting that the smell of acetone in the nose is a consequence of the presence of any particular pathology. The sensation of acetone, as well as ammonia, can be caused by many ailments.
The first mechanism of exposure is directly related to the development of pathogenic microflora in the nose. The mucous membrane is populated by an abundance of all kinds of microorganisms. As long as a person’s immunity is strong, it easily inhibits the growth of unicellular parasites, preventing them from growing. But as soon as the immune system fails, bacteria can begin to multiply actively and produce a large number of pathogenic waste products in the nasal cavity. Many of them can smell extremely unpleasant.
In the event that the causes of the unpleasant odor lie in the bacteria, then such a smell in the nose will be felt by the person and others. When an unpleasant smell is heard only by a person, while others do not feel it, then we are talking about a disorder of smell. There are quite a few reasons for this: injuries along with abuse of vasoconstrictive medicines, colds, otolaryngological diseases with a runny nose, and so on.
Acetone breathing from a person’s nose appears in the following case: when the concentration of acetone in the blood rises above normal. This can occur in only about 10% of cases. Basically, when people complain about the smell of ammonia, doctors suspect diseases of the nasal cavity in 80% of cases. And in 10% of situations, we are talking about pathologies in the oral cavity.
Often there are cases when the smell of ammonia in the nose can not haunt a person constantly, but only in certain situations or at some time of the day. And sometimes this is no more than a hallucination that occurs against the background of brain damage and some mental pathologies. When it comes to children, it is possible that a foreign body has entered the nose, and the child’s body thus simply responds to this factor. Actually, this can also happen with adult patients.
The smell of pus in the nose
It can occur as a result of the appearance of bacterial infections on the nasopharyngeal mucosa. When the immune system weakens and cannot resist pathogenic microorganisms, the latter can begin to multiply intensively in the region of the nasal cavity, while releasing toxins, which lead to the development of inflammation and the formation of pathogenic purulent secretions. It is the presence of pus that causes the putrefactive odor, the development of intoxication, weakness and the formation of dry greenish crusts.
Discharges from the nose of pus along with a putrid odor are dangerous signs indicating the presence of inflammation in the human body. In addition, the purulent smell in the area of the nasopharynx may have a different nature, for example, appear in the presence of foreign objects in one of the passages or a chronic infection.
Ozen as the cause of the presence of bad smell
One of the main causes of nose odor is a disease called ozena. The people this pathology is also called the fetid cold. Experts cannot fully understand what external factors provoke it, but they can predict its development, which takes place on the basis of congenital factors in the form of a significant expansion of the facial lobe of the skull, underdevelopment of the forehead sinuses and excessive breadth of the nose wings. Ozena can damage the nasal mucosa, and in severe cases it affects cartilage and bone tissue.
The situation can also be aggravated if a person lives in unsanitary conditions, and in addition, eats poorly. In this case, the patient can constantly feel dry nose, along with an unpleasant odor, intensifying when sneezing at a time when breathing for a short time becomes free. In this disease, the nasal mucosa is covered with a dry crust, and it seems to the patient that he has some foreign bodies in his nasopharynx. In the presence of advanced cases, inflammatory processes affect the larynx and middle ear.
The smell of rot
The main reason for the presence of rot odor in the nose is bacterial infections. With reduced immunity, the body is very often exposed to microscopic organisms of bacterial origin. Diseases that are expressed by such pathogens are especially dangerous. The fact is that infections that occur in the nasal cavity and within the paranasal sinuses can have a chronic form, which means that such a treatment for nose odor is quite long.
What should be done and which doctor should I contact?
The root causes of the development of such symptoms should be sought from the otolaryngologist. It is important to remember that in the event of an unpleasant odor from the nose, it is imperative to consult a specialist. This can be explained by the fact that such a sign indicates various serious diseases. In addition, with this condition, the development of undesirable consequences is not excluded.
First of all, you should contact the otolaryngologist who will perform an examination and give out a direction for the passage of the required diagnostic methods. Additionally, computed tomography may be needed along with endoscopic examination, culture analyzes and more. In the event that a suspicion of an otolaryngological pathology is not confirmed, consultation of additional specialists may be necessary. Immediately after diagnosis, the doctor selects the appropriate treatment regimen, which takes into account the individual characteristics of the body along with the nature of the course of the disease.
Treatment methods
So, it is very unpleasant when the nose is blocked and there is a smell.
Rinsing the nose with decoctions and infusions of herbs can well thin the accumulated mucus, it also has an antimicrobial effect. To get rid of the presence of an unpleasant odor in the nose, you should initially get rid of the reason, for example, to cure sinusitis, and, in addition, carry out a series of preventive actions. At the initial stage of the formation of the disease, as a rule, vasoconstrictive medications are used to help better outflow of pathogenic mucus.
In the presence of purulent and inflammatory processes, inpatient treatment is often required. The patient can be punctured, that is, a puncture, in order to release the inflamed sinuses from the accumulated pus, and then the cavity is washed with a medicinal solution. In some situations (for example, with advanced chronic sinusitis), surgical intervention may be necessary.
To eliminate the unpleasant odor from the nose in an adult, systemic rinsing of the nasal passage also helps. One of the most effective, and at the same time, inexpensive medicinal solutions intended for rinsing, is the well-known drug "Furacilin", which is a popular antimicrobial agent. Solutions with iodine are also well suited. In pharmacies, you can purchase the following medicaments for rinsing, for example, Dolphin along with Aquamaris, Dioxidine, and so on.
In the event that the lake acts as the cause of the fetid odor, then excessive dryness should be eliminated, the crusts appeared on the nose and deodorized. To do this, rinse the nose with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or using physiological saline. In combination with washing, it is necessary to use tampons soaked in the prepared solution of glycerin or iodine.
The next step to recovery is inhalation with the use of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents. In addition to all this, it is necessary to use drugs aimed at treating the underlying disease, due to which, in fact, the smell of pus from the nose arose.
In more advanced situations, conservative therapy may be powerless. Therefore, doctors often decide on the surgical resolution of this problem. Often, an operation is prescribed in the case when inflammation is formed due to the presence of a curved nasal septum in a person. Each patient should be aware that the presence of a fetid odor in the nose can be diagnosed only after visiting a specialist who will undergo a thorough examination of the body.
In combination with drug therapy at home, you can refer to the methods of traditional medicine. In the process of rinsing the nasal passages, decoctions that are prepared from medicinal herbs help. It is good to select herbs that have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and immunostimulating properties. These include sage along with chamomile, eucalyptus, calendula, propolis, celandine and many others.
Steam inhalation
Steam inhalation also helps to moisturize the mucous membrane, eliminate the unpleasant constant odor in the nose, and destroy pathogenic microorganisms. Inhalations over a decoction of bay leaves are considered a good tool in the complex treatment of sinusitis. To do this, take 15 medium-sized leaves and fill it with hot water. The procedure should be carried out three times a day, lasting ten minutes.
As for a healthy diet, you should increase the consumption of foods in the form of apples, cucumbers, spinach, carrots and other vegetables and fruits. It is worth noting that Brussels sprouts together with broccoli can have an antibacterial effect. If a person suspects that he has an unpleasant odor from his nose, then in no case should you delay a visit to the doctor.
Patient Reviews
Judging by the reviews, it can be said that many people today are faced with such a problem as the occurrence of an unpleasant smell in the nose. Treatment in this case is carried out on the basis of the identified disease.
For example, people in reviews say that in the presence of a purulent and inflammatory process, patients often require inpatient treatment. Typically, patients are punctured to get rid of accumulated pus. In some particularly difficult cases, patients say that they had to decide on a surgical procedure.
People also write that they managed to eliminate the unpleasant odor from the nose with the help of a systemic rinse. Consumers are advised in this case to resort to the use of drugs such as Aquamaris or Dioxidin. Also, according to the stories of patients, it is often possible to get rid of an unpleasant smell by cleansing the nose and performing deodorization.
Next, we learn what should be the basis of prevention to prevent pathologies that provoke a feeling of an unpleasant odor in the nose.
Prevention
It is known that the presence of an unpleasant odor from the nose and the presence of purulent secretions in itself is a source of infection that can spread to different organs, as well as significantly reduce human immunity. In this regard, the occurrence of such a symptom should be taken seriously.
As part of preventive measures, it is required to timely treat certain cold diseases with a runny nose, and at the same time not to abuse vasoconstrictor drugs and not to self-medicate. It is very important to lead an exclusively healthy lifestyle, avoiding hypothermia and eating a variety of foods rich in vitamins. In addition, it should be remembered that the disease is always easier to prevent than to treat later.
We examined in detail why the smell in the nose occurs.