Nosefilter: what might be causing this (bad) smell?

October 17, 2008 8:25 PM

Nosefilter: what might be causing the weird (bad) smell coming from my significant other's nose? I know you're not my doctor, but this funky mucus-y smell eminates from his nose every year starting around this time and gradually fades away in the spring/summer. Has anyone else encountered this? Any recommendations for home remedies or what specialist would be best suited to provide diagnosis (ENT)?

FWIW, he's tried using a neti pot with little (lasting) success. I'm not convinced it does anything, actually. It is also definitely not improved after teeth brushing/mouth washing/gum chewing. We're in the NY area, if that lends any clue. Please help me help my SO kissable sans grimaces in the wintertime again. Thank you!

posted by xiaolongbao to health & fitness (17 comments total)

Recurring sinus infection triggered congestion due to seasonal allergies (e.g. leaf mold)?

Just a guess.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:06 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

triggered by, I meant.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:06 PM on October 17, 2008

ENT.
posted by rbs at 9:09 PM on October 17, 2008

Oh god, I want to know the answer to this, because I have a mild version of this problem, but it only comes on when I have an injury in my nose. Right now, I have a split at the top of my right nostril (that's where the split always pops up), and it smells. Also, I knew a guy once who scraped his nose up pretty badly, and it smelled the same as my nose injuries do, except it was stronger. I hope there is a similar cause at work here.
posted by Coatlicue at 9:43 PM on October 17, 2008

Yeah, sounds like some sort of seasonal mold. Mild antibiotics. IANAD, and this is just a guess, obviously.
posted by Pants! at 10:08 PM on October 17, 2008

Seasonal allergies and possible post-nasal drip.
posted by zippy at 10:15 PM on October 17, 2008

Ugh. I get this too. What constitutes a "mild antibiotic"? A nasal spray or medication? Rx or over the counter?
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:36 PM on October 17, 2008

Suggestions:

It sounds like Chronic sinusitis, see an ENT and get a CT of his sinuses.

Olive Leaf Nasal Spray - 1 fl oz - Spray

Treating infections without antibiotics

ioniser
posted by nickyskye at 11:54 PM on October 17, 2008

You might want to consider using a Neti Pot during the times this occurs; it should flush "sitting" snot out so you don't have a warm, moist environment for bacteria to do its thing. It will also add a little moisture to your nasal passages so you don't get cracks, like Coatlicue. Videos of the Neti Pot in action located here.

I used to work in an ENT clinic, and they handed these out like candy. I have recently seen these at the prescription pick-up area of chain drug stores, so they are definitely not hard find. If the idea of sticking that up your nose is too much, you can start out by trying a Saline Nasal spray, similar idea, but much less water at one time.
posted by blackkar at 5:42 AM on October 18, 2008

Find a doctor who is an allergist. If he has allergies, he can go for a course of allergy shots that could clear the problem up over time. It's been a while since I went to one, but I don't recall needing a referral - I just picked one out of the phone book. (His health insurance may have guidelines for this.)

"board-certified allergist NY" search results
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:02 AM on October 18, 2008

If he goes to an ENT they can talk to him and possibly refer him to an allergist. They can also do this fancy thing where they swab his sinuses and see if they have a bacterial infection.
posted by sondrialiac at 7:54 AM on October 18, 2008

I once babysat for a kid that had tonsil & adenoid infections, and they caused an odor similar to the one you're talking about. Also seconding the post-nasal drip answer.
posted by kattyann at 8:25 AM on October 18, 2008

Have you really been able to isolate that the smell comes from his nose, not his mouth? Either way, an ENT would probably be your go-to specialist. "Nose" is his middle name, after all.

Yeah, sounds like some sort of seasonal mold. Mild antibiotics. IANAD, and this is just a guess, obviously.

Antibiotics don't come in "mild" form. Are you implying that this person has actual mold growing in their nose, or an allergy to molds that crop up seasonally? Antibiotics don't treat either. "IANAD" is no excuse for completely uninformed guesses, so please keep them to yourself.
posted by vytae at 9:37 AM on October 18, 2008

Strictly anecdotal: Several years ago I suspected that a nasal spray had gone bad and even took it in to the pharmacy to discuss it. Turns out that the bad smell was simply due to accumulated boogers on the spray bottle. Presumably accumulated boogers in the nose may similarly develop a smell. Sorry, beyond what you've already done I'm not sure how you'd cure that.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:11 AM on October 18, 2008

We've scheduled an appointment with a local ENT in the near future (Nov 10). Any suggestions as to what to emphasize to the ENT to make the most of the visit and (hopefully!) solve the issue once and for all? Thanks!
posted by xiaolongbao at 2:11 PM on October 23, 2008

follow-up: The ENT suggested in was acid reflux. Unfortunately, at the time of the visit the smell had resided. Doc checked for any areas where mucus could pool up/fester but found none. He'll try the modified diet suggested for acid reflux. Doc also mentioned slightly deviated septum. Thoughts? Thanks and good luck to other suffers!
posted by xiaolongbao at 8:13 PM on November 13, 2008

Yuck! the smell is back again! I am going insane trying to figure this out...any additional thoughts on what could cause this to happen again starting yesterday in the NE U.S. are sooo greatly appreciated.
posted by xiaolongbao at 7:48 AM on November 21, 2008