Asked by: Comfort Senghas
medical health dental health

What is smelling sulfur a symptom of?

17
Brief episodes of phantom smells or phantosmia — smelling something that's not there — can be triggered by temporal lobe seizures, epilepsy, or head trauma. Phantosmia is also associated with Alzheimer's and occasionally with the onset of a migraine.


Correspondingly, what does it mean when you smell sulfur?

The two most common sources of a rotten egg smell are a natural gas leak, and escaping sewer gas. That's why utility companies inject a substance called mercaptan, which emits an odor that smells like sulfur or rotten eggs. If there's a very strong smell, you could have a substantial natural gas leak.

Beside above, what disease makes you smell like rotten eggs? Trimethylaminuria is a disorder in which the body is unable to break down trimethylamine, a chemical compound that has a pungent odor. Trimethylamine has been described as smelling like rotting fish, rotting eggs, garbage, or urine.

Also know, is the smell of sulfur dangerous?

Hydrogen sulfide can occur in groundwater, as a natural result of decayed vegetation, and it can create a mild or strong sulfur odor, depending on the percentage of hydrogen sulfide present. While the smell is off-putting, it's not considered hazardous to your health to use or drink.

What does it mean when you smell something that isn't there?

Phantosmia (phantom smell), also called an olfactory hallucination or a phantom odor is smelling an odor that is not actually there. It can occur in one nostril or both. Olfactory hallucinations can be caused by common medical conditions such as nasal infections, nasal polyps, or dental problems.

Related Question Answers

Daouda Laburdi

Professional

Is it safe to shower in sulfur water?

Is Sulfur Water Safe? It's understandable if you don't want to drink or bathe in foul-smelling water, nor should you have to. Good, clean water is free of taste or odors and doesn't pose any risks to your health. If your water has an unpleasant rotten egg smell or taste, we're here to help.

Maimona Graça

Professional

What does cancer smell like?

Cancer raises polyamine levels, and they do have a distinct odor. Using an electronic nose, researchers have been able to detect prostate cancer from urine smell print profiles. These studies, and others like them, are a promising area of cancer research. It's still in its infancy, though.

Ildefons Kleeschulte

Professional

How do you get rid of sulfur smell?

Chlorine bleach can effectively remove medium to high levels (over 6 mg/l) of hydrogen sulfide. The chlorine in the bleach chemically reacts with (oxi- dizes) the hydrogen sulfide eliminating the "rotten egg" odor. Chlorine bleach also reacts with iron or manganese, and disinfects water supplies.

Vital Zariquiey

Explainer

What do you smell before a stroke?

“There's a popular myth that smelling burnt toast is a sign of a brain tumor, or that you're having a stroke,” he said. “This isn't true. “A stroke can affect any area of your brain, so it's possible that your sense of smell can be affected, but there's no particular smell that you need to worry about.

Purificacio Kleynman

Explainer

What would cause a sulfur smell in your house?

The source of sulfur odors in is usually hydrogen sulfide, a naturally-occurring compound produced by bacterial breakdown of sewage and other organic waste. Its presence in the water usually indicates some kind of contamination that requires treatment. The cause could also be sulfates, which are salts of sulfur.

Lajos Wogener

Explainer

What does it mean when your body smells like sulfur?

A sulfur-like odor often occurs when the methionine isn't broken down properly within the body. You may also experience breath or sweat that smells like sulfur.

Agora Kazmiersk

Pundit

What is sulfur good for?

It is the third most abundant mineral in the human body. Sulfur seems to have antibacterial effects against the bacteria that cause acne. It also might help promote the loosening and shedding of skin. This is believed to help treat skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or acne.

Yoel Palafox

Pundit

Why do I smell sulfur in my nose?

Because a rotten smell in your nose often means you're also dealing with a sinus infection, nasal polyps, or other condition, it's likely you also have other symptoms.

Francie Darchinyants

Pundit

Why is sulfur bad for you?

Sulfur is found in many foods and is considered a vital part of a healthy diet, but too much sulfur in your drinking water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration. Sulfur not only stinks and makes your water taste bad, it can also stain your sinks, toilets, and clothing and even damage plumbing.

Maazouza Callejon

Pundit

Can smelling sulfur kill you?

Sulfur is low in toxicity to people. However, ingesting too much sulfur may cause a burning sensation or diarrhea. Burning sulfur creates sulfur dioxide, a gas. If inhaled, coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, and labored breathing, has been reported.

Vivianne Rzheshevsky

Pundit

How does the body get rid of hydrogen sulfide?

TREATMENT OPTION: AERATION
Because hydrogen sulfide gas escapes rapidly from water to cause an odor, it may also be removed from the water by aeration. The process includes bubbling air through the water tank, then separating or "stripping" the hydrogen sulfide in the air by venting it to the outdoors.

Natnael Baklashoff

Teacher

Will a carbon monoxide detector detect sewer gas?

Carbon monoxide alarms ALONE do NOT detect propane/methane/natural gas leaks. Carbon monoxide sensors detect ONLY carbon monoxide, not raw fuel or fumes. It does not take striking a match to cause a gas explosion or fire. Each gas appliance is a potential source of a gas leak.

Gutier Eifman

Teacher

What does hydrogen sulfide do to the body?

H2S irritates the mucous membranes of the body and the respiratory tract, among other things. Following exposure, short-term, or acute, symptoms may include a headache, nausea, convulsions, and eye and skin irritation. Injury to the central nervous system can be immediate and serious after exposure.

Joselina Iturride

Teacher

Is sewer smell in house dangerous?

Hydrogen sulfide is dangerous even at low levels. Prolonged exposure to sewer gas can cause irritability, headaches, fatigue, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, loss of appetite, poor memory and dizziness. It affects people and pets that are exposed to it over a long period of time.

Crispin Abaiz

Teacher

How do you test for hydrogen sulfide in the air?

Air must be tested for the presence and concentration of hydrogen sulfide by a qualified person using air monitoring equipment, such as hydrogen sulfide detector tubes or a multi-gas meter that detects the gas.

Purita Zuliani

Reviewer

Can sewer gas explode?

Explosion risk
Sewer gas can contain methane and hydrogen sulfide, both highly flammable and potentially explosive substances. As such, ignition of the gas is possible with flame or sparks.

Boubekeur Libreros

Reviewer

Can Sewer Gas kill you?

Hydrogen sulfide is the primary gas in sewer gas. According to research , hydrogen sulfide has shown to be toxic to the oxygen systems of the body. In high amounts it can cause adverse symptoms, organ damage, or even death.

Blancanieves Schimanski

Reviewer

Why do I keep smelling Sulphur?

Brief episodes of phantom smells or phantosmia — smelling something that's not there — can be triggered by temporal lobe seizures, epilepsy, or head trauma. Sufferers report smelling hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs), bad perfume, garbage, a gas leak, wet dog, pungent body odor or spoiled fish or feces.

Younoussa Longhurst

Reviewer

Is foul smelling gas a sign of cancer?

Though not as common, a person may experience excessive smelly gas due to the presence of cancer of the colon. Cancerous polyps or tumors can form blockages that cause gas to build up in the intestine. One early warning sign is when changes in diet or medication do not stop foul-smelling gas from occurring.