Olfactory hallucinations are a kind of hallucinations in which a smell appears in the mind of a person that does not correspond to any irritant and is objectively absent in the real world surrounding it.
Causes of hallucinations
Like other types of hallucinations, this disorder arises from the use of narcotic drugs, certain drugs, psychotropic substances, as well as from certain mental and neurological disorders. People who experience olfactory hallucinations can not only describe the smell in detail, but also react to imaginary odors by increasing salivation, loss of appetite, etc. The occurrence of such hallucinations can be a consequence of serious problems, both mental and somatic .
The most common olfactory hallucinations are a direct consequence of brain lesions: craniocerebral trauma, tumors, hemorrhage and infection of the brain, intoxication of the body with toxic substances and the use of certain types of drugs. The emergence of such hallucinations in the mind of a person can be one of the symptoms of epilepsy and some mental disorders (hypochondria, schizophrenia, personality disorders ). In rare cases, hallucinations of odors can be caused by damage to the nasal mucosa.
Manifestations of olfactory hallucinations
Many patients who see a doctor say that their food and water have an unpleasant odor, for example, an unbearable smell of decomposition or chemical, rotten eggs, plastic, a sharp smell of smoke, oil products, etc. Much less often the patient can be haunted by the hallucination of a pleasant smell (flowers, for example), which due to its obsession, pursuing it for a long period of time, can have an absolutely opposite effect.
People experiencing hallucinations of smell should consult with a psychiatrist, neurologist or psychotherapist in order to undergo the necessary examination in order to identify the causes of the disease and establish the correct diagnosis. Only by putting an accurate diagnosis, a specialist can prescribe an adequate treatment.