A few years ago, I was standing in my kitchen and I faintly smelled something. Something bad. I said to Jim, “Do you smell that?” He says no.
Now I’m on a mission. “I swear I smell something bad. Where the heck is that coming from?” I mumbled to myself.
If you are anything like me, you know what came next. I searched every single corner of the kitchen looking for this smell.
I opened the dishwasher and sniffed around. I smelled nearly every item the fridge and the pantry, holding them to my nose. I ran the garbage disposal. I swept the floor to see if any food had fallen there. I cleaned the countertop. I sniffed around the oven and stovetop.
I sniffed over every damn thing in the kitchen. Where was it coming from? I was losing my mind. (Of course, that whole time, Jim smelled nothing, so I surely looked like a crazy person.)
Eventually, I had to give up. Maybe the smell would go away. I lit some candles and tried to think about something else.
The next day, I went to heat up some leftovers in the microwave. I opened the door, and inside, I saw raw chicken that I had put there to thaw. Two days ago. That I had forgotten. So gross!!
As an HSP, I am super sensitive to smells. Anytime something starts to smell in the fridge, I can smell it before anyone else, and I will go on a rampage until I find the source of the stink.
This sensitivity to bad smells in the kitchen (usually from the garbage bin) led me to what might seem a strange habit to some: I put all perishable garbage in the freezer.
So if I’m preparing carrots, the peelings go in a plastic bag in the freezer. Empty yogurt cups, egg shells, containers that used to hold raw meat, banana peels—anything that could smell bad in the garbage goes into the freezer so it won’t start to stink in the waste bin. Then we throw it out on trash day. It’s helped eliminate crazy stink searches.
It’s not just spoiled food that grosses me out. One smell that triggers me is fried eggs. Ever since I was a child, it has made me feel nauseous. Do you have certain odors that you really, really hate?
Oh–one more thing–SMOKE. I am seriously sensitive to cigarette smoke. If I’m staying at hotel and I walk into my new room, I will immediately know if anyone has ever smoked there (and request another room). In cases where switching rooms isn’t possible, the smell will bother me like crazy. Eventually I get more used to the odor, but every once in a while, it hits me again. I really, really hate cigarette smoke. More than just the leftover odor, I hate how even standing amidst smoke for a few seconds makes your hair and all your clothes reek until you wash them.
But what about good smells?
Right now, the orange blossoms are out in full force in my neighborhood. They are absolutely intoxicating. Whenever I walk by this one particular orange tree, I am blown away by how strongly it smells. I stand there, smiling, with my eyes closed, just taking it in. I didn’t grow up in a place with orange trees, so it still feels new to me. I can’t get over it!
Sometimes, after it rains (which is rare in Southern California) there is a faint scent of eucalyptus in the air. Anytime I can pick up that scent, it feels special—calming and peaceful.
Have you found that certain odors evoke memories? If I ever smell Tommy Girl perfume (do they even make it anymore?) it reminds me of college, because that’s what I wore. In fact, a lot of perfumes and colognes remind me of certain times in my life or certain people. And certain food smells remind me of places. (I bet you feel this way, too!)
When I smell lovely things, like orange blossoms, eucalyptus, or garlic simmering in olive oil (another favorite), it is more than just a smell. It makes me feel something. It’s like a moment of sensory bliss, and I just can’t get enough of it.
Note added a few days after posting this: Some people have commented about whether acute sense of smell in an HSP thing. I don’t want to give the impression that this means you an HSP, or that all HSPs have it. This post is a musing (not amusing–a musing), just talking about another way in which I am sensitive, and perhaps it is related to being high sensitive in general–I don’t have any proof of that, though. Just wanted to clarify. 🙂
photo credit: dev null via photopin cc
I know exactly how you feel! I also get very disturbed about bad smells sometimes that others barely notice and I have to figure out what it is. It has happend several times that I noticed the smell of a smoker in a house although there was none and it was just that someone who came to visit a couple of days ago happend to be a smoker or there was a jacket in the closet that was used in a pub. I smell that in the entire house!
I love the smell of fresh cut grass or of rain on a warm summer day and some smells remind me of certain places or people, too.
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t write anything about smoke–I detest it, too, and am super sensitive to it!! Thanks for the comment!
help. my daughter insists that I have a terrible breath odor. she claims that it permeates any area where I am talking, especially cars. I went to an ENT, nothing. Talked to my closest friends, dental hygienist, they smell NOTHING. No bad breath, no body odor no permeating stankness. we are not on speaking terms over this and I don’t know what to do. I cut short my visit. No one else smells it. not people that I shared rooms with that,I have road tripped with, I even asked some co-workers. Only her. what could it be?
Thanks for your comment. I’m sorry you have this issue with your daughter. If no one else can confirm it, it doesn’t seem like it’s you, does it? What if you chew gum or use mints when you are around her? I’m sorry you are having this issue.
Not sure if it is too late to comment. However, I believed I had a great sense of smell that seems to run in Mr family. My father was a physician and could guess his patients perfume or cologne and they were very impressed. Unfortunately, I lost my sense of smell 9 weeks ago. I received radiation treatment to my nasal cavity over a 7 week period that ended 6 months ago. I cannot begin to tell you the impact it had had on my quality of life! I have great memories linked to very specific odors. For example, I attended overnight summer camp as a 12-17 year old and loved the smell of a wild plant that grew around the camp and bought a few of the same plants a few years ago to plant in the back yard. I found certain people with bad breath very difficult to stay close to as other pungent odors. I have asked my physicians and done research on the topic and though there is a chance my smell may improve, there is no guarantee. I can only hope I recover, even to some degree! Jay
I believe it’s your daughter herself. She may have an extraordinary sense of smell beyond that of most humans. Perhaps her senses are so heightened she can smell internal smells the way dogs do.
Another explanation may be that she’s having olfactory hallucinations. If they’re not based on mental illness perhaps they are an unconscious manifestation of an internal conflict with you or a resentment of something that took place between you. Maybe she wants to hurt you a bit due to a real or imagined slight or offense.
Finally she may simply be rude and bratty and insensitive.
One of these explanations will resonant with you.
Please don’t let it effect your self-confidence. If within 6 months no one else agrees with her you’ll know it is not you at all.
A little late to the conversation here, but as someone who is sensitive to people’s breath, trust me. You don’t want to dismiss this as being an insensitive bratty behavior. Sometimes it’s stress related, certain people trigger it and it’s beyond our control.
My sisters makeup would also set me off.. naturally everyone thought I was a brat, I just wanted the smell to get out of my personal space so I could breathe calmly!
I am super sensitive to smells and I’ve actually detected dental issues long before people figure it out with their dentist by the smell of their breath. Maybe you should check in with your dentist.
seems to be still alive this group.
Besides the other post I done today.
Yes, someone get a throat infection, I can smell it before my families know that they will get it.
My sense of smell is so good that I smell things others cannot,one example I stayed in a hotel on the 13 floor and all the rooms had soundproof windows I woke up at 3am from the smell of smoke and that was with all the windows shut, and if someone is smoking pot even if they are miles away or in a car which is three in front of me with all the windows shut, when going for walks in the fields I can also smell pheasants , when neighbours are having sex, the smell it wakes me up my cat had a fight and it got infected and I smelled this before it was visible just from the smell that no one else could smell and told me I was imagining things.
I have this issue as well. Bad breath is rough, but there are some people that seem to have a really high output of just… breath! Carbon Dioxide, I guess? I can always smell it, and it drives me crazy. I really think that this is just her sense of smell being heightened. I’ve also been able to smell a small gas leak from my neighbors home. I called the gas company and they said they found a tiny leak from my other neighbor, but nothing near the area I found it. Kept smelling it, called them again and showed them where. They checked the other neighbors house and sure enough, they had a small leak too. The guy said I had a “hellova nose”! So it is more than likely that your daughter is just hyper sensitive.
It’s so bad for me ,the guy downstairs smokes and it finds it’s way through any crevice imaginable,I have to move soon,I start to tremble and get angry like a bomb is going off inside me,,this rage comes over me and if I could get away with it I’d tear him to pieces
My husband gets aggressive reactions to smells. He ll wake up and scream the house smells and open windows while the ac is on…..nobody ekse smells anything. Of course Im blamed as I clean all the house . Dont get my wrong he has some sort of mental health issue such as adhd / anxiety…..It is impossible to live with…..
So with your sensitivity, how do you shield or avoid smells that cause you issues. I am very sensitive to smells as well but i seem to be having issues with the new furnace & the smell it makes. And I don’t know how to avoid it.
Also are there better places that don’t smell as much. ??
I don’t like being around so much synthetic smells because they really bother my health.
I quit smoking 36 years ago. My step son who is living with us increased his cigarette smoking and when comes in the house my nose, throat and tongue instantly become irritated. Now there is second and third hand smoke in his bedroom and car. He says he has quit. The residual smoke is still there. He brings residual smoke into the house each time he uses his car. When he is in the house my respiratory system becomes irritated. If he cuts up and cooks with garlic and onions I get a pulsing headache. When he is not in the house the bad smells fade if I leave the windows open. The tingling in my mouth, nose and throats almost never go away. When he comes back it starts all over again. Of course he can’t smell anything as he supposedly quit smoking. My wife can’t smell anything
Ask him to move out. I couldn’t deal with that with my sensitivity to smells, and you shouldn’t either. It’s your health his addiction is affecting. I have people around me who wear perfume & hair products after I’ve asked them repeatedly not to wear it around me because it bothers my throat & yet they still do. Put yourself first.
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!
THE RAMPAGE!!! THE FREEZER!!!
YES!!!
I do all these things.
I live with my Mother and she thinks I’m just being an a__hole when I ask her to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put her yogurt containers, banana peels, etc. in plastic bags before she puts them in any trash cans.
If she does not I become immediately furious. Like a split-second psycho. Also, this anger stats with me for an unfortunate amount of time.
It’s dumb. I don’t want to be angry. I generally don’t anger at most anger inducing things.
The best I can tell:
I feel like she’s decidedly waged was on my uncontrollables. This too angers me.
I appreciate this share of yours so much.
Thank you.
I’m a 43 year old hsp man. I can get lost in a candle store. I have a very strong sense of smell and much like you, smell things no one else in my house can.
I totally relate to this article, but didn’t attribute my keen sense of smell to being a sensitive person! In fact, what I smell at night is the toilet bowl water! I have to shut the door to the bathroom. It’s clean, but I smell it anyway! My kids think I’m a bit nuts! This article validates some of my craziness! 🙂 Thanks!
So funny you say that, I have been commenting to my husband the past few days that the bathroom smells weird (not the normal…um, smells). I plan on cleaning it from top to bottom tomorrow….I can’t tolerate weird smells!
I do that as well with my sense of smell, drives my girlfriend crazy, I’m like a bloodhound. Do you really think it’s a hsp thing.? Interesting and cool. Burnt smells I can’t stand, cheap perfume, b.o.,etc. Obsession cologne can trigger my high school years, ex girlfriends.Some smells can trigger memories that you had forgotten. ..Love the podcast and anything related to this. Thanks, Jeff.
Hi Jeff, I have no evidence that it’s an HSP thing–but we are sensitive to so much that it doesn’t seem crazy to think so, ya know? Thanks for the comment!!
Wow…I usually can relate to everything you write… But this.. This is me 100%. Lol I’m nuts and everyone who knows me, knows my sense of smell is ridiculous… Something that grosses me out is leftovers. Like when someone opens a container from the fridge… Very gross! I just tell people I have a hound dog nose. 🙂
Ew!! I can see how leftovers could gross you out. We all have our own certain smells that set us off!
Pardon me if this is too gross, but I’ve found my acute sense of smell to come in very handy around my babies. I have always found it easy to tell if an unpleasant whiff was a soiled diaper or a random fart. Let’s just say that no one gets away with blaming it on the dog in my house!
Oh, and do you have instances when you link a particular scent to a past event? Or person? Sometimes, I detect a smell and it reminds of the past, though it’s frustrating when I can’t quite remember the time or place I originally smelled it.
I love the smell of cinnamon.
An excellent way to get rid of bad odours( after smell of cooking fish for eg) is to burn dried Rosemary. In a metal dish light it then blow out and let smoke.
Thanks for the tip! I haven’t tried that.
This is kind of gross, but I work at a public library and when someone comes in to use the adult computer lab, I can tell right away if they haven’t bathed, no deodorant, or they leave a potent trail of perfume in the book stacks.
The trash cans and litter boxes in our apartment have to be changed frequently because it’s such a strong smell for me, but not my boyfriend.
I also have an acute sense of hearing. I hear a car coming down our dead end lane way before my boyfriend does. He probably thinks I am a vampire or something, haha.
Hi Kelly, As always I find a piece of me in all of your posts and podcasts. Cigarette smoke is so hateful. Even some “smoke free rooms” can have the dreaded scent in the pillows, curtains and carpet. There is no escaping it! Another scent I’d like to mention is fragrant laundry products. My daughter is obsessed with them! From the soap to the fabric softener to the dryer towels!! Even when she sends the grand babies over, the smell on their clothes is so stong it makes me feel sick. I hardly go to my daughters house because in addition to the laundry scents, she uses those “plug in” air freshener all over the house. I hardly can be in her house at all. My 3 year old granddaughter is also an HSP. She hates smells when I cook. She actually will gag if it’s very stong. It’s nothing she learned, it’s just how she is. She also asks to watch cartoons on a very low volume. On the upside the good stuff is magnified and it is wonderful to witness her delight in something a simple as white twinkle lights and the smell of gingerbread baking. The highs and lows of being an HSP. I only wish I’d know when I was 3 years old. Life would have been much clearer. Thanks for all. I alway look forward to your Tuesday podcasts. Cheers, Joni
Thank you for mentioning laundry products. I feel overwhelmingly sensitive to the scented varieties. However I don’t feel it is just my sensitivity. I do not understand why people who use these products don’t realize they leave a potent scent everywhere they go. They may make the artificial scents floral, but they do not smell nice in my opinion at all. My whole body reacts to them and I don’t want to breathe in. It’s a automatic physical reaction….my throat wants to close up. I think my body is just trying to protect me from the horrible chemicals in these products. I personally think they should be banned, that’s how much I struggle with this. Currently living next to someone who uses strong laundry products, it permeates the back yard and makes it hard to work outdoors. Can’t open my windows when she does laundry either.ugh! What to do?
Laundry products are a nightmare. When I got for a walk at a local park, there is often someone walking around the track also that has used Bounce. Yuck! It’s hard to believe I’m outside walking; couple hundred feet away from another person; and it makes my walk unbearable. Also, hate plug-ins. They are so overwhelming.
Have you tried or heard of any medication that could possibly help with a sensitivity to smell. I have a very sensitive sense of smell, and I’m trying to find ways to de-sensitive myself because i find it difficult living in such a smell enhanced environment/ culture.
I once woke in the middle of the night to take out the trash because I could smell the chicken remnants, I do live in a small apartment but still. I also had to downsize my garbage because being one person I couldn’t fill it fast enough to avoid odors. Though I am loving the freezer idea and will be doing that from now on.
Actually, this podcast got me thinking about all the GOOD smells that trigger my emotions. I love the smells of the seasons, especially spring and fall when things are changing. I love the smell of freshly-cut grass in the spring, cinnamon and apple in the fall, and pine at Christmas time (my wife and I burn a lot of Yankee candles). I also love the smell of Thanksgiving dinner and baking holiday cookies. All of these smells trigger good memories from my childhood and my past in general.
Not many smells really repulse me. I do hate the smell of liver cooking, and as a result, I’ve never eaten it (my wife was cooking it one day, so I stepped outside for a bit). I grew up around smokers, so I don’t have the aversion to it that others may experience. Granted, I’ve probably inhaled enough second-hand smoke to require an iron lung, but strangely, smoke is also a childhood memory trigger for me – not a bad one….just a subtle reminder of people and times gone by.
Hey Kelly The smell of the coffee when I first open up a new bag reminds me when it use to smell my mother’s coffee standing in her kitchen at the counter by the kitchen window . I would stick me nose in the bag and inhale a big breath. So when I open up a new bag now as an older person and stick my nose in it I am taken back and feel like I am standing in my mom’s kitchen smelling her fresh ground coffee. Its an unbelievable feeling.
As I was reading your comment I felt like I was right there with you, smelling that great smell! 🙂
Yep, cigarette smoke has always been a trigger for me, I hate it. My eyes hate it, my throat hate it, my clothes hate it…
Luckily very few of my friends smoke, and in Australia there’s very few public places it’s allowed now. Thank goodness!
Oh, and I hate the smell of coffee. Unfortunately that one is rather more common!
And hot cross buns, especially when they’ve been heated up.
Yes, I am sooooo grateful that smoking is rare now. I remember when I was younger and going to the bar/pub meant stinking up my entire outfit (and hair) with smoke. Ugh!!
I actually love the smell of coffee, so we differ there. 🙂
Just found your blog and read this. I too am super sensitive to smells that no one in my family of seven can smell! I hear it several times a week-that I’m a bloodhound, that I have the nose of a wolf, and that I should get a job with the police department as a bomb and drug sniffing DOG. (I will not work just for free meaty bones!) This has saved us sometimes, as in the case of the gas stove being left on or a candle that has black smoke coming out of it. I have also been looked at as a freak because I can tell when someone the car in front of mine is smoking. But at other times, I am the only one that can smell the pine trees still, the smell of great perfume, or the lavender flowers wafting in the breeze. I also have super sensitive hearing and have shocked people when I could hear every word they were whispering across a room.
omg Amy, we should hang out because we have such similar stories and sound alike in many ways, ha ha! My dad called me a bloodhound, too! 🙂
I have the hardest time with perfume-type smells—cologne, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc.)—causing runny eyes/nose and migraines/nausea if bad enough. Has anyone figured out a socially acceptable way to alert someone that their perfume is bothering you?
I just tell them that I’m allergic because they never understand. But I only tell that to someone I have to be around. Otherwise, I just walk away.
This is a HUGE thing for me, and I live in New York City so I am CONSTANTLY smelling things that other people allegedly cannot smell. The weirdest thing – despite the fact that I am very sensitive to individual smells, I do not recognize the “New York smell” that people talk about. I just don’t. But individual smells – it drives me crazy some days. I also get confused about smells and sometimes think they are something other than what they are – something dangerous – but that is my anxiety mixing with my sensitivity. Sigh. One day recently I decided to pay close attention to every smell I noticed while walking down a block and I just got so overwhelmed! I’m glad to know I’m not alone!
I used to talk to a vendor in NY and he said that he smells the rats and the smog but I have never been there and it sounds like I never want to go there.
🙂
When I see someone smoking on TV, the big screen, whatever, I swear I instantly smell it and curdle my nose. My parents smoked five packs a day between them so I desperately hate second-hand smoke. Mom passed just after aged 50 from it. So gross. But: good smells from aged 3 when our neighbors had their yard or something filled with bark/mulch. That fresh bark smell comes back now and then when opening a bag of mulch (not all mulch, actually, very few types). My only good memory from “that house” that I still hold.
Hi! I just woke up feeling crazed! Is that normal? I went to bed fine with this pillow but as I was awaking the smell immediately made my brain feel awful! It is highly potent fabric softner. I drive everyone around me crazy because most smells drive me crazy, from perfumes to coffee to other people’s house smells to clesners to…. It can make me angry & sick! I am highly sensitive! I thought it was getting better but this smell is making me nuts lol! I tell people I think I was a drug sniffing dog in another life! lol Oh well a cross to bare what can I do! I am very sensitive person others feelings even affect me even if I don’t even know them! I guess i am an extreme HSP!
I woke up smelling gas from the furnace and everyone just think that I’m nuts. I hate that. I found that the unit was stuck on the setting between low and start.
Again–I am so happy to hear I am not alone. My keen sense of smell often has my husband worried if I am human or K9. He jokes “my wife should sniff for drugs at the airport”. Everyone laughs, except for me. I can be inside our house and I can tell you if the neighbor next door is smoking, and where they are smoking (front porch or back porch). We live in house, nothing joined, yards separate us and yet I can still smell cigarette smoke. I can also tell you when the other neighbor is drying their clothes, they MUST use at least 5 downy sheet with every load. Literally inside my house and I smell the downy sheets–how is this possible? Smells trigger great emotions in me, and usually not good ones. I can’t clean with anything that has an odor to it. Its Tide Free for me! I have a co worker that microwaves awful meals, my boss lights her maple vanilla candle to cover the smell. My office then smells like hot road kill in a vanilla field! I cringe when people use the bathroom and spray pine scented air freshener. It smells like they crapped a pine tree! I could go on and on but I won’t. Thank you for sharing your message and info, I feel somewhat normal now.
haha, Christy, “hot road kill in a vanilla field!” Your comment made me chuckle. I can totally relate! I am crazy sensitive to the odor of cigarette smoke! You are definitely not alone. Do you at least get to appreciate the positive side when it comes to flowers and stuff like that?? 🙂
Oh my Goodness Christie!! You have me crying with a belly ache over here!! That is hilarious!! I have a super sensitive nose too! Smoke for me is the worst! I can also smell weed from a couple blocks away. I can’t stand it! I wish there was a way to keep my neighbor’s stinks off my property. People’s bad breath… forget about it! People that wear old lady perfume or incense oils like patuli…Gross!! Goodness… I had a friend that wore that patuli and we all usually hug when we greet and I couldn’t figure out what that gross smell was. I went home, changed my clothes and it was still there. It was driving me crazy! Finally, I realized it was stuck in my hair from when I hugged her! Uggh! I had to wash my hair to get rid of that awful smell!! I had to tell her, if you ever have that stuff on you again, please don’t hug me. Gross! Luckily, I live alone with my cats. I have to clean the litter box right away. I have no idea how people have cats and don’t clean the litter box every day. That’s just foul! Thanks for the good laugh! I haven’t laughed that hard in a while! 😂
I’m glad I’m not the only one who goes on “stink” searches…I feel doubly cursed because I’m a dog walker who has to pick up shit all day and when a dog gasses ione in the back of my truck, I literally know which dog did it and what the hell they ate! I need to get a new job
lol!!!!
My nose is so sensitive I know everyone’s “scent” One sister has this one the other a different one similar but not the same, brothers very different but I can tell them apart by their smell. Perfumes and colognes mask it somewhat but I can always “smell” their scent. The worst is I take the NYC subway and the MULTITUDE smells I encounter is Mind-boggling (smell-boggling?). I know who did put on a deoderant or not and even then I can smell them underneath. For some reason these smells come to me like baloney. The processed meat I am talking about — sometimes with a hint of garlic in it. or sometimes a smokey flavor to it. I just learned to grin and bear it. Or just put my hand to my face. It’s just one of the situations you have to deal with taking the train with 6M other people. I am also a dog walker that smell doesn’t really bother me that much because I am outside and in the fresh air I clean it up IMMEDIATELY. Maybe because it is expected and it’s (supposed) to be outside.. But stuck on a train OMG, the poor animals have no control over that (crap) but humans do! Just ranting but something I’ve always kept to my self because I thought It was just me. I just grin and bear it. And if the the bad breath s incredibly overwhelming I ALWAYS HAVE GUM OR COUGH DROPS ON HAND to offer the offending person!
Another thought it’s not the WORST thing a person be doing to you……
Hi Dennis, thanks for sharing your experience. It’s so interesting what different experiences one human can have compared to another. Most people probably have no idea that the odors are bothering you immensely. It’s things like this that have made me soooo much more open minded to the things other people go through. We just have no idea, do we?? 🙂
I just keep reading and reading….and each topic is more and more identifying to my HSP”ness” than I have ever found before! Thank you.
When you mention smells, odors, etc., I completely agree! I have many different perfumes I use for different days/events/feelings I have, plus the great memories certain smells trigger. A particular scent can instantly transcend time and plop me right back to my grandmothers house, the hallway in my junior high as I crushed on a boy wearing Polo (lol), or disgust me as quickly as it did the first time (cigarettes are HUGE for this one…).
I grew up in Arizona, and the scent of orange blossom is my all time favorite – which is why I am writing you now. Not only to thank you for shedding some light on this, but to give you a little fun tidbit. I continually search for things that smell good, and each room in my house is “scent themed”, much to the eye rolling of my non-hsp family (which I will now be looking for a topic in regards to feeling like those around me may love me but may “tolerate” my sensitivity…sadly). I am constantly seeking things that pique my nasal awareness, and have narrowed in on some faves.
Since you are a lover of orange blossom, I highly suggest Gold Canyon Candles “Orange Blossom” scent that only comes out in the spring. Gold Canyon is made here in Arizona, and they have perfected the sweet, vanilla tinted, citrusy aroma you well know comes around only for a short time in the spring. When driving around Phoenix during this magical time, I will roll my windows down and breathe so deeply! Now, I order the candles by the case to extend the wonderfulness of it – even if it is only through the spring and summer.
Don’t worry – I don’t sell them and have to seek out people who do, and this is the only scent I buy from them. Being all HSP and all, I felt the urge to share this tip, along with my thanks!
I certainly am experiencing a ton of “a ha’s” having discovered your site, but won’t bug you with commenting on every one that hits home, I promise! Keep up the great insight, as I have been needing this type of understanding for a long, long time now to help me understand myself.
Hi Colleen! Thanks for the comment. I am checking out that candle right now. Oh man, orange blossoms are the best!….OH darn, I just realized it is a seasonal scent online and isn’t available for purchase! Remind me when it comes back, will ya? 😀
I have not heard of scent-themed rooms before!! I think that is so cool!!! I want to visit your house 🙂 Ha ha!
(If you are so inclined, and would like to support the site, please visit this page! https://www.patreon.com/hsp)
I most definitely will! I promise you will be addicted!
In fact, I WILL go to your patreon link and your first candle is on me 😉
That is awesome–thank you, Colleen!
OMG Kelly! Your gross-chicken-in-the-microwave story cracked me up! I had a very similar experience a while back. My husband thought I’d lost my mind when I practically tore the kitchen apart in search of a rank smell that he was unaware of. We have these old kitchen drawers, two of which pull out at the top & are hinged at the bottom – probably used ages ago for flour & sugar. For us, they function as storage for things like dry beans, rice, onions, etc. It turned out that the nasty smell was coming from a single potato that had found it’s way to the bottom of a bin & gone totally rotten. So gross! Rotten potatoes are SO stinky!!!
And I have to add this: just about everything smells too strong to me. It can be quite maddening! I don’t go in department stores where there’s a perfume counter. I sprint down the soap aisle in the store, grabbing what I need without stopping. I avoid the butcher counter that’s too “fishy”. I open the bag of dog food & let it “breathe” before scooping it into bowls. The list goes on!
On the other side of things, the good smells are GOOD! I grew up in Denver & live in So. Cal. now, so I can relate with you on the orange blossoms. The occasional jasmine is great too! I also love having the ability to create my own smells with oils, incense, candles, etc. Love mixing lavender & sandalwood, and have always been a fan of patchouli – good stuff.
Thanks for writing & sharing your experiences… and that goes to everyone posting comments as well. It’s great to know that I haven’t lost my mind!
Susan, your potato story is funny, too! Thank you for your comment. I like jasmine, too!!
that’s funny. I tore my parents kitchen apart to find that the smell was coming from two things that nobody could smell … one of which was a rotten potato that had fallen behind a stand alone cabinet.
I’m so glad I found this thread. I’ve been calling my highly acute sense of smell my “Superpower” too, mainly because, like any superpower, it seems to be more of a burden than a blessing.
Oh, the stories I can tell, my grandma’s favorite story was one time when we went to buy some plants (I was probably 5), we walk into the greenhouse and I say “smells like cat”, now, I was surrounded by flowers and plants of all smells, and there’s no cat to be seen, but 30 mins later when we were paying, a cat walked past.
Another remarkable one was a few months ago, my mom came home and I went upstairs to say hello, when I hugged her I was hit with the delicious smell of jazmin rice, curry, and naan, and I said “did you bring Indian food?” assuming it was still around, but even I was surprised when she replied “I didn’t bring any, I had Indian for lunch, 3 hours ago”.
But most of the time smells are just extra burdens in life, for example I can’t wear any perfumes because they will make me nauseous after a while, and because of this same reason no one in my family is able to wear perfume while we’re in the car because I will be nauseous and will have to roll the windows down, which starts to be a problem when we’re at 23 F and lower.
Also lately a new person is working at the store where I work and she smells, and I mean, I can’t breathe while she’s around and still can’t breathe after she’s gone because it’s a lingering smell. Everyone else smells her too, the difference is I can smell her from about 2-3 meters away, and this range has gone in increase since now I am familiar with the smell and more conscious of it, my managers know about this but haven’t talked to her yet, I’m on the brink of telling her myself or fainting if she talks to me for longer than 2 minutes.
I am also super sensitive to the smell of cat!! Haha, good to know I’m not the only one!!
Thanks for sharing your odor sensitivity. What is your favorite smell?
My favorite smell is Petrichor, also known as the smell right before it rains. Also the smell of plumeria.
Interesting, I’ve never heard of petrichor before!
I used to get in trouble for asking what people ate the night before because I could still smell it. Hey, I was just a kid but it is so hard sometimes.
I just fund these old post, wonder if anyone still read them.-
I always thought I been alone with a hyper sensitive smell, it got a bit less sensitive with age, but its still there.
I can smell a rate in the house, not kidding. I smell any bigger rodent, rat, possum under the house, not so much mice. It drives me crazy. I can smell when my dog need to go outside to do her business.
It was a burden when I was younger and could smell some young ladies when they had their period, not really a gift more a burden. Walking through a crowd with all their body odors and I am the only one noticing it. People with nappies, when they exposed to urine, brrr crazy.
Perfume, air freshener are banned at home.
Anyone down under with the same “gift” or more Curse
yes, people still read these comments 🙂 thank you for sharing!
Wow! This explains me in a nutshell. I experience extreme reactions to bad smells as well as good smells. The smell of onions triggers extreme irritability in me. I can smell if someone has eat raw onions days later by the smell of their clothes and skin. I can also be pulled out of a depression by the intoxicating aroma of vanilla or cinnamon candles. Why was I created this way… That is what I wonder. I didn’t ask for this curse/gift.
Oh my…so good to see this post. I can’t stand peanut butter being washed in the sink with hot water. I have to wipe it off with a paper towel and my garbage has to be changed out often. Wet trash goes into a little bag and is removed promptly. I cannot stand the smell of cinnamon and eating it just makes me sick as it lingers in my sinuses. But what is funny is that I love Kim Chi. I eat it quickly and put the jar in plastic in the fridge quickly before it gets warm. The freezer thing is so true. Getting food cold is the key to keeping the smell down. Some foods; strong as they may be, can hold a good memory and linger a better sense of a happy nose but not if they stay too long. I don’t like smelling fish but love eating it. Don’t you hate smelling people but you can’t say anything. I had to leave a store because of the way a person smelled and a lot of stores that use that glue under carpet squares smells like B.O. Jasmine makes me ill and clean is better than masking the odors because some of us only get compounded by the odors. Dan, isn’t fresh cut grass simply wonderful and as for liver; bleed it on low heat to get rid of that smell. It’s my HSP that helped me find a tastier way to get the bitter out of liver. Once you bleed it, you can fry it up like chicken fried steak. Coffee smells good for 30 minutes then; if kept on the burner, it scalds and the bitterness smells sour. I stupidly said that I smell like a hound dog…I never said that again (such quips..LOL). I do get tired of people telling that I just smell things that aren’t there and they act like something’s wrong with me. It’s so good to see that I’m not alone here.
Thanks for sharing! It sounds like you do, indeed, have a very acute sense of smell! 🙂
Kelly, I am definitely HSP, primarily to cigarette smoke, dog and cat dander, some peoples houses, exhaust air from vacuum cleaners (not my house) and lastly some peoples body and clothes odor. They do not have to have BO just the smell from the environment they live in. This condition has effected my entire life, it has cost me a 17 year career in Real Estate (showing other peoples homes) it cost me my 2nd marriage (she would not put the dog outside). My reaction to all of this is severe migraine headaches/nausea. I have to be hyper vigilante going out in public, dogs and cigarette smoke, if someone walks up behind me at a checkout and they reek of cigarette smoke; I immediately start getting a headache, usually in my right eye. I just have to shut down go home and lay down in a dark room for 2+ hours. The symptoms linger for 24 to 48 hours.
I have not read where anyone has a remedy or cure other than avoidance which is impossible. At least I know I’m not alone. If this is a brain chemical imbalance are there any drugs that would address this problem. I’m at wits end, getting exposed 2 to 3 times a week just trying to live life. Thank You
Hi, I totally understand you, too. I am in the midst to having a melt down. All of a sudden, in my early pregnancy I completely could not stand the smell of anything that has a fibre within, which means clothes, rugs, towles, tea towels, napkins, sheets, duvets, pillows, I think you get the drift. Also, I cannot stand air fresheners, shampoos, shower gels, soaps, etc. It is so bad that I literally cry every time I have to shower or use the bathroom, (I try to stick my head out the shower while showering) and so I now only wear a limited amount of clothing out of closets filled with clothes, am currently sleeping on the couch as I don’t know where to escape to/disappear. Which means washing up in the kitchen is a nightmare, sleeping is a nightmare as the sheet and pillow has to touch me, finding clothes to wear is a nightmare, laundry is a nightmare. I literally am just frozen on my couch. Even washing my face and applying the million of high end creams I have is now not something I can remotely do. My husband is trying his best- he is actually now cleaning our bedroom, every nook and cranny, every drawer etc. with hot water and soap. I don’t sleep much as I am not at ease. I desperately need help but do not know how this can be done? How could I possibly not be able to smell these smells anymore? With a pill? No, so how? With psychotic medication? But this isn’t in my head, it’s scents, and I can smell them paralysingly intensely. Before my pregnancy, I never ever had an issue besides liking a very clean house and grooming etc. Now, I am afraid it has gone on too long and I can’t remember how I was.
Hi Tina, this sounds so distressing, I am so sorry. Have you tried talking to your doctor or a therapist about this? They may be able to offer some guidance. I hope you are able to find some peace.
There is this waxy, crayon-like, smell from clothes, bed sheets, etc. on occasion. There were rumors of this being caused by liquid fabric softener, too much heat from the dryer, dryer sheets, or too much detergent. I’ve embraced the neurotic side and still unsure of what is causing it, though I have discovered it’s not the liquid fabric softener.
To remove the smell once it is there, use a cup of baking soda in the washing machine. Now, I’m on the search for baking soda in bulk. 🙂
I, also, hate being around animals. Their smell is so strong and gross to me. I was diagnosed as allergic a few years ago, so perhaps our bodies are smarter than we realize. I just wish pet owners could respect this. Just hearing about someone’s pet causes some anxiety because it triggers a memory of not breathing well. I try my best to ignore it but will sometimes politely explain. I’d say about 80% keep on talking about their pet. Then, I walk away. 🙂
I found my Olfactory Twin! People are annoyed with me for such an awesome hidden talent.
Just came across this as was researching hypersensitivity for a book I’m writing about Autism. I’m hyper in all my senses too (but not autistic) so it was a real eye-opener to see how common being hyper was among the general population. Thanks for the blog.
Funny thing for me is that I am good at finding problems with cars when I am in them. They dont even know anything is wrong , but I do.
My sense of smell means I can’t wear most perfumes and can’t wear any too close to my face. I even have to veto what my husband wears. A strong chemical smell or perfume made from the wrong ingredients will give me a migraine or make me ill for as long as I smell it and sometimes afterwards.
I had housemates who would use really strong cleaners and laundry detergent which I could smell from the street when I got home at night. I can also tell you which chemicals my neighbors use. I’ve had to switch to soap berries for laundry and mild household cleaners from an eco brand to avoid my headaches.
Totally sucks.
A few years back NPR did a story called “Supertasters, A desire for salt is genetic.” In the story we learned that about 25% of Caucasians are supertasters meaning they have a heightened taste perception. Salt is one substance they taste more intensely than the rest of the population. Interestingly, these supertasters can’t seem to get enough salt and want to salt their food up to the max. I am openly HSP and I am a closeted salt lover. If I hold back on the salt it is usually because I don’t like people to see how much I want to sprinkle onto my food. But, salt is the only taste or flavor that I want to the max. Wondering how common HSP is among supertasters/salt-lovers.
Thanks for the comment! Very interesting! I just read the article.
I bought some test strips to see if I’m a supertaster a while back and it turns out that I’m not. I don’t like a lot of salt. You know it’s interesting–my dad has always puts tons of salt on his food. I wonder if he falls into that category.
In 2012, I was in a McDonald’s in Paris.
2 cute girls were sitting at the table next to mine. I was using my laptop, and everything was pleasing. A lady came in, and chose a table near us. Her jacket smelled like s**t!
The girls didn’t smell anything, but they noticed how I suddenly became uncomfortable.
I pulled out my handkerchief and hid my nose in it.
I looked weird to them, because they had no idea what was going on.. Lol.
I would like to relate an experience as an HSP I have to deal with… The People living next door smoke outside constantly and we have to close all our windows and turn off the ac and suffer through with heat. I also have tinnitus, double whammy.. When ever I smell 2nd hand smoke I just about go insane… I suspect the smoke is raising my blood pressure and heart rate which in turn ramps up the ringing in my ears…. I don’t want to make a fuss and bring a bunch of self righteous garbage about a persons right to smoke upon myself…. So I guess I will just post my story here and be glad to know others know how I feel and where I’m coming from… Thxz for allowing me to vent… I feel a little better now…
I suspect I am an HSP. I’m like a dog hound and can smell stuff others can’t.
I can actually tell when the driver of ANY car in front of me on the road is smoking a cigarette or cigar. When we pull up to a stop light, sure enough, there is the smoker! In the past, I’ve smelled ‘heat’ and found that a printer or computer is starting to heat up and the plastic coating may be on the verge of melting. In general, I find this trait helpful. Although, my house smells dusty to me often and so now I have to clean it…again! That’s annoying.
I’m so glad to have found this site. The kitchen searches when everyone thinks I’m nuts is me all the way. Does anyone else smell mold (awful!) that no one else smells? When I test for mold, I turn out to be right, and everyone is amazed because no one else smelled it. It’s driving me nuts! It’s so prevalent. And it’s so awful.
Same here! I’ve had people joke about having me over to see if they have mold. Or how I should rent out my nose during moving season (I live in Montreal, the majority of leases end on July 1st therefore a lot of people move around then) The second I step into a place I can smell it. I’m very allergic to mold too. Makes apartment hunting on a budget very difficult! I don’t even look at basement or first floor apartments in this city. Too much humidity and too many old buildings.
I’m an Uber driver and I’ve been wondering why some people let themselves smell so bad. Don’t people wash? Sometimes young men have this dirt/BO reek that makes me want to gag. People out partying smell like stale alcohol. I can tell if people have been eating spicy food too, that night, or as a habit….I don’t mind cigarette smell so much but I know my next passenger might….I have been reading that eating greens can prevent BO and generally deodorise us. Oh, also showering daily.
Hi Teri, thanks for your comment. I don’t have an answer–it could be a cultural thing. Some people maybe grew up with parents/families who showered less and they just saw that as “normal”…. I don’t know though. BO is an awful smell!
I have been doing the same thing of freezing anything perishable before throwing out for years. I am on the autism spectrum but long before my diagnosis, after the age of 50, had reactions to odours that others didn’t notice or would barely register. The smell of most fish will completely put me off my food or even worse make me feel nauseous. This is something I have learned that I must simply adapt to and adopt coping strategies, like freezing anything that will eventually emit a bad smell or leave the room or place where fish is being prepared or eaten.
Oh god smells irritate me so much ! My bedroom is next to the bathroom and when someone uses toilet spray I can smell it straight away when asleep and it wakes me up! If people cook toast and I’m asleep I’m straight up! I always smell ciggarette smoke even after 10-15 mins of someone having it and I’m a smoker myself and it frustrates me also the smell when you was your sheets and put them straight on! I hate floral sents in general but putting them somewhere I can smell whilst sleeping dose my head in!
Cigarettes smoke makes me nauseous, my nose and face feel like it’s on fire. I get lightheaded and headaches. My husband smoked did the first 5 years. It was awful. I didn’t kiss him. Hated hugging or being close. He recently started again, and I about lost it. I was ready to file for a divorce. Perfume is awful. Smell of cats make me sick. patchouli oil is so disgusting. Patchouli oil over weed or cigarettes are even worse. Oh, and I hate the smell of weed. Makes me feel like I do with cigarettes. Dog poop, baby poop. Makes me want to vomit. Vomit makes me want to vomit. Cleaners, artificial smells, like in candles make me sick. Rotting trash is awful. Being pregnant, and every smell heightened sucks. At my old house. I would walk my daughter to school everyday. I hated trash day. I about vomited at each house. Body odor sucks, but better than perfume. Body wash, laundry soap. Yuck. I do love the smell of lavender. Real lavender, and I’m so lucky to have 3 orange trees out my back door. The smell of blossoms are amazing. I love cinnamon, and vanilla. Coffee smells good fresh, but drinking it taste awful. I use vinegar to clean, and that’s starting to bother me. A while back I smelled plastic melting. It was my tv, so there’s that. Things burning in the oven make my eyes water. I don’t mind campfire smoke, but can’t breathe the smoke in directly or it makes me sick. When I was a kid; we had olive orchards. The smell of olive wood burning in your fireplace is magical. I miss that. Smell of pies cookin; love that. I’m sure there’s more, but here it is. The worst for me is cigarettes and perfumes.
Omg I can’t type
I’m starting to look into chemical intolerance and sensitive smell because it seems like that is what’s been playing a part in my chronic health issues for the past few years! Lately my sense of smell has been nuts! The chemical smell off of new furniture even bugs me. It causes minor inflammation in my face. Long exposure to chemical smells make my muscles stiff! I always feel way better in the summer since I’m not inside as much and windows are open. I’m starting cognitive behavioural therapy to treat my anxiety and as a result this should help my sensitivities and physical symptoms. Calming the nervous system will calm the immune system.
To add to that. I am an HSP. A realization that helped me understand myself.
It sounds like you have hyperosmia. Or the symptoms you have mention fit it anyways. Have you tried chewing gum? Mint, and cinnamon flavored gums should help cover up the smells that cause reactions. I’m not a doctor though so feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt. It might be worth it to look up hyperosmia though.
Like many of you who have commented, I have a very very sensitive sense of smell. My friends and family have nicknamed me ‘bloodhound’ because I can smell that well.
This is an example of my nose –
So me, my husband, my parents, my children and my parents dogs were sat in the living room. When suddenly I get a whiff of a BBQ smell, so I say ‘mmmm I smell a BBQ, it smells lovely, can anyone else smell that?’ Everyone said no they couldn’t! Then 30 seconds later, the dogs noses started sniffing the air and wagging their tails, my mum shouted ‘YOU SMELT THAT BEFORE THE DOGS 😂😂’
I just looked at my nose and laughed, everyone was laughing, they couldn’t believe it 😂.
That is just one of the experiences I have had, I have things happen like that everyday, hence why I get nicknamed a bloodhound!
Feel free to post your most impressive experiences! I would love to hear any you have!
Thanks Lucy
My mother, grandmother, and I all have a super powerful sense of smell. Which is a blessing and a curse. I live with my mom in LA. We HATE going anywhere besides the park because we can smell EVERYTHING that is nasty. We also have cats (I do NOT advise going into a pet store without a mask of some kind to at least semi filter the smell), so we know IMMEDIATELY when they go to the bathroom. I don’t know what smell my mom and mawmaw hate the most, but I know that I dislike smoke and the flowers in grocery stores like Ralphs or Walmart. But only specific kinds of smoke. If it’s a wood fire (WITHOUT ANY CHEMICALS) I love it. But cigarettes or ANYTHING with chemicals makes me gag and gives me heartburn. I guess you could say that I hate the smell of chemicals. My favorite smell is the woods back home in the South. I love the smell of the trees and the moist smell of the earth. Have you ever smelled the rain before it actually started raining?
Hey Kelli
I totally get you! I remember my school used to have a certain smell. So every time I get that smell, I remember being a child in school. It also brings back feelings that I had at certain times.
Bad smells set me off like I’m pregnant though haha! It sucks big time! Just today, I smelt rotten bananas and I threw up everything I had eaten 😅. I remember falling sick after being exposed to a certain smell for a long time. I don’t use perfumes or deodorants because then I’ll develop a headache within minutes of applying it, thankfully I don’t stink(trust me I would know if I started to stink lol). I keep wondering if there’s a name for my condition coz then it’ll be easier for me to tell people if I just suddenly threw up, or they’d think that I’m pregnant or something lol!
I am so grateful for everyone’s shared experiences on the blog post – I get so upset and anxious because of my sensitive nose but I’m glad I’m not alone. I’m also the bloodhound of our family – I call myself that at least once a day LOL… I’m trying to use my sensitivity as a positive skill but it’s hard when you can smell the tiniest things across the house…. I’m great at knowing when a nappy needs to be changed, when a battery has corroded inside a tv remote, when there’s rotten fruit – I don’t need to be in the same room for these things, I just know… I guess it’s our natural survival skills coming out to help? X
I have an extreme sense of smell as well, and it never occurred to me that it could be related to me also being an HSP. Everything about me is sensitive: scalp, eyes, skin, hearing, so why not my sense of smell too? And I am even a former smoker, and that hasn’t seemed to diminish it one bit!
Girl, I’m in the same boat! Ever since I could remember I have been able to smell so many things that other people couldn’t. Luckily, it has made me a pretty good Chef! I’m getting ready to run my own Grille and my employees are in for a weird surprise once they start working with me! Lol!Some of my quirks include (but are not limited to)
~ I can only use towels ONCE before they smell “off” to me several hours later and I have to wash them (Even though I hung the to dry)
~ I have to take all my clothes out of my closet and air them out about once a month because they smell stale to me
~ I clean my fridge every week and sanitize it every two weeks because I hate lingering smells from the food
~ I really don’t like eating leftovers since they smell different than when I ordered/made the meal
~ I can smell when my dishes are perfectly cooked and I rarely even taste test anymore
~ I have to BEG my husband to brush his teeth right before bed instead of several hours beforehand since I’ll be awake from the smell of his breath all night
~ Sometimes I have to wash clothes several times before any hints of B.O. are finally gone
~ If I can’t find a weird smell in a room after two days, I just go ahead and use a day off to scrub/wash/carpet clean it
~ (This is a very weird one) I can smell pheromones… I’ve even had it confirmed by asking my best friend and sisters if they were as I smelled it coming off of them! Don’t worry, I let them know what was going on before I randomly asked! And when I would make out with guys I would get hit with a new smell after about 10 minutes out of nowhere! Girls have a very acrid/acidic smell and guys have more of a gentle umami scent. Both smells hit me in the back of the throat.
~ I HAVE to bathe every day (sometimes twice), because I have slightly high testosterone and my own smell makes me think I stink when in actuality my husband can’t even smell me
BUT my favorite smells are:
~ The mixture of Gardenias and Confederate Jasmine in my parents’ backyard during the Summer
~ My small garden of roses, lavender, mint, oregano, and rosemary
~ The leather interior of my Cadillac (I actually bought the car because my grandmother always bought Cadillacs with leather interiors and the smell reminds me of her every time I get in the car)
~ Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Baby Lotion
~ Clean laundry fresh from the dryer (I could live in that pile!)
~ Old books
I know that if I went blind I’d still be able to tell exactly where I was simply by the smell! Sometimes it drives me crazy so I wear my favorite perfume on my chin and neck to give me a break! Even as I sit typing this I can smell three different perfumes, a dirty diaper in the kitchen trashcan, my sweat (even though I had a shower two hours ago), nail polish… I need to figure out where that’s coming from since my 3-year-old daughter is notorious for getting into it…, and there’s vanilla coming from somewhere, too.
The worst part is that I work at a golf course Grille, so I have a TON of older gentlemen who come in drowning in aftershave and cologne! Ha ha ha!
Thanks for putting up with my rant and I’m sorry for writing so much! I’ve just spent so many years thinking I was nuts and I finally found something to confirm what I go through everyday!
I am so sensitive to smells! I get ill, nauseated even with candles, lotions & perfumes. I wasn’t always this way. It started being a real problem about 2 years ago. I’m concerned that it’s connected to something more going on. I’ve told a couple of doctors when in for another problem but nobody seems to think anything of it. It’s miserable & I literally have to ask ppl to blow out their candle & can’t handle being in a closed up area with strong lotions & such. Anyone have any experience with this. I get violently ill.
Hi Traci, I started becoming extremely sensitive to smells a few years ago after experiencing an asthma attack (I didn’t know I had asthma at the time) from someone’s garden spray. My scent intolerance has gradually gotten worse to the point where my boyfriend can no longer wear his scented deodorant or aftershave because I will wake up short of breath and nauseous from the scents. I can’t tolerate being closed up near someone who is wearing scented laundry products on their clothing and will no longer enter a location that has scented candles burning or those awful plug-in air fresheners. I’m also concerned there is something more going on and my doctor has ordered a blood panel in hopes of gaining some insight.
I too am a HSP. I cant go to loud, action flicks because it overwhelms me. I prefer cotton clothing because of the texture. When my daughter moved into her 1st apartment at college I thought something had died there. One of the 4 girls that lived there had already been there a year. My daughter didn’t know her. I immediately started looking in the kitchen for the smell. OMG that girl was a slob. Anyway, after scoring everything within an inch of it’s life, I finally found a potato under the sink way in the bake. It was liquefying. How noone else noticed it is beyond me. This past winter when we had -17° days for weeks I was turning out lights while heading to bed. I thought I smelled gas, but it was faint. I started up the stairs, but went back to check one more time. Still smelled it. I went and woke my husband up to see if he smelled it and he couldn’t. I made him walk all around our basement and he finally smelled it a little bit, way on the far side . I called the gas company and we sat in out truck to wait. When they got there he went in and checked around. Turns out we didn’t have just a gas leak, we had 2. One coming directly off the main line going to our pool heater and one from our gas stove. We had a repair guy out a copays before and moving it jacked it up. So many different things like that. I have the same issue with cigarettes. They KILL me. Instant migraine. Think I’m a candidate for wine or coffee taster?
A few years ago I looooved perfume and I used to spray a lot of it on myself. I didn’t have a sensitivity to smells. I still adore natural smells like oranges, tangerines and similar. But perfume and hairspray – my biggest enemies. I just sprayed perfume on my sweater 1 time and I took the sweater off and now I feel nauseous. My head kinda hurts. My dad uses a lot of hairspray and everytime I come to the bath and I smell hairspray – I get out of there. I’m even thinking of getting rid of all my perfumes. Now I have such a weird habit which I realized a couple of months ago. I have to smell EVERYTHING. I don’t know why and how this habit developed. It’s really weird how I used to love all smells so much but right now I just like the natural ones. Not chemicals.
Earlier I posted on smells I don’t like, but on the up-side…
When I’m cooking, I can already imagine the flavors of how something is going to taste before it’s done. I’ve heard that’s attributed to a strong sense of smell.
For candles, I like the saddle wood vanilla and jasmine. I love the smell of espresso!
For perfume, I like Romance by Ralph Lauren ir currently I use the perfumes by Express, but the key is to just wear a little bit and it goes a long way. For guys I like the old (don’t know if they still make it) lol. I loved when my boyfriend wore it back in the day.
I like the smell of pledge and Mr. Clean too. And yes, I do like the smell of bounty on my clothes, but I usually use 2 sheets.
My sensitive nose is not bad unless there are stinky smells; then it’s just really bad. 😊
When I was in college, we were on a road trip for track when our van drove past a dead skunk and everyone was groaning and moaning about it. I made a comment that I love that smell and my coach said I was weird. The next week, he came up to me and apologized. His wife was a psychologist and all they had in their bathroom for reading material were her “psychology today” magazines. He came across an article about people with different olfactory senses and used people who love skunk smell as an example. It went on to explain(correctly in my case) that these people tend to like smells others don’t (skunk, gasoline, natural gas additive, etc) and dislike those that other people like (roses, perfumes, etc). These days, I get smangry at the smell of wet dog in the house, their poop in the yard, and sour rags in the sink. But I still love skunk smell.
I am 44 yrs old now. But I came to know that I am a HSP only few days ago. My main problem is, I can smell anybody’s mouth, the minute they open. Especially, at work place, when somebody comes and sits beside me, their mouth smell kills me. (I ask my close colleagues about the smell, and they say they never smelled any bad mouth odor from that person) I am like this from my childhood. Every body’s mouth has some smell, rarely they are good. I can smell my own mouth also and I can smell my genitals smell. I can smell, if somebody else’s genitals smell bad, if I am sitting next to them.
When somebody complains about bad mouth smell, I get confused as I smell almost everybody. I conceal my uncomfort and never want to talk about it. I never want to anyone know, that I can smell their breath. I can still remember my childhood firiends breath, each one of them. In my short marriage, I never let my partner, kiss on my lips(we did not seperate bec of this). I can smell the saliva of a days old baby. It makes me uncomfortable. And some people, who are very sensitive to smoke smell etc from others, are not aware of their own mouth or body smell. Never understand how that is possible.
Smell has become an obsession for me, and if anyone is coming close to me, i become uncomfortable, but I will bear their smells. Until few years ago also, I dont know that what I can smell, others are not smelling. Coming across this forum, is so liberating, knowing that there are other people like me.
I read every single post. Noone had the kind of problem that I have with mouth odors, hence I am writing this post. I wish I didnt smell anything, just like others, so that I can be close to people. Their smell never made me sick, but makes me so uncomfortable.
I shared this problem with my son only. I cannot even talk about this to my mom. If I go to beauty clinic, if the lady opens mouth, I can smell, and its very uncomfortable. Any iota of sweat, I can sense right away. Any and every kind of odor, I can smell and it only makes my anxiety worse.
I really wish it goes away. I always thought I am an abnormal person. But knowing that there are people like me, eases me a bit.
If anyone is facing this problem(mouth odor), please share any tips that you might have. I would like to know if there is someone like me, who did not experience the lip kiss and how did u manage etc.
Wow I have felt so alone and at times I have felt I was going out of my mind my sense of smell is just like all of yours it drives everyone nuts I’m always hunting the offensive smells out my partner saysits all in my head I know its not they say smokers have a inhibited sence of smell but not me. mildew mold body order pet smells bodily excretions actually anything that can be offensive in any way makes me sick to my stomach I can smell milk going badup to a week before it turns sour I thought maybe itwas due to being born blind but now I’m not so sure . My Mother has it kind of but not nearly to the extreme that I do I’m going to look further into HSP thank you everyone for sharing your stories I no longer feel so alone and out of my mind