Do Your Sneezes Stink?

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The smell: ammonia The cause: diabetes. liver, or kidney problems Diabetes or serious liver and kidney issues can cause your breath and sneezes to smell a bit like ammonia. If this is what your sneezes smell like, Raithatha suggests starting by going to an ENT doc who can get a detailed look into your mouth and nose before you go to a specialist.

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The smell: sweet The cause: diabetes-related complications The cause of a sweet-smelling sneeze is not as easy to pinpoint as other scents, says Raithatha. A sweet scent could point to a condition called ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes that happens when your blood sugar is too high for too long. This rare smell can also be associated with an underlying dietary or medical issue, which is why you should visit your doc to help determine what’s going on.

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The smell: sour The cause: bad breath or gum disease Yup, bad breath = bad-smelling sneezes. When you sneeze, saliva is forced out of your nose and mouth, so stinky saliva means a smelly sneeze. If the problem persists even after popping a mint, the cause could be something more serious like gum disease, says Raithatha. Make sure you’re brushing, flossing, and cleaning your tongue regularly to keep your breath in check and your gums healthy. Going to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning and dental exam are your best bets for ensuring a healthy mouth and catching gum disease early.

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The smell: foul The cause: sinus infection The most common cause of a smelly sneeze is a sinus infection, says Roheen Raithatha, M.D., an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist in New York.“During a sinus infection, the infected mucus becomes stagnant in the nose and filled with foul-smelling bacteria, which can give it a bad odor,” he says. “This mucus is then expelled out the nose during a sneeze.” Yuck. If you suspect this is what you have, visit your doc—he can prescribe an antibiotic that will help clear up the infection.

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Take comfort. There is nothing wrong with me. My sneezes just smell like old people.

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