Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
HI I have been smelling car exhaust fumes strongly for two weeks now wherever I am. I read that this can be related to mold exposure, GERD and bad bacteria in the gut. I was on penicillin for 12 days just before Xmas due to a bad cold and sinus infection that spread to my tooth roots and gums. I have been better since Dec 28 until smelling the fumes around Jan 9-but now feel exhausted, the blood vessels in my brain feel inflamed,..not a head ache, my thinking is slower as I feel like there is not enough 02 in my blood. I recently had my car fixed for a leaky exhaust but have not used it in three days and the symptoms continue. Can you suggest what I can do
Firstly you need to relax, calm down. Sometimes its just prolongation of the symptoms even after the cause is gone, in your case the exhaust fumes. You might not be inhaling them now but your brain feels you have inhaled fumes and caused harm to the body.
To completely rule out any problems, first visit a doctor and check for your spo2. Thats your blood oxygen levels. Sometimes toxic fumes have something called Carbon Monoxide (CO) which displace your oxygen in blood and reduces the oxygen carried in the body. Other thing you might want to see is if you have any respiratory issues like shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing. All these mean your respiratory tract is compromised and you need a bronchoscopy to see if there is any damage to the tract.
Meanwhile start on OTC analgesics which might bring down the inflammation in the respiratory tract.
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What Does An Altered Sense Of Smell Indicate?
Firstly you need to relax, calm down. Sometimes its just prolongation of the symptoms even after the cause is gone, in your case the exhaust fumes. You might not be inhaling them now but your brain feels you have inhaled fumes and caused harm to the body. To completely rule out any problems, first visit a doctor and check for your spo2. Thats your blood oxygen levels. Sometimes toxic fumes have something called Carbon Monoxide (CO) which displace your oxygen in blood and reduces the oxygen carried in the body. Other thing you might want to see is if you have any respiratory issues like shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing. All these mean your respiratory tract is compromised and you need a bronchoscopy to see if there is any damage to the tract. Meanwhile start on OTC analgesics which might bring down the inflammation in the respiratory tract.