Why do people smell burning toast before having a stroke?

Question

You know how you always here that you smell burning toast or smoke of something like that right before you have a stroke? Why is that? Is it just anecdotal or is there science behind it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

It’s just anecdotal.

However, there is a link between phantom smells (any type of smell) and seizures (the type caused by neurons in the brain firing incorrectly. Often causing cascading “waves” of neurons firing in the brain).

I do want to make it 100% clear that this is any type of smell, although people often tend to report acrid smells (like burnt toast, burning plastic etc) or sulfury smells like garlic or rotten eggs.