My niece says that she smells something burning. it seems to happen a lot - and nothing's burning! any thoughts?

Sinus infection?: Have her looked at by family doc to check for infections in and around the nasal cavity that could change the smell sensation... If nothing found, would consider ENT evaluation as well to look even deeper to find any sinus infection that could " hide" and cause unusual / atypical sxs - but still need treated.. Good luck!

Phantosmia: It is called phantosmia, which most often occurs as a result of a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by temporal lobe seizures, sinusitis, brain tumors, migraine, Parkinson's disease and stroke. you should see your doctor, preferably a neurologist.

? Smell disorder: Sometimes patients with smell disorders report phantom odors like smoke or rotting meat. She should see an ENT doctor for nasal endoscopy and possibly a ct scan. She might have sinusitis or possibly a viral injury to her olfactory nerves.

Seizure disorder: I agree with what the other doctors have said. My first concern would be to rule out a seizure disorder (epilepsy), which might require an EEG (electroencephalogram), possibly done with video monitoring.