Allergy Relief

Nasal Polyps Removal: What Are Your Treatment Options?

While nasal polyps can affect anyone, they are more common in adults. Medications can often shrink or remove nasal polyps. However, sometimes surgery may be required to remove them. Even after successful treatment, nasal polyps often recur.

What are Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps are small, painless, teardrop-shaped growths that appear in the nose or sinuses. These growths are noncancerous (benign) and may not cause symptoms, especially when they are small. However, polyps can gradually grow and block your nasal passages leading to breathing problems, decreased sense of smell, and recurring infection and sinusitis.

Symptoms of Nasal Polyps 

Large polyps and multiple growths can block your nasal passages and sinuses. Nasal polyps often cause chronic sinusitis due to too much mucus build-up in the sinuses. Larger polyps can even change the shape of your nose. If you have nasal polyps, the common signs and symptoms may include the following:

• Stuffy nose
• Postnasal drip
• A runny nose
• Headaches 
• Facial pain
• Loss of smell or taste
• Nosebleeds
• Snoring
• Pressure or pain in the sinuses

Nasal polyp causes and risk factors

There is no clear evidence of what causes nasal polyps or why they occur in some people but do not happen in others. Some experts believe that people who develop polyps have an abnormal immune response and different chemical markers in their mucus membranes compared to those who do not develop polyps. 

Nasal polyps are usually linked with inflammation in the nasal passages or sinuses due to infections or allergies. Conditions that are associated with nasal polyps include:

• Asthma 
• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Aspirin sensitivity
• Allergy to airborne fungi
• Chronic rhinosinusitis 
• Cystic fibrosis 
• Sinus infections 
• Vitamin D deficiency

Nasal Polyp Removal

• Medications: To help shrink nasal polyps or prevent them from growing larger, the first line of treatment is often a doctor-prescribed nasal corticosteroid spray to help shrink polyps and reduce inflammation in the nasal passages. For severe symptoms, oral corticosteroids may also be used.
• Nasal polyps often return if the irritation, allergy, infection, or inflammation continues. Your doctor may also recommend antibiotics, antihistamines, decongestants, and saline nasal irrigation to help with allergy symptoms that may lead to the development of nasal polyps.
• Surgery: If medication does not help, surgery may be necessary. This involves a small nasal telescope to remove nasal polyps. This surgery is often completed as an outpatient procedure, and you can go home the same day.

How to prevent Nasal Polyps?

It is important to take proper care of the nasal area after surgery to prevent the recurrence of polyps. The following strategies may help prevent nasal polyps from returning:

• Practice good nasal hygiene.
• Continue using a corticosteroid spray that will help reduce inflammation after surgery. Your doctor will be able to prescribe specific treatments tailored to your needs.
• Use a humidifier, especially during winter, to help moisten your nasal passages. This can help prevent blockages and inflammation, leading to the return of nasal polyps.
• A saline nasal rinse or spray can remove allergens and other irritants that may cause nasal polyps.
• Manage allergies and asthma by following your doctor’s treatment plan.
• Avoid breathing airborne allergens or nasal irritants such as dust, debris, smoke, and other common allergens that can cause inflammation of the nose and sinuses.

Top Products for Nasal Polyps Removal 

Unfortunately, nasal polyps tend to return after treatment if the irritation, allergy, or infection continues. So, you may need to take adequate steps to reduce inflammation in the nasal passages to lower the chances of uncomfortable nasal polyps. 

Home treatments such as corticosteroid nasal spray, saline rinses, and a humidifier are often enough to keep nasal polyp symptoms under control. However, if home remedies are not working, see your doctor to discuss your treatment options.

 

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