Nasal Polyps Symptoms

Nasal polyps can be described as small bumps that grow on the lining of the nasal passage. They are soft, fleshy and shaped like tear drops. They appear either singly or in groups near the sinuses that are located behind the bridge of the nose. Nasal polyps are non cancerous masses and the cause of such outgrowths is not clearly known. Studies have found chronic inflammation of the nasal passage and the sinuses that last for more than 12 weeks often trigger formation of nasal polyps. It is more common in adults than in children. Those who have asthma, chronic sinusitis are at a higher risk of developing nasal polyps problems.

Nasal Polyps Symptoms

When the size of the nasal polyp is small, no symptoms are observed. As it grows bigger, various signs and symptoms are noticed. Some of them have close resemblance with allergy symptoms. Most prevalent symptoms are given below:

• Runny nose or stuffy nose that lasts for several weeks. It is mostly accompanied by frequent sneezing and watery discharge from nose.
• Post nasal drip will make you feel that the thick mucus is flowing down the back of the throat.
• Partial or complete loss of sense of smell as the air currents inside the nose is blocked.
• Nasal polyps can also have an adverse impact on the sense of taste.
• Large sized polyps are often responsible for snoring at night.
• It can bring about change in voice.
• If it blocks the sinus openings, then it often leads to facial pain and headache.
• One of the most easily recognizable nasal polyp symptoms in small children is mouth breathing. In other words, they tend to breathe through the mouth.
• In some rare cases, where the polyps are left untreated for a long time, it may start exerting pressure on the nerves that transmit vision signals. This will result in frequent blurred vision.

Nasal Polyps Treatment

The first priority of the treatment is to reduce the size of the polyp with the help of medicines. Corticosteroids which are available in the form of nasal sprays are highly beneficial for this purpose. oral corticosteroids are also prescribed for bringing down the inflammation in the nasal passage. However, it cannot be taken for a long time as it can have serious side effects on patient's health. On the other hand, nasal corticosteroids can be safely used over a period of time without any fear of side effects. This is mainly because steroid applied topically does not reach the bloodstream in large amount. Treatment also involves treating its symptoms with suitable medicines. Like, to control the allergic symptoms, antihistamines are given. Antibiotics are needed to treat chronic sinus infections.

When medicines do not work on nasal polyps, then it has to be removed with the help of surgery. There are two different techniques that are used for surgical removal of the polyp. One is polypectomy, which is suitable for small-sized polyps. It is a simple procedure wherein the polyp is extracted by inserting a small mechanical device into the nose. The other procedure is endoscopic sinus surgery. Here a small tube with a camera or magnifying lens attached to it is inserted to identify the location of the polyp. Then it is removed with the help of small surgical instruments. It also corrects any defect in the sinus cavities or nasal passage in order to prevent recurrence of nasal polyps.

Thus, you can see that if you have the knowledge of the symptoms, then you can detect the problem of nasal polyps when the size and number of polyps is less. As a result, it can get cleared with medicines only and will not require any surgery.