Many people may struggle with breathing at times. There are many things that can happen in the nasal passages and lungs that cause this problem. One method that is often overlooked is nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are a type of soft growth. They appear in the lining of the nasal passages and hang down. They can look like a teardrop hanging from the nasal passage.
On their on, nasal polyps don’t seem like that big of a problem. Nasal polyps are non cancerous and they don’t cause pain to people who have them. However, there are some severe issues that they can cause if they are left untreated. Often they are symptomless, so they can go undetected. While nasal polyps can possibly occur in anyone, they are the most common in adults. There are many treatment options, but nasal polyps can be tenacious and return even after they have been treated and removed.
What Causes Nasal Polyps
Nasal polyps are growths. Many people get them confused with types of cancers, since that sort of growth elsewhere in the body can be cancerous. It’s good to know that nasal polyps are not any type of cancer. The scientific reason why some people get nasal polyps instead of others isn’t currently known. The cause of nasal polyps ends up being irritation and swelling in the nasal passages. This causes the growths to occur in some people.
There are risk factors for people who may be more likely to get nasal polyps. People who have asthma are more likely to get nasal polyps. Other conditions like Cystic fibrosis, allergic fungal sinusitis and Churg-Strauss syndrome can cause someone to get nasal polyps. People who suffer from vitamin D deficiency or who find themselves sensitive to over the counter pain relievers are at advanced risk as well.
Symptoms of Nasal Polyps
Symptoms of nasal polyps can be calm. It’s important to recognize nasal polyps because they can build up and cause distress and block breathing. When the polyps are small, they tend to not be noticed As they grow, or have several of them in the same area, symptoms appear. These symptoms can include:
- Postnasal Drip
- Stuffy Nose
- Losing Sense of Taste
- Losing Sense of Smell
- Pain in the Teeth
- Runny Nose
- Snoring
- Feeling Pressure In the Sinuses
- Nosebleeds
Preventing and Treating Nasal Polyps
Prevention is obviously a better path than actually having to treat a buildup of nasal polyps. There are several ways that people can prevent nasal polyps from forming in the first place, or from coming back after they have been removed. Keeping a home humid helps to avoid irritation and let mucus flow properly. Proper hygiene will ensure that infections are minimized. Keeping allergies and asthma properly under control with symptoms will reduce irritation. Using nasal rinses to keep the passageways clean can help as well.
Treatment can be challenging. Allowing nasal polyps to build up can be dangerous. Treatment will be focused around all irritants and stopping them. Issues like allergies that promote swelling need to be brought under control. Medications are usually the first step. Most medications are aimed specifically at reducing swelling. There is also a medication designed to reduce the size of polyps and can reduce the amount of congestion a person is feeling.
If medication doesn’t prove effective, then surgery is an option. A nasal surgeon will use a camera and tiny implements to remove polyps that are blocking up the sinuses. It’s also possible to enlarge the nasal passages to ensure that polyps won’t have nearly as much of an effect.