Swollen Polyps and Rhinitis

What are nasal polyps?

Nasal polyps are abnormal skin tissues that grow inside the nose, around the area where the sinuses open into the nasal cavity. They vary in size and look like peeled grapes when mature.

If they are small, they might have no symptoms and thus don’t require any course of action. If they swell and become large, they can block your nasal passages and cause a variety of symptoms, such as:
*nasal obstruction and congestion
*a runny nose
*sneezing
*postnasal drip
*facial pain
*a loss of smell and taste

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What is one of the first signs that you have polyps?

These symptoms are all similar to those of having a common cold, but the difference is that nasal polyps do not clear up without treatment. So if you’re feeling as though you have a permanent cold, you might have swollen polyps.

A very good indicator of having swollen nasal polyps is if you feel as though your nose is congested but once you try to blow it, nothing comes out. You might also feel the polyps vibrating while blowing your nose.

Who is affected by nasal polyps?

Swollen nasal polyps is a condition that can affect people of any age, although they are more common in adults over the age of 40, and men are generally more affected than women.

Very often the cause is unknown, although research has found that people suffering from allergies, rhinitis (an inflammation inside the nose), as well as from asthma, are predisposed to develop swollen polyps.

Sinus infections could also lead to the formation of nasal polyps.

How polyps are treated

If you think you may have nasal polyps, your GP will be able to tell you after examining your nostrils.

Generally, nasal polyps can be removed easily with medications or surgery. The best course of action is usually to use a nasal corticosteroid spray, such as Avamys. Antihistamines or decongestants will be of little, if any use at all. In most cases, that sort of treatment will shrink the polyps, which will solve the problem, or it could even sometimes eliminate them completely.

However, because nasal polyps are often coupled with an underlying condition such as allergy or asthma, the irritation and inflammation might still be present in the nose, which would make it likely for the polyps to reoccur.

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