Nasal polyps or chronic rhinosinusitis are soft, painless, noncancerous fleshy swellings which tend to develop on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. They are the results of chronic inflammation and are linked with asthma, recurring infection, allergies, drug sensitivity or certain immune disorders. Nasal polyps may vary in size and may be yellowish-brown or pink in colour in the form of teardrops. They may grow either in one or both nostrils simultaneously in clusters or even just one.
Causes:
Nasal polyps develop in inflamed tissue of the nasal mucosa. The mucosa is a moist layer that acts as a protection inside your nose and sinuses and increases the level of moisture in the air that you take in. In the course of an infection or allergy-induced irritation, the nasal mucosa swells up turning red, and it may produce fluid shaped like teardrops. With continuous irritation, the mucosa may form a polyp. A polyp is a round growth (like a small cyst) that can block nasal passages.
The triggers causing this include:
chronic or recurring sinus infections
asthma
allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
cystic fibrosis
Churg-Strauss syndrome
sensitivity to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
How can nasal polyps be diagnosed?
A nasal polyp is likely to be visible if your doctor checks up your nasal passages with a flash like instrument called an otoscope or nasoscope. If found the polyp to be deeper in your sinuses, your doctor may need to perform a nasal endoscopy which involves your doctor opting for a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end.
A CT scan or MRI scan can be used to ascertain the exact size and location of the polyp. Scans can also take to disclose regarding deformation of the the bone in the area due to polyps. It can exclude other kinds of growths that may be more critical, such as structural deformities or cancerous growths.
Treatments available:
Medications
Timely medications, helping to reduce inflammation may also help reduce the size of the polyp and mitigate congestion traits. However, spraying nasal steroids can keep away from a runny nose and the sensation of blockage by diminishing the polyp. But if you refrain from taking them, needless to say, it won’t take much time for the symptoms to haunt you back. Certain instances of nasal steroids consist of:
fluticasone (Flonase, Veramyst)
budesonide (Rhinocort)
mometasone (Nasonex)
Surgery
If your symptoms still doesn’t seem to go away, surgery is the only way out to eliminate the polyps completely. The type of surgery relies heavily on the size of the polyp. A polypectomy is an outpatient surgery done with the use of a small suction device or a microdebrider that cuts and removes soft tissue, including the mucosa.
For larger ones, your doctor may conduct an endoscopic sinus surgery. The procedure typically includes, he will direct the endoscope into your nostrils, track down the polyps or any other obstructions, and pull them out completely. Your doctor may also expand the openings to your sinus cavities.