A polyp is any overgrowth of tissue from a surface. Polyps come in all shapes--round, droplet, and irregular being the most common.
Nasal Polyps - Description
Nasal polyps tend to occur in people with respiratory allergies. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is an irritation of the membranes of the nose by airborne particles or chemicals. These membranes make mucus. When irritated, they can also grow polyps. The nose is not only a passageway for air to reach the lungs; it also provides the connection between the sinuses and the outside world. Sinuses are lined with mucus membranes, just like the nose. Polyps can easily obstruct the drainage of mucus from the sinuses. When any fluid in the body is trapped so it cannot flow freely, it becomes infected. The result, sinusitis, is a common complication of allergic rhinitis.
Nasal Polyps - Causes and Symptoms
Some people who are allergic to aspirin develop both asthma and nasal polyps.
Nasal polyps often plug the nose, usually one side at a time. People with allergic rhinitis are so used to having a stopped up nose they may not notice the difference when a polyp develops. Other polyps may be closer to a sinus opening, so airflow is not obstructed, but mucus becomes trapped in the sinus. In this case, there is a feeling of fullness in the head, no sense of smell, and perhaps a headache. The trapped mucus will eventually get infected, adding pain, fever, and perhaps bloody discharge from the nose.
Nasal Polyps - Diagnosis
A physical examination will identify most polyps. Small polyps located higher up or further back may be hidden from view, but they will be detected with more sophisticated medical instruments. The otorhinolaryngologist is equipped to diagnose nasal polyps. In order to perform the exam, medicine must be applied to decongest the membranes. Cotton balls soaked with one of these agents and left in the nostrils for a few minutes provide adequate shrinkage.
Nasal Polyps - Treatment
Most polyps can be removed by the head and neck surgeon as an office procedure called a nasal polypectomy. Bleeding, the only complication, is usually easy to control. Nose and sinus infections can be treated with antibiotics and decongestants, but if airflow is restricted, the infection will reoccur.
Nasal Polyps - Prognosis
Polyps reappear as long as the allergic irritation continues.
Nasal Polyps - Prevention
If aspirin is the cause, all aspirin containing medications must be avoided.
Since most nasal polyps are the result of allergic rhinitis, they can be prevented by treating this condition. New treatments have greatly improved control of hay fever. There are now several spray medicines that are quite effective. Spray cortisone-like drugs are the most popular. Over-the-counter nasal decongestants have an irritating effect similar to the allergy they are supposed to be treating. Continued use can bring more trouble than relief and result in an addiction to nose sprays. The resulting disease, rhinitis medicamentosa, is more difficult to treat than allergic rhinitis.
Allergists and ENT surgeons both treat allergic rhinitis with a procedure called desensitization. After identifying suspect allergens using one of several methods, they will give the patient increasing doses of those allergens in order to produce blocking antibodies that will impede the allergic reaction. This is effective in a number of patients, but the treatment may take a period of months to years.
Key Terms
Allergen
Any substance that irritates only those who are sensitive (allergic) to it.
Asthma
Wheezing (labored breathing) due to allergies or irritation of the lungs.
Decongestant
Medicines that shrink blood vessels and consequently mucus membranes. Pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, and phenylpropanolamine are the most common.
Sinus
Air-filled cavities surrounding the eyes and nose are lined with mucus-producing membranes. They cleanse the nose, add resonance to the voice, and partially determine the structure of the face.
World Health Organization
Bronchodilators
Bronchodilators are medicines that help open the bronchial tubes (airways) of the lungs, allowing more air to flow through them.
Bronchoscopy allows a doctor to examine inside your airway for any abnormality such as foreign bodies, bleeding, a tumor, or inflammation. The doctor uses either a rigid bronchoscope or flexible bronchoscope.
Respiratory System, in anatomy and physiology, organs that deliver oxygen to the circulatory system for transport to all body cells. Oxygen is essential for cells, which use this vital substance to liberate the energy needed for cellular activities.
