Nasal polyps usually occur between the ages of 30 and 40. The cause could, for example, be a bacteria or fungus. Nasal polyps are treated with medication or surgery. Removal is a simple operation. Sometimes nasal polyps are malignant. In this article everything about nasal polyps.

What are nasal polyps?

Nasal polyps usually develop in one of the four paranasal sinuses. They are swellings of the nasal mucosa. These sink from the sinus into the nose like a kind of mucous membrane sacs. This causes the nose to become blocked. Nasal polyps often cause olfactory problems in the patient.Nasal polyps are almost always benign. Occasionally nasal polyps are malignant. Nasal polyps that do not look normal should therefore always be completely removed and examined.

Recognizing nasal polyps

The most common complaint is a reduced sense of smell and taste. In addition, the nose is often blocked and the patient often feels like he or she has a runny nose. When the patient lies down, the symptoms often become worse. A feeling of fullness in the head and headaches may also occur, but to a lesser extent.

Causes

It is still unknown what causes nasal polyps. However, there are a number of factors that seem to be more likely to cause nasal polyps:

• Asthma patients are more likely to develop polyps if their asthma symptoms worsen.
• Nasal mucosa that is overactive produces polyps more quickly.
• Chronic inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
• The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Alternaria appear to be a cause of nasal polyps.

Nasal polyps usually occur on both sides. Nasal polyps on only one side can be a sign of unilateral maxillary sinusitis. Nasal polyps that develop before puberty can be a sign of cystic fibrosis. However, this does not always have to be the case. Nasal polyps are rare in children. Nasal polyps usually develop between the ages of 30 and 40, but can also occur later.

Diagnosis and treatment

In case of complaints, the patient can visit a doctor. This will check whether there are nasal polyps. The doctor can sometimes see the nasal polyps in the nose. If the polyps are deeper or very small, the doctor uses a nasal endoscopy: a visual examination of the nose. This can be done with or without anesthesia. An anesthetic is administered using cotton pads in the nose. The application time for the anesthetic is 10 to 20 minutes. It is sometimes difficult to breathe through the nose. The throat may also feel thickened. Yet the patient can breathe and swallow normally. The visual examination is done using a flexible tube or tube that is inserted into the nasal cavity. This allows the doctor to better see whether polyps are present. Sometimes X-rays are also taken.Treatment often consists of corticosteroid drops. These can also be administered as an injection or in the form of tablets. Corticosteroids are a chemical variant of the body’s own hormone from the adrenal cortex. These medications reduce or disappear nasal polyps, greatly reducing the symptoms. Not all nasal polyps will disappear with this. Moreover, corticosteroids do not work equally well for everyone. Nasal spray or corticosteroid drops can be used for years, but in tablet form this should only be used temporarily.Another treatment for nasal polyps is surgery. Nasal polyps that are visible in the nose can be removed under local anesthesia. In another operation, nasal polyps can be removed from both the nose and sinuses under local or general anesthesia. This is done using an endoscope. The operation is done through the nasal cavity.After surgery, the nose should not be blown for the first few days. There may be some bloody mucus draining from the nose or some fresh blood. It is important to rinse the nose and keep it clean with a kitchen salt solution. The doctor will always explain how this should be done.

Recurrence of nasal polyps

Sometimes nasal polyps return, even after surgery. Especially when nasal polyps have only been removed from the nose itself, the chance of recurrence is greater. It is often important to treat underlying risk factors to prevent nasal polyps from returning. Malignant polyps fall under the nasopharyngeal cancer and are most common in people of Chinese descent, smokers, often a viral infection of the nose and inhaling nickel dust and wood sawdust. This cancer is easy to treat in its early stages.