What are nasal polyps?
Do you feel your nose remains blocked most of the time? Over many months? When you catch cold, you feel it extremely difficult to inhale air through your nose? Does the congestion feel on one nostril more than the other? or Do you have feeling as if something is blocking your normal nasal passage?
Well, it can be due to nasal polyps. You might have heard of uterine or endometrial polyps. But what are nasal polyps and what do they do in our noses?
OK. Let us find out all about Nasal polyps.
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Nasal polyps are soft,flesh-like benign or non-cancerous growths on the lining of the nasal cavity or sinuses.
The growth looks like a soft mass of tissue consisting of nasal mucosa that can cover your nostril partially or fully thus blocking your nose.
Nasal polyps can happen in one or both the nostrils at the same time. The shape of the nasal polyp may look like a drop of tear. Small polyps can grow bigger and turn into a size of a big grape. In most cases it is pink or yellowish-brown in color.
People with recurrent respiratory infections such as in chronic cold or chronic sinusitis, asthma and allergies are more prone to have nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are usually painless but it can significantly affect the quality of life.
Having nasal polyps may cause you difficulty in breathing and you become more susceptible to nasal infections.
Symptoms of Nasal polyps:
The symptoms of nasal polyps are:
Nasal polyps can vary in size. When these polyps are smaller, you might not be able to know that you are actually having them. Small polyps rarely trouble you as they often do not produce any apparent signs and symptoms.
When the nasal polyps grow bigger, they can produce symptoms of discomfort and may irritate you.
Let us understand the symptoms of nasal polyps:
- Blocked nasal passage
- Headaches
- Difficult to breath through nose
- Mouth breathing
- Decreased or loss of sensation of smell
- Loss of taste sensation
- Stuffed or congested nose that continues for many days
- Postnasal drip (the fluid from the sinuses gets drained on the back of your nose into the throat)
- Persistent nasal discharge, may be thick
Nasal polyps that grow larger can actually damage the nasal bones and cause long term complications. Such polyps need to be removed surgically to avoid the possible complications.
Nasal polyps are usually not serious. You would need treatment when it affects the quality of your life.
You may develop complications such as:
- Sleep apnea during sleep due to the obstruction in your nose
- Damage to your nasal bones
- Excessive snoring
- Inflammation of your sinuses around the nose (nasal and paranasal sinuses)
- Widening of your nose
What are the causes of Nasal polyps?
The etiology behind the occurrence or development of the nasal polyps is still not known. It is however believed to be an abnormal immune response. The people with certain medical conditions are known to have nasal polyps some time in future. Although it is not necessary that that they will have nasal polyps.
The medical conditions or risk factors that can contribute to formation of nasal polyps can be:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Drug sensitivity to aspirin
- Chronic cold
- Chronic sinusitis
- Chronic rhinosinusitis
- Fungal sinusitis
How is the diagnosis of nasal polyps made?
Unless you have trouble breathing or any of the above symptoms of nasal polyps, you wont go to seek any medical help. Small polyps on or near the upper sinuses remain unnoticed and do not present any symptoms.
When they tend to grow larger, they start producing discomfort and other symptoms. This makes you see your doctor who is a specialist ENT or Ear, Nose and throat expert.
The diagnosis of Nasal polyps can be done by:
Physical examination of nose: Your ENT doctor may visualise your nose using a small thin nasal endoscope with light apparatus.
MRI and CT scans: if the endoscope is not able to show polyps clearly, your ENT doctor may recommend a CT Or MRI study to reveal the clear picture of your nasal cavity and sinuses.
What are the treatment approaches for nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps can be treated medically or surgically depending upon the size of the growth and the physical discomfort of the patient.
Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroid nasal spray that helps reduce the inflammation and shrink the nasal polyps.
Nasal decongestants may be given to relieve the stuffiness and congestion within your nose
Moist inhalation may help you keep the nasal passage moistened and reduce the chances of getting infection.
Nasal polyps that grow larger causing extreme difficulty in breathing may require nasal endoscopic surgery which removes the nasal polyps using the thin endoscope.
An endoscopic stent surgery can also be done to dilate the nasal passage by placing a stent in the nasal cavity.
Surgeries of the nose are done as outpatient.
Even after surgery, there are chances your nasal polyps may recur. Maintain the follow-up procedures and advice to avoid any recurrences in the future.
Are there any home remedies or alternative therapies to treat nasal polyps naturally?
Nasal polyps can be managed to shrink only when they are very smaller in size. When they grow larger, surgery is the only option left to avoid the other long-term complications.
Ayurveda and homeopathy has their own practices and therapies to cure the nasal polyps. However it is not clear as to how effective they are in clearing or shrinking off the nasal polyps.
You can try using these remedies:
- Use Neti pots or pot specialised to irrigate the nose with warm water. Tilting your head you need to introduce water into one nostril and letting it out through the other. This clears the nasal passage and cleans the nasal lining and sinuse. Warm water helps in relieving congestion. You may find it difficult in the beginning but with further practice, you can get better with using it. Netipots help clear off the dirt from your nasal passage.
- Steam inhalation: Steam inhalation is the best home remedy to relieve the nasal congestion. The vapors of water make the discharge moist and thus it helps its easy removal making you feel relaxed from the stuffiness. it clears the nose off any excess mucus and improves the blood flow in the nasal lining. It also reduces the inflammation of the nasal passage. It may not shrink your polpys but you can definitely feel at ease by doing it at least for 15-20 min twice in a day. for steam inhalation the water should be boiled to have enough vapors that rise. you can add salt or tincture benzoin or a small camphor tablet or some half teaspoon of any decongestant balms (such as Vicks Vaporub/Himalaya or Patanjali balm). Take deep inhalations with mouth and nose alternatively and releasing outside the inhaler/container used for inhalation.
- Use of home available herbs and spices: Add a pich of turmeric to your diet. Use garlic and ginger in the diet as both have anti-inflammatory properties. Using eucalyptus and chamomile leaves can also help in reducing the symptoms of nasal polyp. Ecualyptus oil is a great remedy for headaches and nasal congestion. Taking it as a inhalation mixed with water can give you the desired results.
- Aerobic exercises: Deep breathing exercises can help a lot. Doing Yoga and pranayama can help a lot. Try doing anulom-vilom for 3-5 minutes twice a day. You can also increase the time and repetitions as per your capacity. Do Brahmari pranayama to get relief from symptoms of nasal polyps.
It must be understood that the home remedies cant help you get rid of nasal polyps. The smaller ones may or may not shrink. Trying home remedies for nasal polyps may help you feel at ease but it is not a substitute for any medical checkup or advice.
If your nasal polyps are large enough obstructing your normal breathing, you must seek proper medical advice.
What changes or adaptations can make life easy with nasal polyps?
When you are having nasal polyps that are small, once you know you have it, just start implementing few remedies to avoid any possible complication or letting it to grow larger.
Although it is not in your hands to make it disappear all of a sudden, you can probably try your best to alleviate or reduce your symptoms to a considerable extent that makes your life easy.
- Always maintain your nasal hygiene. This means clean your nostrils properly with warm water. It helps keep your nasal mucosa free from germs, and moistened. It also removes any nasal discharge or dirt that can trigger allergic response.
- Use nasal rinses available as sprays, squeezy bottles or rinsing solution or as ordered by your doctor. Over the counter nasal saline sprays and rinses can be used to keep the nasal passage clean and moist.
- Take your asthma medications regularly. Keep yourself away from any allergens such as dust or smoke or pollen that triggers an abnormal immune response .
- If you have sinusitis more often, see your doctor and get checked for any nasal polyps.
- After surgery for polyps removal, follow the precautions and your doctor's advice to prevent any recurrences.
- Using a humidifier helps in preventing dryness of the nasal passage. Use as per instructions.
- Try using home remedies and eat healthy diet.
- Avoid having food products that trigger autoimmune response and create respiratory difficulties.
- Have your scheduled check-ups done post surgery.
Note: This post is for informational and educational purpose only, It is not a substitute to any medical or professional advice or treatment. See your doctor in any case.
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