Polyps In The Nose: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Polyps in the nose, unlike polyps in other areas of the body, rarely represent a serious health problem. Only in a few cases are they related to cancer, which is verified by a biopsy. In the other cases they are benign lesions.
Polyps in the nose are soft masses, similar to small sacs, that grow in the lining of the nose or in the sinuses. This condition occurs most often in adults and only very rarely in children younger than 10 years old.
It is estimated that polyps in the nose appear in a segment of between 1 and 5% of the population. They affect men and women more or less equally, although their incidence is slightly higher in men. The most common is that they occur in people between 30 and 40 years old.
This disease is considered a variant of sinusitis, more precisely of polypoid sinusitis. The size of polyps in the nose is very varied: they can be very small or reach a large volume. In some cases they do not cause a major problem, but in others they cause obstruction of the nasal airway.
What are polyps in the nose?
Polyps in the nose are whitish-looking, soft-textured, and often teardrop-shaped formations. Its appearance is similar to that of a peeled, seedless grape. They appear inside the nasal passages or sinuses. They can be unique or multiple.
They are considered benign lesions. Unlike polyps that appear in the bladder or colon , polyps in the nose are not tumors and pose a minimal risk of cancer. They are generally due to chronic inflammation and are often associated with asthma, immune disorders, allergies, etc.
These formations appear when the natural mucosa that is present in the nasal passages or paranasal sinuses hypertrophies. In those cases, the mucosa grows and fills with a thick fluid. Little by little, this accumulation takes shape and configures the polyps. This condition is called nasal polyposis.
Causes
There is some controversy as to the causes of nasal polyposis. Traditionally it has been accepted that this process is related to some type of allergy, but there are also cases in which this condition is not present. The evolution of this disease is not fully understood either.
There are data in which it is indicated that the chemical markers of the mucosa, as well as the responses of the immune system are different in those who develop polyps in the nose and in those who do not. This suggests that some genetic mutations could be involved in this problem.
In any case, a list of conditions that operate as risk factors for this disease has been established. This list includes:
- Asthma.
- Allergic fungal sinusitis.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Aspirin sensitivity.
- Vitamin D deficiency.
- Syndrome Churg-Strauss (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis).
In some cases, polyps appear during an infectious process in the nose and then disappear when the infection subsides. They are also formed when there is a foreign body lodged in the nose.
Symptoms of polyps in the nose
When polyps are small, they usually do not cause any symptoms and therefore often go unnoticed. If they begin to enlarge then they become noticeable and may cause discomfort or become a source of nasal airway obstruction.
Large polyps often cause a sinus infection, which becomes a common symptom of polyposis. It is also common to have nasal congestion, some degree of loss of the sense of smell and taste, as well as rhinorrhea, headache, pain in the area and signs of a cold.
In some cases, those with nasal polyps are forced to breathe through their mouths. This is because the nasal passage is obstructed, to a greater or lesser extent. There are times when the polyp becomes present in the nostrils.
Treatment
The most effective measure to treat nasal polyps is extractive surgery. However, the most common is that before this, another series of measures are taken to cure them, especially if they are not excessive in size.
The most common is that the treatment begins with the administration of corticosteroids, through nebulisations in the nostrils or through the oral route. Corticosteroids tend to cause side effects, so strict monitoring is required.
Antihistamines and antibiotics are also commonly used. If the polyp is very large and causes some degree of obstruction, it is advisable to perform surgery. However, it has been shown that polyps can re-form after this procedure.
