Do you seem to catch colds easily or suffer from respiratory issues longer than others? If so, you may be part of the 12% of adults worldwide who suffer from chronic sinusitis.
Unfortunately, this condition can cause the development of nasal polyps. Although these soft bulbs of tissue are benign (noncancerous), they can still cause problems — whether you have one or two larger polyps, or a few clusters made up of many smaller ones.
Here at Advanced ENT & Allergy in Newport News, Virginia, our team of skilled specialists with expertise in nose care can accurately diagnose your issue and offer proven treatment solutions.
If you suffer from frequent sinus infections, here’s what you should know about nasal polyps:
Nasal polyps don’t always cause adverse symptoms, but when they do, they can be quite bothersome. They may cause issues with your breathing and interfere with your sense of smell; they may also make you more vulnerable to developing chronic sinus infections and persistent symptoms like a runny nose and postnasal drip.
In some cases, untreated nasal polyps may even give rise to sleep apnea problems or trigger severe asthma attacks. If you have nasal polyps, our team at Advanced ENT & Allergy can accurately diagnose your problem and offer effective treatment options to help you reduce or eliminate your symptoms.
Nasal polyps grow from the tissues inside your nose that produce mucus. Even though there’s a connection between immune system behavior and polyp development, these growths don’t appear in everyone.
While nasal polyps can affect people of any age, they tend to be more common in young and middle-aged adults.
You might be more susceptible to the development of nasal polyps if you have:
Genetics may also play a role: If you have close family members with nasal polyps, you have a greater chance of developing them, too.
Our team at Advanced ENT & Allergy aims to help you reduce the size of your nasal polyps or eliminate them altogether. Here’s what we recommend:
First, we recommend that you implement simple changes in your life like using a humidifier during the dry months or avoiding nasal irritants like dust and smoke. These small but significant action steps can help you ease nasal polyp flare-ups and prevent their continued growth and development.
A powerful anti-inflammatory corticosteroid medication can effectively shrink or even eliminate polyps. Your polyps may respond well to this medication in the form of a simple nasal spray, or they may respond better to an oral prescription used in combination with the spray.
While corticosteroid injections can help in severe cases, it’s important to limit this course of treatment to reduce the risk of potential long-term side effects. Antihistamines and antibiotics are also effective for reducing polyp swelling and clearing up infections.
If medications don’t produce satisfactory results, our skilled team can perform nasal and sinus surgery to remove polyps and widen your air passages.
Our cutting-edge treatments and techniques provide ideal choices to help end your issues caused by sinus infections and nasal polyps. To learn more, call our friendly office staff in Newport News, Virginia, today, or book your appointment online at Advanced ENT & Allergy any time.
