Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous growths that can form inside your sinuses and nose. While they might not be painful, they can grow larger and block your airways, making it harder for you to breathe and smell. There is usually no complete cure for polyps, since they tend to return if you are prone to them. You can, however, take several medical and lifestyle steps to shrink or remove polyps and reduce your risk of forming more.
Visit the doctor if you have symptoms of nasal polyps. Often, nasal polyps do not show symptoms, and you may live your whole life without knowing they are there. If polyps grow larger, however, you can experience complications that will require medical attention. If you have the following symptoms, you should visit the doctor and see if you are suffering from nasal polyps
If they test you and confirm that you have polyps, there are some medical treatments they may recommend.
An excessively runny or stuffed up nose.
Decreased sense of smell and taste.
Pressure on the forehead or face.
Feeling like your nose is clogged when mucus isn't present.
Headaches.
Pain in your upper row of teeth.
Use steroid sprays. Steroid sprays can help to reduce the size of your nasal polyps. If the polyps were small enough, they might disappear completely when treated with steroid sprays. Some steroid sprays are sold over the counter at pharmacies, but stronger varieties are available with a prescription. Talk to your doctor about using a steroid spray and see if it would work for you.
Some of the common nasal sprays include beclomethasone , budesonide, fluticasone, mometasone, and triamcinolone. Nasonex is the most common brand name for steroid nasal sprays.
Try steroid nasal drops. Nasal drops, like nasal spray, help to shrink your polyps. Nasal drops can also clear up congestion, which can help you to breathe more easily while your polyps shrink. Most nasal drops take between 7 and 14 days to begin reducing polyps, and it is generally recommended that you continue to use them for another four to six weeks
When administering nasal drops, you should bend fully forward and downward. You should almost feel like you are about to try to stand on your head. Put the drops in your nose while your head hangs down. Keep your head down for 3 to 4 minutes after administering the drops to make sure that the drops reach your nasal cavity.
Take prednisone. Prednisone is an oral corticosteroid that reduces swelling and inflammation. It can help treat the inflammation in your nose and thus reduce the size of your nasal polyps. You can only get this steroid through a prescription from your doctor. Normally, you would take the steroid for 7 to 10 days.
Take oral antibiotics. While antibiotics won't help reduce your polyps, they will treat complications that could result from polyps. If polyps block the sinuses, they can cause a sinus infection because the trapped bacteria will multiply. If you have a sinus infection from your polyps, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection.
Consider surgery. While these previous treatments will help shrink your polyps, usually the only way to get rid of polyps completely is with surgical removal. If polyps are persistent and causing significant discomfort, your doctor will probably suggest this option. To surgically remove nasal polyps, you will most likely have to get endoscopic sinus surgery. An endoscope—a long tube that has a light and video camera at the end—will be inserted in one of your nostrils and several tools will be used to remove your nasal polyps. You will be placed under general anesthesia during this operation. Usually you are well enough to go home the same day as your surgery.[9][10]
Remember that in some cases, the nasal polyps will return after two or three years.