Nasal polyps are painless but can have long-term health effects. Because they are located in the nose, they can cause breathing problems, loss of smell, recurrent sinusitis, sleep apnea, and asthma attacks. The risk of these health problems increases if the polyps are larger, according to the US health website Healthline .
Asthma and sinusitis increase the risk of developing nasal polyps.
Common symptoms of nasal polyps include headaches, facial pain, sinus pressure, runny nose, nasal congestion, frequent mucus drainage down the throat, decreased sense of taste and smell, nosebleeds, and snoring. Many people have polyp symptoms that are similar to the common cold, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
Anyone can get nasal polyps, especially people with the following health problems:
Asthma
Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory diseases of the airways. When exposed to a substance, the patient's immune system reacts, causing the airways to swell and narrow, causing difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness.
Asthma is one of the leading causes of nasal polyps. Nasal polyps, once formed, can aggravate asthma symptoms. When treating, doctors will have to treat both conditions at the same time.
Chronic sinusitis
Chronic sinusitis is a long-term inflammation of the sinuses. Inflammation causes the lining of the nose to swell. Prolonged inflammation can make nasal polyps more likely to form.
If chronic sinusitis increases the risk of nasal polyps, conversely, nasal polyps make the sinuses more susceptible to inflammation. Because when they appear, soft polyps will block the flow of mucus and easily lead to infection.
About 20% of people with chronic sinusitis will have nasal polyps. Treatment involves a combination of medication and surgery to remove the polyps.
Allergic fungal sinusitis
This is a condition in which the sinuses become inflamed due to a reaction to fungi and microscopic fungal spores that are airborne. Allergic fungal sinusitis significantly increases the risk of developing nasal polyps. Treatment involves medication combined with surgery to remove the polyps as well as fungal debris, spores, and mucus from the nose, according to Healthline.
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