Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Nasal Polyps?Frequent SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderNext in Nasal Polyps GuideHow Nasal Polyps Are Treated
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Nasal Polyps?
Frequent Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Next in Nasal Polyps Guide
Nasal polyps can result in a range of symptoms, including a decreased sense of smell and/or taste, difficulty breathing through the nose, runny nose, postnasal drip, headache, cough, sinus pain or pressure, itching around the eyes, snoring, facial pain, pain in the upper teeth.
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Nasal polyps are soft, swollen, abnormal, sac-like growths that line the inside of a person’s nose or sinuses. They are often teardrop-shaped and grow together in groups. Though nasal polyps themselves are not a form of cancer, it is possible for other growths to form in the nasal cavity that are cancerous—though they are not considered polyps.
Frequently, nasal polyps grow where the sinuses open into the nasal cavity and can vary in size. While small polyps may not cause any problems—and may not be noticeable—larger polyps canblock your sinusesor nasal airway, making it difficult to breathe.
Who Is Most at Risk for Developing Nasal Polyps?In general, nasal polyps are quite common, and anyone can develop them, though they tend to most frequently appear when a person is in their 30s and 40s.
Who Is Most at Risk for Developing Nasal Polyps?
In general, nasal polyps are quite common, and anyone can develop them, though they tend to most frequently appear when a person is in their 30s and 40s.
It can be difficult to determine if a person has nasal polyps. This is because, in some cases, they don’t experience any symptoms at all, and in other cases, it simply feels like a normal—but neverending—head cold.
Thesymptoms of nasal polypscan include a combination of the following:
The main complications of nasal polyps are similar to some of the symptoms listed above: namely, having difficulty breathing through the nose, and a loss of taste and/or smell.
Loss of Taste and SmellIf you lose your taste and smell due to nasal polyps, there is a chance that it will never come back.
Loss of Taste and Smell
If you lose your taste and smell due to nasal polyps, there is a chance that it will never come back.
The other potential complications from nasal polyps would be a result of having them surgically removed. In that situation, complications can include:
Other potential, though more serious and less common, complications of nasal polyps may include:
Additional Risk Factors
While researchers are still trying to pinpoint the cause of nasal polyps, one theory is that they may be genetic—especially in cases involving genes that play a role in the immune system and inflammatory response.
Additionally, if a person has an underlying inflammation of tissue, they may be more likely to develop nasal polyps, along with those who have the following conditions:
If a person has nasal polyps, asthma, and an allergy to aspirin, it is called Samter’s triad (ST).
If you find that it’s more difficult to breathe through your nose than usual—especially if you aren’t dealing with a cold or allergies—it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Similarly, if you lose your sense of taste and/or smell, or have what feels like a head cold or sinus infection that never goes away, it’s time to seek medicaltreatment.
At the appointment, your healthcare provider will look in your nose and may have to do a nasal endoscopy to get a good look at the full extent of the polyps.
Severe CasesIn more severe cases, the healthcare provider may need to do a CT scan of your sinuses because older polyps may have broken down into the bone inside your sinuses.
Severe Cases
In more severe cases, the healthcare provider may need to do a CT scan of your sinuses because older polyps may have broken down into the bone inside your sinuses.
Can a Sinus Infection Cause Dizziness?
A Word From Verywell
Because nasal polyps can feel like a range of common upper respiratory conditions, it can be difficult to know when you have them. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to how long your nose feels blocked or you experience sinus pressure.
Talk to your healthcare provider if anything seems out of the ordinary or you notice any sudden changes to your ability to breathe through your nose.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nasal polyps.MedlinePlus.Nasal polyps.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Nasal polyps.Cedars-Sinai.Nasal polyps.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nasal polyps.MedlinePlus.Nasal polyps.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Nasal polyps.Cedars-Sinai.Nasal polyps.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nasal polyps.MedlinePlus.Nasal polyps.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Nasal polyps.Cedars-Sinai.Nasal polyps.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nasal polyps.
MedlinePlus.Nasal polyps.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Nasal polyps.
Cedars-Sinai.Nasal polyps.
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