If your nose makes you crazy with frequent stuffiness, dripping, sneezing, or sinus infections, nasal polyps could be to blame. These usually noncancerous growths develop in your nasal passage or sinuses for different reasons, possibly causing many problematic complications, including:
Skilled providers, Charles Greene, MD, PhD, and Tara Condrey, PA-C, at Jacksonville ENT Surgery, help patients in Lake City and Jacksonville, Florida, get an accurate diagnosis for many ear-nose-throat conditions, including nasal polyps.
Nasal polyps share symptoms with many other upper respiratory conditions, so here’s a closer look at the conditions and the symptoms you should look for if you suspect you have these soft-tissue growths.
These bulbous soft-tissue growths seem to have a connection with the way your immune system behaves, but researchers still aren’t sure why some people develop nasal polyps and some people don’t.
Polyps grow on the tissue that produces mucus, most often in the drainage areas of your nasal chambers. While they’re more commonly found in young adults and middle-aged adults, anyone can develop them.
Some factors increase your risk of developing nasal polyps. For example, people who experience chronic inflammation in their air passageways have a higher chance of nasal polyp growth. The conditions that cause this type of chronic inflammation include:
Your risk also increases if you have close family members with nasal polyps.
When they first develop, nasal polyps rarely cause any noticeable symptoms. However, As they continue to grow, polyps begin to trigger different symptoms, including:
Because nasal polyps share symptoms with many other upper respiratory conditions, it can be challenging to know when you have nasal polyps and when something else could be causing your symptoms. That’s why it’s important to see your Jacksonville ENT Surgery specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
Before recommending a specific course of treatment, your Jacksonville ENT Surgery provider evaluates your symptoms and medical history, then conducts a physical exam to accurately diagnose your condition.
To confirm a diagnosis of nasal polyps and to pinpoint their size and location, your provider may order additional diagnostic imaging or other testing, including a CT scan, MRI, and nasal endoscopy, with or without biopsy.
Based on your unique presentation, your provider creates a personalized nasal polyp treatment plan that may include one or more different treatment modalities, including:
In some cases, your Jacksonville ENT Surgery provider may recommend a surgical procedure or implant as the best treatment to meet your needs.
Endoscopic surgery is performed to remove your nasal polyps. Your provider uses a special tool that has a camera and lighting at the end and inserts it into your nostrils. They then locate and remove your polyps using specially designed tools.
Sometimes your Jacksonville ENT Surgery provider may recommend inserting PROPEL®, a meshlike implant that keeps your nasal passage open while you heal, following your endoscopic surgery.
PROPEL also contains slow-release steroid medication, which reduces inflammation and helps you heal faster. Plus there’s no need to come back for removal — the device gradually dissolves over time.
Another implant your provider may recommend is SINUVA®, which is designed to shrink your polyps so you can avoid surgery. Your provider inserts the SINUVA implant, and it releases medications that shrink your polyps, helping your symptoms improve.
If you suspect you have nasal polyps, don’t wait to schedule an appointment with a specialist at Jacksonville ENT Surgery in Lake City, Florida. Call one of our three Jacksonville offices to schedule or use our online booking tool now.
