What are "nasal polyps"?
Nasal polyps are caused by a blockage of the mucus glands in the nose. Over time, with constant irritation, these glands kind of swell and expand. The mucosa of the nose actually forms these outcroppings, or swellings, that kind of grow out of the nose and block off the nasal passages. Typically they're seen in patients who have allergies, but they can also be seen in patients who have chronic sinus infections as well. Nasal polyps are usually a sign of some kind of disease that involves the body. In children, polyps can be a sign of cystic fibrosis, where patients have a problem with the mucus that they produce in their body; it's too thick. Due to the fact that the mucus is thick, they have constant irritation; they form polyps. So, that may be the first sign in a child that they have cystic fibrosis; it can be very serious. In an adult, polyps are usually a sign of chronic allergy. If the polyps are removed but the allergy is not treated, they'll come back. In general, polyps are not dangerous, but they need to be treated, and the primary cause of the polyp needs to be discerned. Polyps are usually treated surgically, and if the polyps only involve the nose, they can be removed with a snare, they can be removed with special instruments like scissors, or they can be removed endoscopically, with minimum basic surgery. If the polyps involve the sinuses, then the patient would need a sinus surgery to remove the polyps from the sinuses as well. People who have nasal polyps may require three, four, or five sinus surgeries in their lifetime, because the polyps continue to come back.
