Nasal polyps are painless, non-malignant growths that occur in the nasal passages and sinuses, which are hollow places in the bones around your nose. These polyps develop from mucous membranes and in the mucosa’s inflammatory tissue, which protect the nasal cavity. During an allergy or nasal infection, the mucosa swells, reddens, and produces fluid, causing sinus polyps to become inflamed and large, further obstructing the nasal passages and sinuses. Common symptoms of nasal polyps include:
1. Persistent Stuffiness
If you have a stuffy nose that does not go away, you may suspect you just have a cold, allergies, or, at worst, the flu. However, this congestion might be due to something more serious, such as polyps. Polyps frequently develop where the sinuses enter the nasal cavity. As a result, larger growths or clusters of these polyps can obstruct your nasal passages or cause breathing difficulties, such as congestion.
2. Postnasal Drip
Excess mucus secreted by the nasal and throat glands can sometimes drip down the back of the throat rather than running out of the nasal passages. This is called postnasal drip and it can trigger the cough reflex, resulting in upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), which is a chronic cough. If a person feels mucus pouring down the back of their throat, they may feel the need to clear their throat more frequently than usual. A persistent sore throat, especially when paired with consistently coughing or spitting up mucus, is another symptom of postnasal drip.
3. Decreased or Absent Sense of Taste And Smell
When polyps cover half or more of the nasal cavity, the air becomes obstructed and does not reach the smell nerves. When air, and therefore scents, cannot reach the nerve endings, a person cannot smell well or may not be able to smell at all. Moreover, a large portion of our perception of taste is tied to our sense of smell, so someone experiencing a loss of smell will likely also lose their sense of taste.
4. Facial Pain and Pressure or Toothache
When polyps obstruct or impede normal sinus drainage, you may develop long-term (chronic) or recurrent bouts of acute sinusitis. This is because polyps can make it difficult for mucus to flow from the sinus canals, resulting in mucus buildup, irritation, and, eventually, infection. As a result, you may have severe nasal pressure, discomfort, and headaches, among other symptoms.
Polyps typically form when the mucous membranes that line the nose and sinuses become irritated repeatedly or for a lengthy period of time. Swelling, redness, and fluid accumulation are all signs of inflammation. According to researchers who have investigated nasal polyp tissue, inflammation can be caused by allergies and infections. This research suggests that such inflammation causes tiny fluid-filled growths, from which polyps develop.
