Table of contents:
- What are nasal polyps?
- Who is most susceptible to nasal polyps?
- What are the features and symptoms of nasal polyps?
- What causes nasal polyps?
- Am I at risk for polyps?
- What are the consequences if I have polyps in the nose?
- How can you prevent this?
- If I have nasal polyps, what should I do?
Do you have a persistent cold? Or your nose feels blocked and becomes difficult to breathe? Maybe you have polyps in your nose without your knowing it. Are polyps dangerous?
What are nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps are growths of tissue inside the nostrils or in the form of flesh that develop inside the nostrils. This growing meat is harmless, tame and has a soft texture. Polyps in the nose can grow in one hole or in both holes at once which is usually caused by allergies experienced by a person. Small polyps do not cause any symptoms. Meanwhile, large polyps can be dangerous because they block the airways, interfere with the sense of smell, and can cause infectious diseases.
Who is most susceptible to nasal polyps?
It is estimated that polyps affect as much as 4 to 40 percent of the total population. Polyps can be experienced by anyone but the survey results show that polyps are more common in men than in women and in adults aged 40 years. Meanwhile, children aged 10 years or less experience this very rarely. Several drugs and therapies can help treat polyps that appear, but sometimes polyps will come back even after successful therapy.
What are the features and symptoms of nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps sufferers usually also experience inflammation of the lining of the nose and sinuses that has lasted more than 12 weeks, or is chronic. If you have polyps that are small in size, they may not cause symptoms. But if the polyp grows bigger it can cause various symptoms such as:
- The nose is constantly wet, like you have a cold
- The nose feels constantly blocked
- Cannot smell various odors
- Decreased olfactory ability
- Facial pain
- Headache
- Pain in the upper teeth
- The forehead feels depressed
- Snoring
- Sneezing
- Feels itchy under the eyes
Most people who have polyps have persistent colds accompanied by sneezing. About 75% of them also have decreased ability to smell and cannot smell. Sometimes there are symptoms of an allergy to aspirin, but this is rarely found. Nasal polyps that are prolonged and left untreated will cause chronic inflammation of your nose.
What causes nasal polyps?
Until now, it is not certain what causes polyps that grow in the nose. Experts also do not know exactly what causes chronic inflammation or what triggers the growth of soft flesh in the nostrils. Inflammation that occurs continuously produces fluid produced by the lining of the nostrils. This fluid is in the form of mucus which then collects to become polyps.
Some studies suggest that polyps occur in people who have a different immune system response when compared to people who don't. In some cases, people who have polyps also have a history of asthma and several other types of allergies.
Am I at risk for polyps?
Although it is not known the reason and cause of the growth of nasal polyps, experts say there are several risk factors that may increase the likelihood of having polyps in the nose, namely:
- Asthma, a disease that causes inflammation of the airways
- Sensitivity to aspirin can also increase your risk of having polyps
- Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that results in excessive mucus from the nose
- Have a family who has had or has nasal polyps.
What are the consequences if I have polyps in the nose?
Nasal polyps cause several health problems and problems, such as obstruction of the respiratory tract due to being in the nostrils, causing sinus infections, sleep apnea namely breathing problems during sleep.
How can you prevent this?
- Maintain humidity in your home with a humidifier
- Maintain cleanliness, by washing hands with soap and running water regularly and as often as possible. This will prevent bacteria and viruses from sticking to the body.
- Avoid objects or things that cause allergies, such as chemicals, dust, and so on.
- Take medication to treat asthma and allergies, to prevent more severe inflammation from occurring.
- Rinsing the nostrils with a special medicine, this will help reduce the risk of allergies and irritation of the nostrils.
If I have nasal polyps, what should I do?
If you experience some of the symptoms previously mentioned, it is better to see a doctor. Treatment to treat sinuses is usually done by administering drugs that can make the polyps shrink and even disappear and performing surgery to remove the polyps.
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