What will happen if nasal polyps are not operated on?

Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 18, 2024
00:00
00:00

Nasal polyps are a common pathological change in otolaryngology, mainly caused by chronic inflammatory stimuli such as rhinitis and sinusitis, leading to changes in the nasal mucosa. Nasal polyps are an abnormal structural change. Once nasal polyps occur, emergency surgical treatment is recommended. If surgery is not performed, the polyps will continue to grow larger, altering some of the anatomical structures of the nasal cavity and occupying space, which can impair nasal function. This may lead to nasal congestion, a decrease in the sense of smell, and changes in the external nose, such as a "frog-like" nose; the nose becomes swollen and large, resembling a frog. Over time, due to poor nasal ventilation, this can cause headaches, a heavy head, and other uncomfortable symptoms, therefore urgent surgical treatment is advised.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Jian You
Otolaryngology
55sec home-news-image

How to completely treat nasal polyps?

The radical treatment method for nasal polyps is surgical removal, which is the main treatment method for nasal polyps. The traditional nasal polyp surgery is performed under frontal mirror illumination, using a snare or polyp forceps to remove the polyps. It cannot be completely obscured, may damage normal structures, is not easy to remove cleanly, and is prone to recurrence. Over the past 30 years, with the popularization of endoscopy, nasal polyp surgery has greatly improved. Now, under the nasal endoscope, the base of the nasal polyps can be clearly identified and cleanly removed. Most nasal polyps are associated with sinusitis or originate from the sinuses, so it is also necessary to perform simultaneous sinus opening surgery under the endoscope to thoroughly remove the diseased tissue, greatly reducing the recurrence rate of nasal polyps.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
1min 3sec home-news-image

Can nasal polyps be cured?

Nasal polyps are a common condition, but whether they can be completely cured varies from person to person. Generally, treatment is divided into two main categories: conservative treatment and surgical treatment. If the nasal polyps are few and do not cause significant clinical symptoms, most patients will consider conservative treatment, which includes the use of nasal sprays, nasal irrigation, and oral medication. Generally speaking, most patients can achieve effective control and relief. However, if conservative treatment is ineffective and the nasal polyps gradually increase or if the polyps are originally extensive, medical treatment might not be effective, which may necessitate surgical removal. Currently, the main procedure performed is endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyp removal, which is considered minimally invasive. However, neither medical treatment nor surgery can guarantee complete and permanent cure without recurrence, thus long-term follow-up is required.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
39sec home-news-image

Can nasal polyps be felt by touch?

Nasal polyps are benign neoplasms that occur in our nasal cavity. Clinically, nasal polyps in their early stages are primarily located in the middle nasal passage. As the nasal polyps enlarge, they can also be found in the middle nasal passage, and severe ones might even protrude from our anterior nostrils onto our face. Thus, for larger nasal polyps, we can physically feel them; they feel very soft and not very elastic. However, they are somewhat resilient and can move significantly because most nasal polyps are pedunculated within our nasal cavity. Additionally, there is often a lot of nasal mucus.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
46sec home-news-image

Nasal polyps are located in the nose.

Nasal polyps are growths located in our nasal area, which is divided into the external nose, nasal cavity, and sinuses. Nasal polyps primarily develop within our nasal cavity. For some polyps that originate from the sinuses, such as those from the ethmoid sinus or the maxillary sinus, they may initially grow within a sinus cavity. As they increase in size, they can protrude into our nasal cavity and even extend outside it, becoming directly visible. Therefore, nasal polyps mainly grow in our nasal cavity or sinus cavities. They do not develop on our external nose or in our nasopharyngeal region. The most common locations for them are in the nasal cavity and sinus cavities.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
51sec home-news-image

Is there a high possibility that nasal polyps are malignant?

Nasal polyps are a type of benign neoplasm in the nasal cavity, appearing as half a lychee, translucent, and either oval or ovoid in shape. They occupy the normal passages of the nasal cavity, causing symptoms such as nasal congestion, and even headaches in the head or forehead area. Nasal polyps are benign neoplasms and rarely develop into malignant lesions. Clinically, there have been no cases seen where nasal polyps have turned malignant. Some growths that look like nasal polyps may actually be nasal papillomas, which are more prone to malignancy. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with nasal polyps undergo early surgical intervention followed by a pathological examination to differentiate them from nasal papillomas and to assess the prognosis of the condition.