Can nasal polyps be treated without surgery?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on January 23, 2025
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A portion of patients with nasal polyps may not require surgery. The decision to operate on nasal polyps primarily depends on the severity of the condition and the overall health of the patient. If the nasal polyps are particularly localized and the patient does not exhibit significant symptoms such as nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, reduced sense of smell, headaches, or dizziness, conservative treatment or regular check-ups may be considered. Conservative treatment involves the use of nasal sprays and regular examinations with a nasopharyngoscope to monitor the growth of the polyps. However, if the nasal polyps are extensive and accompanied by clinical symptoms, and conservative treatment proves ineffective, surgery may need to be considered. Currently, endoscopic surgery is commonly performed and is generally very effective with minimal trauma.

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How is nasal polyp surgery performed?

Nasal polyps are benign neoplasms in our nasal cavities. Nasal polyps do not have a distribution of nerves and blood vessels. Once nasal polyps occur, the main treatment is surgical removal. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. We expose the nasal polyps using an endoscope, and then remove the nasal polyps using forceps or an electric suction cutter. The surgical operation is relatively simple. However, it is important to protect the surrounding structures such as the eyes and brain during the surgery to avoid damaging these tissues. After surgery, it is common to pack the nasal cavity, and the entire procedure generally requires a hospital stay of about one week.

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Are nasal polyps serious?

Nasal polyps are a relatively common otolaryngologic disease, and for the most part, most patients are not too serious; only a small number of patients have more severe nasal polyps with more obvious symptoms. In terms of treatment, if the nasal polyps are few and the clinical symptoms are not particularly pronounced, conservative medical treatment can be considered. Commonly used are corticosteroid nasal sprays, and physiological saline can be used to rinse the nasal cavity to help improve clinical symptoms; if there are many nasal polyps and the clinical symptoms are very pronounced, and standard medication treatment is ineffective, surgery may be considered. A common procedure is endoscopic nasal polyp removal. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor according to specific circumstances.)

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How come there is bleeding from nasal polyps?

Patients with nasal polyps experiencing nosebleeds can have many causes. It might be due to hemorrhagic polyps, erosion of the nasal mucosa, dry nasal cavities, or rupture of small blood vessels. Some patients may have sinusitis accompanying their nasal polyps, with significant inflammatory responses that could also lead to nosebleeds. However, it's necessary to check for other conditions, such as nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, malignant tumors in the nasal cavity or sinuses, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or blood disorders like coagulation dysfunction and thrombocytopenia. It is advisable to visit an ENT specialist and undergo nasopharyngoscopy, sinus CT scans, blood tests, and coagulation function tests to make an accurate diagnosis.

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Written by Li Rui
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What medicine is effective for nasal polyps?

The treatment of nasal polyps currently mainly includes two types: conservative treatment and surgical treatment. For smaller, localized nasal polyps with relatively mild clinical symptoms, conservative drug treatment is primarily considered. Currently, corticosteroid nasal sprays are predominantly used, mainly to improve nasal ventilation, reduce mucosal edema, and shrink the nasal polyps. Some patients may even see the polyps disappear completely. However, there are also patients who do not respond well to this treatment, or have relatively large polyps. In these cases, conservative treatment may be less effective, and surgery might be considered. Presently, minimally invasive surgery under endoscopic guidance is commonly performed to remove nasal polyps, and generally, the outcomes are quite definite. (Answer for reference only, medications should be taken under the guidance of a professional physician and not self-administered.)

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Symptoms of enlarged nasal polyps

Nasal polyps are a relatively common otolaryngology disease with various clinical symptoms and certain individual differences. If the nasal polyps are few, there might not be obvious clinical manifestations. They could be discovered during physical examinations or nasal endoscopy. If there are many nasal polyps, it could lead to reduced sense of smell, headaches, dizziness, nasal congestion, and runny nose. Overall, different patients exhibit different symptoms. In terms of treatment, it is first necessary to assess the specific severity of the condition, which can be evaluated comprehensively using nasopharyngoscopy and sinus CT scans. Most patients can consider medical conservative treatment, while a small number of patients with numerous polyps might need to consider surgical treatment. (The use of medications should be guided by a professional doctor.)