What are the symptoms of nasal polyps?

Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
Updated on March 29, 2025
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Nasal polyps are benign tumors that occur inside the nasal cavity. Generally, the appearance of nasal polyps is associated with chronic inflammatory stimulation, repeated irritation of the turbinate mucosa leading to congestion, edema, prolapse, and hyperplasia of the turbinate mucosa, which causes nasal polyps. They are also often secondary to allergic rhinitis. Nasal polyps can cause bilateral nasal congestion in patients, which tends to persist and worsen, while mucous secretions may also flow from the nasal cavity. In severe cases, patients may experience facial swelling, pain, headaches, and other related symptoms. During examination, pale white lychee-like, soft new growths that are usually painless can be found inside the nasal cavity. In terms of treatment, nasal polyps require endoscopic nasal polypectomy. The surgery requires hospitalization, general anesthesia, and postoperative antibiotics to prevent local infection. Patients can usually recover and be discharged about a week after the surgery. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Can nasal polyps be eliminated?

Nasal polyps are benign neoplasms in the nasal cavity. They are translucent, lychee-shaped neoplasms without nervous or vascular innervation. Nasal polyps can be completely removed, primarily through two methods. One method is the chemical removal with medications, mainly using corticosteroids, which is suitable for early-stage nasal polyps. Another method is via functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which involves the removal of nasal polyps. The surgery is performed under endoscopic guidance, using forceps or a snare device to excise the nasal polyps. This surgery is conducted under general anesthesia, and nasal polyps can be removed.

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Where is a good place to massage for nasal polyps to get better quickly?

Massage therapy is generally ineffective for treating nasal polyps, so no matter what type of massage is used, it is unlikely to have a notably positive effect on the treatment and recovery of nasal polyps. Currently, there are primarily two treatment options to consider: conservative treatment and surgical removal. If the polyps are numerous and widespread, and conservative treatment proves ineffective, then surgical removal, particularly minimally invasive surgery performed with an endoscope, should be considered. This type of surgery generally causes minimal damage and allows for a relatively quick recovery, with fairly definitive therapeutic outcomes. If the nasal polyps are small and localized, treatment usually starts with nasal sprays and oral medications, but regular check-ups are necessary to monitor for any changes.

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Written by Xu Jian You
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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.

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What medicine to take for nasal polyps?

There are quite a few methods for treating nasal polyps, and currently, they are mainly divided into two major categories on the clinical level: the first category is surgical removal, and the second category is conservative medicinal treatment. If the extent of the nasal polyps is relatively small and there are no significant clinical symptoms, this situation could be considered for medication treatment. Currently, the first choice is still nasal spray, primarily corticosteroid nasal sprays, which help reduce nasal polyps and alleviate clinical symptoms. If accompanied by sinusitis or rhinitis, it is recommended to combine it with oral medications, commonly used medications include antibiotics or traditional Chinese medicine preparations, and overall, it is a relatively common disease. If the range of nasal polyps is extensive, and the inflammatory response is severe, accompanied by obvious clinical symptoms, this situation might require surgical treatment, as purely medicinal treatment might indeed not be particularly ideal. (Specific medication use should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Can nasal polyps be seen on an X-ray?

Nasal polyps are a relatively common otolaryngology disease, which can be comprehensively assessed through nasal endoscopy or sinus CT scan. Generally speaking, nasal endoscopy is more intuitive, allowing direct observation of the extent and severity of polyps within the nasal cavity. If a sinus CT scan is performed, it has diagnostic and reference value for multiple nasal polyps, but it might not be very clear if there are only a few polyps. In terms of treatment, if there are numerous nasal polyps and medication is ineffective, surgical treatment should be considered. If the nasal polyps are limited and the clinical symptoms are mild, medical conservative treatment is recommended, but regular follow-up examinations are necessary to monitor the effect. (Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)