Can nasal polyps be cured without surgery?

Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
Updated on January 26, 2025
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Patients with nasal polyps usually cannot be completely cured without surgery. The formation of nasal polyps is mainly related to the patient's long-term smoking and drinking, pollution in the living environment, and stimulation from physical and chemical factors, which lead to the proliferation of nasal mucosal epithelium and edema. Patients with nasal polyps will have obvious symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headaches, and sinusitis. The use of medications to treat nasal polyps can only relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion. For a complete cure, functional endoscopic sinus surgery is required to remove the nasal polyps and open the sinus ostia, restoring the normal physiological environment of the nasal cavity, to achieve the therapeutic goal. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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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.

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Is nasal polyp surgery painful?

Nasal polyps are space-occupying lesions that occur in the nasal cavity and sinus cavity. After the discovery of nasal polyps, they are usually removed surgically. Currently, the surgery for nasal polyps is performed under general anesthesia using functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which involves removing the nasal polyps and opening the sinus ostia. There is no significant pain during the surgery, as it is conducted under general anesthesia. After the surgery, the nasal cavity is packed with some hemostatic materials. There is discomfort when this nasal packing material is removed on the second day after the surgery, but this discomfort is only significant during the removal and subsides afterward. Therefore, there is some pain associated with nasal polyp surgery, but the pain is not very severe.

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Written by Li Rui
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Can nasal polyps heal by themselves?

Nasal polyps may resolve on their own in some patients, but this is mainly seen in cases where the polyps are relatively small and the clinical symptoms are mild. Generally, there is a chance for spontaneous recovery, but the probability of this happening is quite low. Overall, the proportion of patients who are cured is very small. If there are multiple nasal polyps and the clinical symptoms are more pronounced, it is advisable to seek timely treatment. Current common treatments include oral medications and nasal spray medications. If the medication is not effective, or if the nasal polyps are widespread, surgical removal should be considered. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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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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Written by Li Rui
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How to radically cure nasal polyps?

The treatment of nasal polyps currently mainly considers two methods. The first is conservative treatment and the second is surgical removal. If there are few polyps and the symptoms are not particularly obvious, conservative treatment can generally be considered. This usually involves nasal sprays and oral medications, along with regular check-ups to observe any changes in the nasal polyps. If the control effect of the medication on the nasal polyps is not good, or if there are originally many polyps with obvious symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, dizziness, and reduced sense of smell, drug treatment may be insufficient, and endoscopic nasal surgery may need to be considered. Nasal endoscopic surgery can completely remove the nasal polyps, but regular check-ups are also necessary. Whether it is drug treatment or surgical treatment, there is a possibility of recurrence, and a complete cure cannot be guaranteed, therefore, long-term and regular check-ups are essential.