Millions of Americans suffer from nasal polyps, a common cause of nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and reduced sense of smell. Nasal polyps often occur alongside allergies, with symptoms becoming a lot worse during springtime allergy season.
ENT Specialists offers patient-centered treatment for both nasal polyps and allergies, reducing symptoms that can interfere with your comfort and your routine. To mark Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, our team is dedicating this blog post to helping raise awareness about nasal polyps and how allergies can make the symptoms they cause worse.
Nasal polyps are small, fleshy growths that form inside your nasal passages. Polyps typically form as a result of chronic inflammation inside your nose that is often associated with underlying issues, like asthma or chronic sinusitis.
While you can’t see or feel them, nasal polyps can cause noticeable symptoms by blocking airflow, interfering with sinus drainage, and affecting your ability to smell. People who have polyps may be more prone to sinus infections, too.
During allergy season, polyp symptoms can become a lot worse, thanks to a couple of factors. First, exposure to pollen and other allergens triggers more inflammation inside your airways, inflammation that in turn can make polyps swell, blocking nasal passages and making it harder to breathe.
Allergy flares also increase mucus production inside your sinuses. Because polyps interfere with normal sinus drainage, you’re also likely to experience an increase in sinus pain, facial pressure, and postnasal drip that in turn can lead to a chronic cough.
Because of the effects of inflammation and irritation, even small polyps that might not normally cause noticeable symptoms can suddenly cause a host of uncomfortable problems during allergy season. The increase in inflammation may even make small polyps grow larger.
While you can’t “wish away” polyps, you can do some things to manage their symptoms and avoid uncomfortable flare-ups. One of the best ways to manage polyp symptom flare-ups is by managing the underlying allergies that cause an increase in inflammation and irritation. Typically, that includes taking steps like:
That said, because nasal polyps and allergies are so common, most people benefit from professional medical treatment tailored to their specific symptoms and triggers.
Our team uses a variety of medical therapies to help patients manage polyps and allergies, reducing inflammation and symptoms like congestion, postnasal drip, and breathing problems. Every treatment plan is tailored to each patient’s specific needs and allergen exposures for optimal relief.
For larger polyps that cause severe symptoms, like chronic infections or loss of smell or taste, we may suggest minimally invasive procedures to remove the polyps, with follow-up therapy to prevent their recurrence.
Nasal polyps won’t go away on their own, and without proper treatment, they can grow larger — and more uncomfortable. To find relief for nasal polyps or to learn how we can help you manage your allergy symptoms, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at ENT Specialists in Salt Lake City, Murray, Draper, and Tooele, Utah, today.
