Nasal Polyp Treatments
Nasal polyps are noncancerous growths that appear on the lining of the nasal passages or sinuses. Smaller polyps do not cause any problems. Larger ones cause breathing difficulties, problems with your sense of smell, recurrent sinus infections and other problems. Treatment will hinge on individual factors.
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Treatment Goals
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Treatments for nasal polyps aim to shrink or remove them. Additionally, your doctor will address underlying causes, most commonly asthma and allergies. Medications are the first line of treatment; surgery might be necessary in some cases. The kind of surgery will depend on how many polyps you have, their location and size.
Nasal Corticosteroids
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Corticosteroid nasal sprays combat inflammation. They can also shrink or eliminate the polyps. Commonly prescribed treatments include Flonase, Veramist, Rhinocort, Nasarel, Nascort AQ and Beconases AQ
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Oral Corticosteroids
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Your doctor might give you an oral corticosteroid, like prednisone, if nasal corticosteroids do not produce satisfactory results. You might take it in on its own or in combination with a nasal spray. Oral steroids produce serious side effects that preclude long-term use.
Other Medications
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Addressing chronic inflammation can also help shrink or get rid of nasal polyps. You might be prescribed antihistamines to address allergies, antibiotics to treat infection or antifungal medications if fungal allergies contribute to your polyps.
Polypectomy
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The outpatient procedure polypectomy works best for small or isolated polyps. A mechanic suction device or microdebrider (cuts and extracts small tissue) will remove them completely.
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
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Endoscopic sinus surgery, another outpatient procedure, removes polyps and can fix problems with your sinuses that make them vulnerable to inflammation and polyp formation. The operation involves inserting a small tube attached to a lens or tiny camera into your nose and up to your sinus cavities. Using tiny instruments, the surgeon removes the polyps and other blockages that impede fluid moving from the sinuses
Self-Care for Prevention
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Managing your asthma or allergies properly can reduce polyp formation. Stay away from things that irritate your sinuses as best you can. Washing your hands regularly reduces the risk of bacterial and viral infections, major factors in inflammation. Use a humidifier to increase the moisture content of the air in your home; this encourages the flow of mucus from the sinuses and can stop blockage and inflammation. Saline nasal sprays and nasal lavages remove irritants, allergens and improve mucus flow. Nasal lavages come in kits along with a saline solution and usually a neti pot or bulb syringe. You use them to pour the solution into your nose and rinse out offending agents. You can easily buy saline sprays and lavage kits in supermarkets and drugstores. Use both as directed on the product label.
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