Nasal Polyps Treatment Specialist in Suffern, NY and Monroe, NY

You may not know that you have a nasal polyp if it is small enough, but there are several symptoms that can start to develop as the polyp grows or if it is already larger. They can be indicated by irritation or inflammation in your nasal passages and sinuses that persists for longer than 12 weeks. Common symptoms that are indicative of a polyp include a runny nose, postnasal drip, lack of sense of smell, frequent nosebleeds, stuffiness, pressure, pain, or aching in the upper teeth, face, or forehead, and persistent snoring. It is possible to have multiple polyps or just one larger polyp before you will notice that they are blocking your nasal passages and sinuses, potentially causing you to suffer from asthma, sleep apnea, sinus infections, and troubles with breathing. To diagnose or identify a polyp, a physician may need to use an endoscope to look into your nasal passages or perform a CT scan.

Being able to get rid of nasal polyps may depend on the initial cause of the polyps. If they are caused by allergies or a sinus infection, treating the allergies or infection will likely work to get rid of the polyps as well. If the polyps seem to be a bit more stubborn, a physician can prescribe a nasal spray with corticosteroids in it to help shrink the polyps to reduce any irritation or swelling that they may be causing, and can eventually get rid of the polyp entirely. Other treatments include an oral (pill that you swallow) steroid, injections of medicine, the placement of a stent to directly treat the polyp with medication, or a procedure to have the polyps surgically removed.

If left untreated for long enough, nasal polyps can lead to complications including:

– Flare-ups of asthma: frequent asthma attacks even in those who have previously had their asthma under control, fatigue, a shortness of breath.
– Sinusitis: a sinus infection often causing the face to feel as if it is swollen and appears puffy.

While the nasal polyps themselves are not life-threatening, if left untreated they can eventually grow to be large enough that they lead to other health conditions that can cause long-term and severe damage to the body as they are continuously blocking airways.

Unfortunately, it is very uncommon that a nasal polyp will go away without any sort of treatment. They are often fairly stubborn, making even treatments with steroid spray or prescribed medications sometimes ineffective. In many cases, the only way to completely be rid of nasal polyps is to have them surgically removed. It is, however, important that you discuss with the specialist regarding any potential causes of the nasal polyps, such as allergies or anything else that may be irritating your nasal passages as those potential causes could be making your nasal polyps feel impossible to get rid of and treatment of the potential cause would also lead to easy treatment of the polyps. Medications and sprays may be effective at shrinking the polyp, and you may be able to find at-home remedies that can also help to slow down the growth or even reverse some of the growth of the polyp, but it is very unlikely that without prescribed treatment from a specialist that the nasal polyps will simply go away on their own.

Call us for more information about nasal polyps or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Suffern NY, Monroe, NY, New City NY, Spring Valley NY, Monsey NY, Airmont NY and Mahwah NJ and surrounding areas.