Unlocking the Secrets of Treating Nasal Polyps
The Journey to Better Breathing Begins Here
Are you tired of living with nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sinus infections, facial pain, poor sense of smell, and other symptoms that accompany nasal polyps? It’s time to seek treatment.
“There is a full range of treatments available for nasal polyps,” says Cecelia Damask, DO, an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Lake Mary, FL.
Your doctor can create a treatment plan that aims to reduce or eliminate these non-cancerous growths in the nasal passages and sinus cavities, allowing you to breathe better.
Exploring Treatment Options
These are the most common medications used to treat nasal polyps:
1. Topical steroids: This is usually the first treatment doctors recommend for nasal polyps. These medications, delivered into the nasal passages via drops, sprays, nebulizers, and inhalers, reduce inflammation and shrink nasal polyps.
Not only are they effective, but they have fewer side effects than oral steroids, says Damask.
Your doctor can prescribe topical steroids and you can also purchase over-the-counter versions. It is safe to use them in the long term. Your symptoms will return when you stop using them.
Combining Treatments for Optimal Results
Many people use them along with other treatments. Research shows that the combination of topical and oral steroids is more effective at reducing polyps and improving the sense of smell than topical steroids alone.
A newer tool called an exhalation delivery system (EDS) may work better than conventional nasal sprays to deliver the medication where you need it. An EDS connects to the nose and mouth. Blow into the device and send the medication into the nasal cavity.
2. Oral steroids: Oral steroids are among the most common treatments for nasal polyps. Doctors can prescribe them:
- When you have severe sinus disease
- If your nasal polyps tend to come back
- When sprays don’t work to shrink polyps or reduce symptoms
“Oral steroids do a great job,” says Damask.
Still, they carry some risks. Repeated use of oral steroids has been linked to serious side effects such as high blood sugar, cataracts, glaucoma, osteoporosis, bone fractures and heart problems, he says.
The Road to Recovery and Beyond
Because of the risk of side effects, your doctor probably will not recommend long-term use of oral steroids. Its effects usually last a few months.
3. Injectable steroids: Your doctor may inject steroid medications directly into the nasal polyps, which helps more medication reach the site. The effects of injectable steroids should last at least 3 months.
They are as effective as oral steroids in reducing inflammation, relieving symptoms, and shrinking polyps, but they tend to have fewer side effects. However, some people have had short-term vision loss as a side effect.
Your doctor may recommend steroid injections if your polyps are severe. But if you have several large polyps, injections may not work to remove them.
4. Antibiotics: Nasal polyps and sinus infections often go hand in hand. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you have a bacterial sinus infection along with nasal polyps. (Most sinus infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics don’t work to treat them.)
Antibiotics treat the infection, which causes inflammation. You will receive other medications, such as steroids, to shrink the polyps.
Exploring Additional Treatment Options
5. Antihistamines and decongestants: While these medications don’t actually treat nasal polyps, your doctor may recommend them in addition to other treatments to help manage symptoms like runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes, says Yasmin Bhasin, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Allergy Asthma Care in Middletown, New York.
“Antihistamines and decongestants can also reduce swelling in the nose,” he says.
6. Biological: In 2019, the FDA approved the use of biologics for nasal polyps. These injectable medications target proteins that cause inflammation and swelling. Bhasin calls biologics “the ultimate weapon” against nasal polyps.
You’ll receive your first doses at your doctor’s office so he or she can watch for side effects, which can include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, he says. If you have no side effects, you can use a special pen to give yourself injections at home.
7. Immunotherapy: Allergies cause inflammation that can trigger the growth of nasal polyps. So it makes sense that getting allergy shots can help.
Your Journey to Better Breathing
One study found that people with nasal polyps who received immunotherapy injections every 2 weeks for a year had fewer symptoms and fewer polyps. They also had few side effects from the medication.
Treating allergies can also reduce the risk of nasal polyps coming back, says Bhasin.
8. Aspirin desensitization: People with aspirin intolerance are at increased risk of developing nasal polyps. Aspirin intolerance appears to increase the release of eosinophils, white blood cells that increase inflammation.
Aspirin desensitization involves taking aspirin in increasing doses, under medical supervision. The goal is to prevent nasal polyps from recurring and decrease the need to take steroid medications.
The Realities of Nasal Polyp Treatment
While there are many medications available to treat nasal polyps, you may need surgery if they don’t work well enough.
But it is not a cure. Nasal polyps tend to come back. The research found that 79% of people who had the surgery developed additional growths within 12 years. And more than a third had additional surgeries.
Still, treatment is important to keep symptoms under control and improve your quality of life.
“There are a lot of things you can do that can really help,” Bhasin says.
Summary
Nasal polyps can be a source of frustration and discomfort for many individuals, but with the right treatment plan, relief is possible. From topical steroids to biologics and aspirin desensitization, there are various options available to target nasal polyps and improve symptoms.
It’s essential to work closely with your healthcare provider to determine the best course of action for your specific situation. While treatments may vary in effectiveness and duration, the goal is ultimately to enhance your quality of life and restore proper breathing function.
Remember, managing nasal polyps is a journey, and with the right combination of medications and interventions, you can take control of your health and well-being.
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Are you tired of living with nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sinus infections, facial pain, poor sense of smell, and other symptoms that accompany nasal polyps? It’s time to seek treatment.
“There is a full range of treatments available for nasal polyps,” says Cecelia Damask, DO, an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Lake Mary, FL.
Your doctor can create a treatment plan that aims to reduce or eliminate these non-cancerous growths in the nasal passages and sinus cavities, allowing you to breathe better.
These are the most common medications used to treat nasal polyps:
Topical steroids: This is usually the first treatment doctors recommend for nasal polyps. These medications, delivered into the nasal passages via drops, sprays, nebulizers, and inhalers, reduce inflammation and shrink nasal polyps.
Not only are they effective, but they have fewer side effects than oral steroids, says Damask.
Your doctor can prescribe topical steroids and you can also purchase over-the-counter versions. It is safe to use them in the long term. Your symptoms will return when you stop using them.
Many people use them along with other treatments. Research shows that the combination of topical and oral steroids is more effective at reducing polyps and improving the sense of smell than topical steroids alone.
A newer tool called an exhalation delivery system (EDS) may work better than conventional nasal sprays to deliver the medication where you need it. An EDS connects to the nose and mouth. Blow into the device and send the medication into the nasal cavity.
Oral steroids: Oral steroids are among the most common treatments for nasal polyps. Doctors can prescribe them:
- When you have severe sinus disease
- If your nasal polyps tend to come back
- When sprays don’t work to shrink polyps or reduce symptoms
“Oral steroids do a great job,” says Damask.
Still, they carry some risks. Repeated use of oral steroids has been linked to serious side effects such as high blood sugar, cataracts, glaucoma, osteoporosis, bone fractures and heart problems, he says.
“As few as four doses of oral steroids over a lifetime could cause these side effects,” Damask says.
Because of the risk of side effects, your doctor probably will not recommend long-term use of oral steroids. Its effects usually last a few months.
Injectable steroids: Your doctor may inject steroid medications directly into the nasal polyps, which helps more medication reach the site. The effects of injectable steroids should last at least 3 months.
They are as effective as oral steroids in reducing inflammation, relieving symptoms, and shrinking polyps, but they tend to have fewer side effects. However, some people have had short-term vision loss as a side effect.
Your doctor may recommend steroid injections if your polyps are severe. But if you have several large polyps, injections may not work to remove them.
Antibiotics: Nasal polyps and sinus infections often go hand in hand. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you have a bacterial sinus infection along with nasal polyps. (Most sinus infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics don’t work to treat them.)
Antibiotics treat the infection, which causes inflammation. You will receive other medications, such as steroids, to shrink the polyps.
Antihistamines and decongestants: While these medications don’t actually treat nasal polyps, your doctor may recommend them in addition to other treatments to help manage symptoms like runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes, says Yasmin Bhasin, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Allergy Asthma Care in Middletown, New York.
“Antihistamines and decongestants can also reduce swelling in the nose,” he says.
Biological: In 2019, the FDA approved the use of biologics for nasal polyps. These injectable medications target proteins that cause inflammation and swelling. Bhasin calls biologics “the ultimate weapon” against nasal polyps.
You’ll receive your first doses at your doctor’s office so he or she can watch for side effects, which can include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, he says. If you have no side effects, you can use a special pen to give yourself injections at home.
Research has found that people who took biologics had less severe sinus infections, a better sense of smell, and smaller nasal polyps.
Immunotherapy: Allergies cause inflammation that can trigger the growth of nasal polyps. So it makes sense that getting allergy shots can help.
One study found that people with nasal polyps who received immunotherapy injections every 2 weeks for a year had fewer symptoms and fewer polyps. They also had few side effects from the medication.
Treating allergies can also reduce the risk of nasal polyps coming back, says Bhasin.
Aspirin desensitization: People with aspirin intolerance are at increased risk of developing nasal polyps. Aspirin intolerance appears to increase the release of eosinophils, white blood cells that increase inflammation.
Aspirin desensitization involves taking aspirin in increasing doses, under medical supervision. The goal is to prevent nasal polyps from recurring and decrease the need to take steroid medications.
While there are many medications available to treat nasal polyps, you may need surgery if they don’t work well enough.
But it is not a cure. Nasal polyps tend to come back. The research found that 79% of people who had the surgery developed additional growths within 12 years. And more than a third had additional surgeries.
Still, treatment is important to keep symptoms under control and improve your quality of life.
“There are a lot of things you can do that can really help,” Bhasin says.
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