Treatment for Nasal Polyps in Orange County, CA

The team at SCENT – Southern California Ear, Nose, and Throat has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating nasal polyps along with involvement in multiple phase-III clinical trials for treating nasal polyposis. At their offices throughout Southern California, including Los Alamitos, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach, the ENT specialists offer medications and surgery to relieve symptoms of nasal polyps and improve your breathing. Learn more about your options for treating obstructive nasal polyps by calling the SCENT office nearest you or by requesting an appointment online today.

What Are Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps are benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow in your nasal passage. Polyps often develop because of underlying health conditions that cause inflammation in the mucous membranes of the sinuses. Common triggers for nasal polyps include:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Cystic fibrosis
• Chronic sinusitis

You may also develop inflammation that leads to polyps if you frequently blow or wipe your nose, or if you have a family history of the condition.

While you can have polyps without symptoms, some growths can be large enough to block your airways and interfere with your breathing. Nasal polyps can also cause a variety of symptoms that interfere with your quality of life.

What Are the Symptoms of Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps cause symptoms that are often similar to a cold. They are often ignored due to the fact that their symptoms are similar to the common cold or allergies. For this reason, many polyps go undiagnosed until symptoms become more serious.

Signs you may have nasal polyps include:

• Runny nose
• Facial pain
• Sinus pressure
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Persistent sinus headaches

Those with polyps that have existing asthma may find that the polyps trigger more severe asthma-related breathing issues.

What Causes Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps are created from the inflammation in the mucous membrane within the sinus. The inflammation is caused from any irritation of the sinus such as allergies, blowing or wiping your nose, colds, and the flu.

Physicians believe that the reason nasal polyps develop in some people but not others is because of the immune system’s response and genetic chemical makeup of the mucous membrane.

Risk Factors

Though nasal polyps are possible in everyone, they most commonly form in people with:

• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Allergic fungal sinusitis
• Sinusitis (chronic sinus infections)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Asthma
• Family history of nasal polyps

How Are Nasal Polyps Treated?

The team at SCENT – Southern California Ear, Nose, and Throat offers several options for treating bothersome nasal polyps.

Initially, you may benefit from medications to reduce inflammation in your nose to prevent new polyps from developing or increasing in size. may prescribe medications to control the underlying causes of nasal polyps before taking further measures. Medications may include:

• Antihistamines
• Decongestants
• Oral corticosteroids (prednisone)
• Corticosteroid nasal spray (Flonase®, Nasonex®)

The team at SCENT – Southern California Ear, Nose, and Throat has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating nasal polyps, and they participate in multiple phase-III clinical trials for treating nasal polyposis. If medications aren’t enough to relieve your symptoms, your provider may recommend surgery.

What’s involved in surgery for nasal polyps?

The surgical team at SCENT – Southern California Ear, Nose, and Throat normally use minimally invasive, endoscopic surgical techniques to remove polyps and clear your nasal passages. These procedures involve using a slender scope that doesn’t damage the surrounding tissue. The ENT specialists use image-guided technology to operate with a high level of precision.

SINUVA® (mometasone furoate) Sinus Implant

SINUVA is a non-surgical treatment that shrinks nasal polyps and may be an alternative to surgery. SINUVA is for adults 18 years of age or older with nasal polyps who have had ethmoid sinus surgery.

Click to learn more about the SINUVA® Procedure

Surgery is typically an option if you have severe symptoms caused by nasal polyps or if medications aren’t effective. You may still need to take certain medications to prevent polyps after surgery, especially if you have other chronic conditions like allergies or asthma.