Polyps are small protrusions on the mucous membranes of the internal organs. This term was introduced into medicine by Hippocrates and literally means "many legs." It is worth noting that such protrusions can appear in absolutely all sections of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in the pharynx or nose, in the uterus, bronchi, or bladder. By the way, polyps are benign formations (with rare exceptions) that can grow in both single and multiple order. As for the last deviation, in this case the disease is called polyposis.
Possible consequences
The main danger of such a deviation is that from a benign formation, the polyp can turn into a malignant one, thereby becoming a threat to the patient's life. That is why the timely identification of these protrusions, as well as their proper treatment, is very important.
Types of Polyps
By the type of education, such protrusions differ in:
- Inflammatory, appearing in places of inflammatory processes (for example, in the uterus with endometriosis or in the stomach with ulcers, gastritis).
- Hyperplastic, resulting from the growth of a healthy mucosa.
- Neoplastic, representing the most dangerous result of the growth of atypical cells. As a rule, such a polyp eventually degenerates into a malignant tumor.
By structure (microscopic):
- Tubular polyps are smooth protrusions on the mucous membranes, which in their appearance are very similar to the tubules.
- The villous polyps on their surface have the finest hairs, in which a malignant tumor most often develops.
- The villous-tubular polyps are combined formations.
In shape:
- Polyp with a leg.
- A "sitting" polyp without a leg.
Polyps: symptoms of the disease
As mentioned above, such formations can occur on the mucous membranes of any internal organs. It is worth noting that at the initial stage of development of this deviation, a person may not feel any signs. And only with the growth of polyps make themselves felt. Consider the most pronounced symptoms that correspond to a particular diseased organ.
- Stomach - pain between the shoulder blades or lower back, especially after eating, nausea, excessive salivation, heartburn, general weakness and diarrhea.
- Intestine - abdominal pain, burning and itching in the anus, diarrhea with small streaks of blood, dizziness and weakness.
- Female genitals - itching, burning and bleeding.
- Bladder - discomfort during urination, bleeding and frequent urination.
- Gall bladder - in rare cases, pain after eating in the right side of the abdomen immediately below the ribs.
- Bronchi - persistent cough, shortness of breath.
Treatment
As practice shows, the operation of polyps (removal) does not last long and in most cases is more than successful. In this case, the removal of benign tumors occurs either by curettage, or by hysteroscopy. However, after such a procedure, the patient is advised to follow all the doctor’s instructions, including leading a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid relapse.