Polyps in the nose can manifest themselves in rather unpredictable (from the point of view of the average person) phenomena - because of them the head hurts, the person constantly gets tired, it is impossible to rest even during a prolonged sleep. Efficiency decreases, sleep worsens, and waking up in the morning becomes more difficult. All of these signs, many not associated with breathing in any way, may indicate polyps. To find out exactly what explains poor health, you need to seek help from a qualified doctor.
Causes and consequences
Of course, polyps in the nose are not the only factor that can provoke such consequences, cause nasal congestion and shortness of breath. There is a runny nose due to infection, and because of an allergic reaction, a response to drug therapy. There is a risk of chronic or acute sinusitis. The main task of the patient is to consult a doctor in time to determine the causes of the problem. In most cases, they can be completely eliminated and high-quality breathing restored. True, different root causes require a different approach. In particular, it is not as easy to deal with polyps as, for example, with a runny nose due to a cold or SARS.
Polyps in the nose are benign formations of mucosal hyperplasia. They appear due to the swelling of a separate area inside the nasal cavity, the proliferation of tissue cells lining this area of the respiratory system, as well as the sinus.
Terms and Facts
If polyps in the nose are detected, polyposis is diagnosed. The disease is chronic in nature, gradually progressing. At first, the ability to distinguish odors weakens and completely disappears, gradually breathing becomes worse. At a later stage, there is a risk of a complete blockage of the nasal passage. Against the background of polyposis, there is a possibility of copious nasal discharge.
Doctors say that polyps on average are present in the nose in 4% of the world's population. More often, such a health disorder is detected in men - the frequency is almost double that in comparison with the female gender.
Polyps in the nose of a child, an adult can move. In the main percentage of cases, they do not provoke pain and do not even manifest themselves as sensations, since formations are not characterized by sensitivity to touch. Perhaps the appearance of small polyps - up to 5 mm in diameter, but some reach large sizes - a few centimeters.
Where did the trouble come from?
One of the causes of polyps in the nose in adults and children is allergic rhinitis. Chronic disease appears as a complication of allergies. To a greater extent, this is characteristic of those for whom allergens are products coming through the air, compounds. These include dust, pollen, fungal spores, wool and the like provocateurs of the negative response of the body.
In addition to rhinitis, bronchitis, asthma, hay fever and other diseases of an allergic nature, polyposis can be caused by infection of the nasal mucosa with fungi, inflammatory processes in the sinuses located on the surface of the mucosa. Of the diagnoses it is worth mentioning sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis. There is a higher risk of polyps in people from birth having a nasal cavity of a specific abnormal structure, characterized by excessively narrow nasal passages. If the nasal septum is curved (congenital or due to trauma), this disrupts breathing and can also provoke the growth of the mucous membrane.
The risk is higher that you need treatment of polyps in the nose if a person is infected with Staphylococcus aureus, toxins of which can provoke polyposis. Sometimes the disease develops against the background of an inadequate immune response to a factor, as well as due to cystic fibrosis. This term refers to a systemic disease transmitted by inheritance due to the mutation of one of the genes. This leads to a violation of the functionality of a number of glands, malfunctioning of the respiratory system.
Some varieties
It is customary to distinguish two classes of polyps:
The former are more common in children, the latter are more widespread among adults. Anthrochanal localized in the sinuses of the mucosa of the upper jaw, usually single and slowly develop. Ethmoid ones are diagnosed with a much greater frequency. Their source is the mucosa of the ethmoid labyrinth. As a rule, the formations are bilateral, numerous, grow rapidly.
Stage and Form
Treatment of polyps in the nose is chosen based on how much the disease has progressed.
The first stage is diagnosed if less than half of the lumen of the nasal passage is blocked by proliferation of the mucosa.
The second stage - the polyp blocks more than half of the air passage.
In the third step, the nose loses its ability to let in air, because there is no free space.
Symptoms of the disease
The most basic symptom of polyps in the nose is a runny nose that does not go away with time. At the same time, a person feels that breathing is difficult, this condition has been disturbing for a long time. Discharge from the nose is observed - mucus, in which there may be purulent inclusions. Since polyps can irritate the ciliary epithelial layer, the patient often sneezes.
Against the background of polyposis, a person snores in a dream, speaks nasally, does not perceive odors. If there is asthma, its exacerbations with polyps become much more frequent. Difficulty breathing provokes a headache.
When these symptoms of polyps in the nose appear, consult a doctor. There are many cases when the diagnosis was made almost by accident - the patient came to the doctor with completely different complaints, since many polyposis-related manifestations do not cause proper concern. Doctors pay attention: polyps need to be treated, and as quickly as possible to diagnose them, therefore, with the above symptoms, it is worthwhile to undergo a doctor examination to clarify the condition.
What to do?
A lot of interesting information can be gleaned from reviews written by persons undergoing polyposis treatment. Polyps in the nose, as many admit, at first seemed an insignificant problem - nothing more than a runny nose, from which vasoconstrictor drops help. As a rule, people turned to the doctor when it became completely clear that all the drops from the common cold presented in pharmacies do not give a pronounced effect.
It is especially important to seek qualified help on time, treatment for symptoms of polyps in the nose that have an irregular shape. Such formations can be a source of spotting, pain. It is likely that the manifestations indicate a tumor in the nasal cavity - the patient needs an urgent detailed examination using special equipment.
Where to go?
What to do, what will be the treatment of polyps in the nose (with surgery, without surgery), the doctor will tell you at the reception when the diagnosis is confirmed. Assuming a polyposis, turn to the ENT doctor.
If the tests allow you to suspect an allergy, the patient is registered with an allergist. After confirming the presence of polyps, conservative methods of treatment are first offered, and only if they are ineffective they will be sent for surgery. Surgical measures can provoke an activation of the allergic response, against which there is a risk of asthma.
Without surgery, polyps in the nose can be cured only at the initial stages of the disease. If the case is neglected, the patency of the nasal passages is lost, you cannot do without the help of a surgeon. First, the patient is prescribed complex treatment, as the first stage of the course is completed, they are sent for surgery, then therapy is continued with drugs that stop inflammatory processes. With polyposis, the practice of using immunomodulating drugs that increase the body's ability to resist allergens is widespread. An indispensable element of complex treatment is topical corticosteroids. A correctly selected combination of drugs can reduce the likelihood of relapse and significantly reduce the size of existing tumors.
The nuances of treatment
Conservative treatment of polyposis is possible if the disease is due to an allergic reaction. If the source is different, the doctor may advise the operation from the very beginning. Polyps in the nose due to other factors (not allergies) can be removed at any stage.
Diagnosis, identification of the characteristics of the condition, the formulation of an accurate final diagnosis are the mandatory stages of prescribing therapy. Self-medication of polyposis is impossible, the risk of harming oneself is too high.
Cardinal approach
Removal of polyps in the nose is usually practiced in conjunction with supportive drug therapy. First, the neoplasm is removed, then drugs are prescribed to the patient that reduce the risk of a recurrence of the situation.
Removal of polyps in the nose is carried out according to one of the technologies:
- traditional
- endoscopic;
- laser.
The first option is classic. You can use special loops or other tools designed to remove polyps for quite some time. An endoscope is a more modern and preferred approach. The surgeon uses a debrider. The laser evaporates the overgrown tissue, thereby solving the problem of hyperplasia.
If it is possible to start therapy on time, to remove the polyps in the nose correctly, without complications, the patient is completely cured. The ability to perceive odors is restored, breathing returns to normal. Timely treatment of polyposis can prevent serious diseases that polyps could provoke.
How to prevent relapse?
You can reduce the risk of recurrence of episodes of polyposis if you regularly rinse your sinuses with special medicines. Which ones, the doctor will prescribe based on the characteristics of a particular case. The doctor will recommend antihistamines and aerosol corticosteroids. Additionally, the patient will be prescribed a facilitated diet. It is especially important to adhere to it during a period when the activity of allergens is strong - for example, while plants are blooming.
If polyposis is provoked not by allergic reactions, but by other reasons, homeopathy is usually recommended to prevent relapse. You can try folk methods and remedies.
Surgery: features of interventions
What will help if polyps in the nose are detected? The photo below shows the loop for the operation. This method of removal appeared the very first practiced at the present time. It has many shortcomings, the main ones are soreness and trauma. The use of the loop provokes severe bleeding. The rehabilitation period after such an event is longer than in other cases. Another weakness is the limited ability to use the technology: not every polyp can be removed with loop technology. If the neoplasm is located in the nasal cavity, it will be possible to get rid of it, but in most cases, hyperplasia begins in the sinuses, from where it is impossible to remove excess tissue with a loop. It is highly likely that in a year or two the patient will experience a relapse of the disease.
Endoscopic is one of the most effective methods of treating polyposis. The work uses a debrider, a shaver. The patient receives minimal injuries, and neoplasms are completely removed from the human body. The likelihood of relapse is half as much as in the case described above, and minimal damage is done to healthy tissues adjacent to polyps.
Endoscope: features
This technology has both positive aspects and weaknesses. Of the most important advantages, it is worth noting minimal bleeding. Surgeons do not need to make incisions, and all manipulations are controlled on the monitor, so that every movement of the doctor is perfectly calibrated and absolutely accurate. Healthy tissues are practically not harmed - this is guaranteed by the high accuracy of the devices used by doctors.
The main weakness of endoscopic surgery is the risk of recurrence of the problem. Up to half of all patients are treated with polyposis again. As a rule, relapse occurs a few years after a successful intervention.
How does it go?
The polypotomy is almost painless, has several advantages, therefore it is preferable in comparison with loop operation. Intervention is carried out under general anesthesia. An endoscope is inserted into the nostril, equipped with a video camera transmitting a picture to the monitor. This allows the doctor to control every stage of the work. Through an endoscope, you can accurately understand how many polyps, what are their dimensions, and localization features.
The next step is to use a shaver, a debrider. This device has a special tip, drawn into itself overgrown mucous tissue. At the very base, the neoplasm is cut off.
The duration of the intervention is determined by the complexity of the case, the number of formations, the need to process only one sinus or two at once. At the end of the event, doctors put tampons in their nasal passages, which remain until the next morning. Then they are removed.
It is impossible!
Endoscopic surgery is contraindicated in asthmatics during an exacerbation of the disease, as well as in persons who have allergic rhinitis, bronchitis with obstruction in the acute phase. You can not hold an event with seasonal hay fever, if a person has an allergic reaction to pollen. Surgery is prohibited for people with heart failure and ischemia. Intervention is not carried out in case of acute infection or severe systemic diseases.
It is undesirable to intervene if a person has a cold. This also applies to situations of mild ailment. Should not be directed to polypotomy if blood pressure in the arteries is increased. Such conditions can adversely affect the period of the operation, affect the patient's condition during rehabilitation.
Postoperative Recovery
The main task of the rehabilitation period is to restore the integrity of the nasal mucous membranes. After removal of the medical tampons, blood will accumulate in the nose. Tissues will become centers of localization of fibrin plaque, crusts will appear. The patient is forbidden to bow his nose and eat hot. From the vestibule of the nose, it is necessary to carefully remove all mucous secretions. The doctor will explain how to properly remove the crusts so as not to slow down the regenerative processes.
After surgery, it is necessary to rinse the sinuses. How to do this and how exactly, the doctor will also explain at the reception. The first procedures will help the clinic nurse. In most cases, after the operation, the patient can breathe normally. The sense of smell gradually returns within a month.
Efficient and modern
Laser removal of polyps in the nose is the least traumatic method available to modern patients. Enough local anesthesia. The operation is performed on an outpatient basis. In recent years, burning is becoming more common, and the price of such an operation is gradually reduced. In their work, doctors use an endoscope to control the situation in the working area through the camera, and laser equipment.
The main advantage of this approach is its speed. The patient does not suffer from pain, the procedure is not associated with bleeding, there is no chance of causing an infection, since there are no open wounds. The doctor controls all his actions, sees where and how the device works.
Although the risk of relapse remains when using a laser, it is much lower when compared with traditional loop surgery, and also slightly less than if using the endoscopic approach. The duration of the rehabilitation period after laser surgery is no more than four days.
Limitations and Opportunities
With nasal polyps, a laser is a good option, but even such advanced technology does not guarantee no relapse. In addition, the method is not applicable if the neoplasms are multiple. It is impossible to open the sinuses of the nose, which means there is another factor in relapse.
You can not resort to laser removal if the patient is ill with bronchitis with obstruction. Such an intervention should not be carried out if the polyposis is allergic in nature, and the flowering season of plants is currently ongoing. Do not intervene in women expecting a baby, as well as persons who have revealed numerous growths of the nasal mucosa.
A laser is a good option when the polyp is single. The method is associated with minimal damage to healthy tissues, so even asthmatics can be operated on.
Event Features
On the day of surgery, it is recommended to starve. During the intervention, the doctor first introduces the drug for local anesthesia, then brings an endoscope with a video camera to the area of work to control the process. Laser equipment is being installed.The beam emitted by it heats the organic cells so much that the evaporation process begins. The vessels are immediately sealed, which helps prevent bleeding.
Upon completion of the intervention, the patient is left under the supervision of doctors for another 24 hours, but exceptions are possible: sometimes the patient is allowed to go home after a few hours. The first four days after the event, you need to come to the doctor for an examination to check the quality of the course of regenerative processes. For the entire rehabilitation period they refuse alcohol, baths, steam rooms, saunas, significant physical exertion - all these factors can trigger bleeding.