Nasal Polyps 101

April 24, 2025, is Global CRSwNP Awareness Day.

Having a stuffed-up nose can be more than a bummer. It can make it hard to sleep, difficult to breathe comfortably and even cause you not to be able to taste and smell. You might be dealing with a cold or seasonal allergies, but sometimes, nasal polyps are to blame.

But what exactly are nasal polyps and how do you get rid of them? We’ve got the facts on this bothersome condition.

​What are nasal polyps?

Nasal polyps are growths that form inside the mucus membranes of the nasal passages or sinuses in the shape of a teardrop or hanging grape. This certainly doesn’t sound pleasant, but the polyps don’t cause pain, and you might not even realize you have them. You usually can’t see a polyp just by looking up your nose, unless they’re large.

Nasal polyps aren’t tumors and they aren’t cancer. They usually grow on both sides of the nasal cavity. If just one side of your nose has polyps, it could mean they’re actually cancerous tumors, and you should ask your healthcare provider to look into this possibility.

​Who can get nasal polyps?

About 4% of people in the United States have nasal polyps. Nasal polyps usually affect people in their 40s to 60s and are more common in white people. While men are more likely to have nasal polyps, the condition can be worse in women.

About 25%-30% of people with people with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) — swelling in the nasal sinus lining from inflammation that can last for months or longer — also have nasal polyps. And one study reports that up to 2 out of 3 people with nasal polyps have asthma.

Along with CRS and asthma, other health conditions can increase the risk of nasal polyps, including:

Chronic sinus infections
Hay fever
Sensitivity to aspirin
Cystic fibrosis

Genetic mutations and a family history of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and allergies can also play a role in your risk for nasal polyps.

As with many health conditions, people of color often experience worse outcomes for CRS with nasal polyps (also referred to as CRSwNP or nasal polyp syndrome) as a result of having less access to healthcare services. Similarly, people living in low-income communities who have CRS and nasal polyps often experience more severe disease — most likely because they are exposed to worse air pollution, which can make their condition worse.

​How do you know if you have nasal polyps?

You might not notice symptoms of nasal polyps if they’re small. But larger polyps can cause:

Stuffy or runny noseSinus pressurePostnasal dripHeadacheLoss of taste and smellNosebleedsSnoring

If polyps get large enough, they can block the nasal airway, which can make it harder to breathe, and result in recurring sinus infections, sleep apnea and more frequent asthma attacks.

​Who do you see for nasal polyps?

In addition to your primary care provider, there are different specialists who can treat nasal polyps, depending on the underlying problem, including:

Ear, nose and throat (ENT) providers, also known as otolaryngologists, who specialize in treating nasal obstructions. Rhinologists, ENTs who specialize in nasal and sinus conditions.Allergist-immunologists, healthcare providers who treat conditions of the immune system, like asthma. Sinus surgeons, which can include ENTs or neurosurgeons.

​How are nasal polyps diagnosed?

If you have symptoms of nasal polyps for more than 10 days or symptoms that don’t get better after treatment, you should see your healthcare provider (HCP). They will do a physical exam that includes looking inside your nose and might do a nasal endoscopy to get a better look. An endoscopy is performed with an endoscope, which is a small flexible tube with a light on one end that your HCP puts in your nose to see inside your sinuses.

A CT or MRI scan can help your HCP see more details of your nasal and sinus cavities. If treatment for polyps doesn’t work or the polyps get worse, your HCP might also take small samples of the nasal or sinus tissue to find out why.

​What medications treat nasal polyps?

Sometimes, nasal polyps will go away on their own, but for the most part, they are a chronic condition and they stick around. If you’re having more severe symptoms that are causing you discomfort, they’ll likely need to be treated. Saline washes can help remove allergens and irritating particles to help clear nasal passages.

You may use medication for treatment, including:

Allergy medications: Antihistamines and decongestants don’t shrink polyps, but they help control symptoms and reduce inflammation in the nose. Nasal steroid sprays or oral steroids: Shrink polyps and help relieve symptoms. Biologics: Injectable monoclonal antibodies such as dupilumab, mepolizumab and omalizumab, target specific molecules to address inflammation to shrink polyps, reducing the need for oral steroids or surgery. They also reduce congestion.

​What surgery could I have for nasal polyps?

Some people may be candidates for endoscopic sinus surgery, which is when the surgeon uses an endoscopy tube with a light or camera attached to see into your nasal passages or sinuses and then removes the polyps with small tools.

You may have a stent placed during surgery, which releases topical steroids into your nasal passages. This can help with swelling after surgery.

Even after surgery, you’ll likely have to continue using saline washes and nasal steroids to slow or prevent the likelihood of polyps returning. The chance of nasal polyps coming back is very high, with as many as 4 out of 10 people having a recurrence within 18 months.

Often, people live with nasal polyps and don’t get treatment, even with symptoms. You might not even realize that chronic head cold you think will never go away is nasal polyps. But if you do seek help and are diagnosed with polyps, treatment can help you breathe easier.

​Resources

Allergy and Asthma Network

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

This educational resource was created with support from Regeneron and Sanofi.