Nasal polyps and adenoids are what kind of disease?

Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
Updated on February 08, 2025
00:00
00:00

Nasal polyps and adenoids are two different diseases, and they are common conditions in otolaryngology. Patients with nasal polyps usually experience growths on the surface of the nasal mucosa, which primarily cause symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headaches, and sinus blockages. On the other hand, adenoid hypertrophy mainly occurs in infants and young children, with a high incidence in the 5-7 year age group. Patients with adenoid hypertrophy often experience symptoms like breath-holding, lack of oxygen, and sleep apnea during the night, which can be definitively diagnosed through sleep monitoring tests. Currently, the main treatment for patients with nasal polyps and adenoid hypertrophy involves surgical removal of the nasal polyp tissue and ablation of the adenoid tissue to restore normal physiological functions of the entire nasopharyngeal cavity.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
43sec home-news-image

Nasal Polyps Symptoms and Hazards

Nasal polyp symptoms are quite varied, and these mainly relate to the number of nasal polyps, the severity of the polyps, and the subjective feelings of the patient. If the nasal polyps are small, there may not be obvious clinical symptoms, and the patient might not feel any discomfort; these polyps might only be discovered during a physical examination. If there are more significant numbers of polyps, they can cause common clinical symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, dizziness, reduced sense of smell, and snoring during sleep. If the nasal polyps are severe, they might even lead to changes in the external shape of the nose, such as a saddle nose or a crooked nose, and in severe cases, they could induce comprehensive sinusitis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
50sec home-news-image

Do nasal polyps have any harm?

Nasal polyps are abnormal tissue structures and pathological in nature, thus posing several risks to human health. Firstly, they obstruct nasal airflow because nasal polyps block the normal respiratory and ventilation passages, causing the primary sensation of nasal congestion and difficulty in breathing through the nose. Secondly, they impair the sense of smell. Nasal polyps obstruct the nasal cavity, preventing odors from smoothly reaching the olfactory area, leading to diminished olfactory perception. Thirdly, if the nasal polyps persist for too long and grow excessively large, they can result in acute changes in the nose, the most common being a "frog-like nose." This condition makes the nose appear flattened and broad like a frog's, lying against the face which is cosmetically unappealing.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
49sec home-news-image

What will happen if nasal polyps worsen?

If nasal polyps deteriorate, it might lead to associated clinical symptoms, commonly including nasal congestion, runny nose, bloody nasal discharge, headaches, dizziness, and a reduced sense of smell. A small portion of patients may also experience malignant transformation. The specific clinical symptoms vary from individual to individual. After the onset of the condition, it is necessary to promptly visit an otolaryngology department. Undergoing a sinus CT and endoscopic examination can help assess the severity and extent of the condition. Regarding treatment, some patients may consider conservative medication treatment, but others with more severe conditions where the medication is ineffective might need to consider surgical treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
52sec home-news-image

Can nasal polyps be cured without surgery?

Patients with nasal polyps usually cannot be completely cured without surgery. The formation of nasal polyps is mainly related to the patient's long-term smoking and drinking, pollution in the living environment, and stimulation from physical and chemical factors, which lead to the proliferation of nasal mucosal epithelium and edema. Patients with nasal polyps will have obvious symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headaches, and sinusitis. The use of medications to treat nasal polyps can only relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion. For a complete cure, functional endoscopic sinus surgery is required to remove the nasal polyps and open the sinus ostia, restoring the normal physiological environment of the nasal cavity, to achieve the therapeutic goal. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
49sec home-news-image

How is anesthesia administered for nasal polyps?

Nasal polyps are a relatively common ENT disorder, and if there are numerous polyps with clear clinical symptoms and conservative drug treatment is ineffective, surgery should be considered. Currently, the primary procedure is endoscopic nasal polyp removal, which is a commonly used minimally invasive surgery. Generally, the level of pain experienced by patients is not particularly significant. Therefore, in terms of anesthesia, it may be suitable to consider either general anesthesia or local anesthesia. If the nasal polyps are not particularly severe and the patient has a good tolerance, local anesthesia can be considered. However, if the condition is more severe and symptoms are clearly pronounced, it is generally advised that general anesthesia might be a better option.