+65 6253 7296 Nasal polyps
What are Nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps are soft, painless, non-cancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. They hang down like teardrops or grapes and result from chronic inflammation associated with asthma, recurring infection, or allergies. In Singapore, many patients mistake nasal polyps for a simple blocked nose that won’t go away.
Large polyps can block your nasal passages, leading to breathing difficulties, lost sense of smell, and frequent sinus infections.
Nasal polyps (Figure 1a-d) are fleshy outgrowths from the lining of the nose or sinuses. Most of the time, they develop as a result of chronic sinusitis and are due to chronic inflammation. Occasionally, nasal polyps can be due to a tumour, which is most often benign (non-cancerous) and rarely malignant (cancerous). The management of nasal polyps can be complex and depends on the nature of the polyp (benign vs malignant).
It is best that you discuss with your ENT Specialist on the best management plan that is suitable for your condition. Additional tests such as biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue for analysis) and imaging (CT scan or MRI scan) may be required to investigate nasal polyps (Figure 2).
Read our Guide: Understanding Nasal Polyps: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
