Understanding your Chronic Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP)
Chronic Nasal Polyps is often misunderstood and underestimated. And if you have it, you'll already know that it affects your health and well-being in many different ways.
Here you can find out more about what causes it, typical symptoms, and possible triggers. Getting to know your condition better is the first step to gaining control over CRSwNP.
What is CRSwNP?
Chronic Nasal Polyps is a condition where the tissue in your nasal passages is inflamed for a long time.
If you are living with CRSwNP, it's common for your nose and face to be affected.
These growths can cause a variety of symptoms that may impact your health and well-being.
Inflammation can be detected systemically even if you only feel it as sypmtoms in your nose.
Key facts
About 3% of people worldwide are living with CRSwNP
It's more prevalent in adults and more uncommon in children.
Many people living with CRSwNP have other conditions like asthma and allergies (comorbidities)
The link between Type 2 inflammation and CRSwNP
Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury, illness, or something that doesn't belong in your body, like a virus.
Type 2 inflammation, which may be causing your nasal polyps and other symptoms of CRSwNP, often starts with a 'trigger' such as infection, allergy, or irritant that can cuase your nasal passages and sinuses to swell and thicken. Even when this trigger goes away, Type 2 inflammation may persist. Your body keeps trying to fight it, which eventually causes damage.
Type 2 inflammation may cause your nasal polyps and the other symptoms of CRSwNP.
By treating a cause of the condition, many symptoms can improve. If Type 2 inflammation is not addressed, your symptoms may return or get worse.
No one knows exactly why some people get CRSwNP. It's likely to be caused by a combination of different factors: genetic, environmental, and immune-related.
CRSwNP is a chronic condition, so it may not go away on its own but needs ongoing care and management to keep it under control.
There are some conditions that can co-exist with CRSwNP. These are know as comorbidities. They may share common cuases, or be related to the way your immune responds to triggers. Asthma - the chronic inflammation in CRSwNP may make existing conditions like asthma worse.
Nasal allergic reactions - When the nose's protective barrier breaks down in CRSwNP, it increase the chances of allergic reactions or infections.
Recognizing the symptoms of CRSwNP
If you're living with CRSwNP, you'll probably have experienced symptoms like a constantly runny nose, nasal congestion, or even the loss of your sense of smell.
Frequency and severity of symptoms can vary from person to person. As well as causing physical discomfort they can also have a big impact on your quality of life, mental health and well-being.
Most common symptoms of CRSwNP:
Blocked nose (nasal congestion)
Runny nose (nasal discharge)
Decreased/lost sense of smell and taste (hyposmia/anosmia)
Facial pain or pressure
Post nasal drip
Headache
Snoring or sleep disturbances
Fatigue
Nosebleeds
Check your symptoms
Our handy symptom checker can help you assess whether your CRSwNP is under control. It's a simple quesitonnaire that asks you about your symptoms and how they're affecting you. You can then share your results with your doctor so you get the right treatment and care for you.
Triggers, like the ones shown below, may irriate your nasal passages and make your nasal polyps worse, so avoiding them may help reduce your symptoms:
- Tobacco smoke
- Incense
- Aspirin and other similar drugs called 'nosteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs' (such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium)
- Chemical fumes
- Dust or debris
Getting your CRSwNP diagnosis can be a rollercoaster. CRSwNP is often misdiagnosed or overlooked because many of the symptoms are similar to other conditions like acute rhinosinusitis, allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
Also because it's a chronic condition that develops gradually, some people often find ways to live with their symptoms without seeking medical attention, despite the discomfort and frustration they cause.
The diagnosis of CRSwNP typically involves a combination of:
- Clinical evaluation
- CT scan of your nose and sinuses
- Nasal endoscopy (a thin tube with a tiny camera and a light that's inserted into the nose)
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of CRSwNP could help you get the support you need more quickly.