Polyps are abnormal tissue growths that can appear anywhere on the body.
This tissue is small and stemmed. Polyps are often mistaken for dangerous tumors. In fact, this condition is a benign tumor, not cancer. However, this disease must be watched out for because it is a network that grows abnormally. This does not rule out that its existence can develop into something malignant (cancer).
Nasal polyps are soft, benign lumps that grow on the inside of the nasal passages. Nasal polyps are shaped like grapes with a hanging position on the inside of the nose, white or can be grayish in color, and the stalk comes from the sinus estuary.
There are several theories that cause polyps, namely that the nasal mucosa is inflamed or continuously inflamed, will cause swelling, and redness, and tends to produce fluid, after producing fluid, it will form a bag, like a cyst. Inflammatory or inflammatory processes can be caused by infection (bacterial or viral) or allergic reactions or other than that they can occur due to autonomic or vasomotor nerve imbalances.
Risk factors can vary, including the presence of chronic inflammation such as chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, alcohol intolerance, and aspirin hypersensitivity.
This condition can affect anyone, but it most often occurs in adults over the age of 30 and is more at risk for men than women, from the lifestyle of men who often smoke, or because outdoor work can be exposed them to pollution.
Symptoms of polyps depend on the size of the nasal polyps themselves, generally a runny nose, or a feeling of running down the throat. If the size of the polyp is large, symptoms of nasal congestion can occur resulting in breathing through the mouth, impaired smell, a feeling of pressure on the face or forehead, nosebleeds, and even symptoms of OSA, namely obstructive sleep apnea with symptoms of snoring during sleep.
If you already have symptoms, what should you do? You should immediately see an ENT doctor for further examination.
The article was written by dr. Ferry Herjanto, Sp. ENT-KL (Ear Nose and Throat Specialist at EMC Cikarang Hospital).