The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy

Nasal polyps are soft, jelly-like overgrowths of the lining of the sinuses. They look like grapes on the end of a stalk. They occur in around 1 in 200 people, mostly by the age of 40 years.

Symptoms of nasal polyps

Polyps do not always cause symptoms. As they often grow through the tunnel that connects the sinuses to the nose, the result is often a blocked nose. More importantly, they can block the tunnels connecting the nose to the sinus cavities. Like water in a stagnant pond, this can lead to sinus infections.

Causes of nasal polyps

The cause is unknown, but inflammation in the sinuses (from allergy or infection) may trigger polyps and make them grow faster, and come back faster after sinus operations. Sometimes other conditions may occur with greater frequency in people with nasal polyps. These include sinus infections, asthma and allergy to aspirin.

Treatment options include:

• Surgical removal, although they will regrow eventually in around 50% of people.
• Cortisone tablets will shrink them down temporarily, but can't be taken long-term because of side-effects.
• Cortisone / steroid nose sprays (eg Aldecin, Rhinocort, Nasonex) slow polyp growth. People with recurrent polyps who have had multiple operations are often advised to stay on these sprays forever. In people with recurrent disease, nasal steroid sprays should be considered as "weed killers", which need to be used continuously. Slower growth means fewer sinus infections, less antibiotics and less frequent surgery.
• Allergy desensitisation injections are sometimes used in allergic people with hay fever as well as polyps. While this often helps hay fever, it is not known for certain whether the injections help shrink the polyps as well as decrease the severity of the allergy.
• Diet - there is no evidence that altering the diet will help.
• Other medications - sometimes other tablets and sprays are used.
• People with aspirin allergy, nasal polyps and asthma (a condition known as the aspirin triad) have the option of aspirin desensitisation, which can reduce asthma severity, the rate of polyp regrowth and the severity of sinusitis. The decision to undertake aspirin desensitisation should be made by an allergy specialist.

© ASCIA 2003

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) is the peak professional body of Clinical Allergists and Immunologists in Australia and New Zealand.
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it