Saturday, August 29, 2009
Nasal polyps
What are nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous growths that develop in the lining of the nose or sinuses. They result from chronic inflammation in the lining. What triggers the inflammation is not always clear. Nasal polyps can affect anyone, they are more common in adults older than 40 and in adults and children with conditions such as asthma, chronic sinus infections (chronic sinusitis), hay fever (chronic rhinitis) and cystic fibrosis — a serious, inherited disorder that causes respiratory, digestive and reproductive problems.
What are the causes?
Nasal polyps are not a disease. They are the end product of the ongoing inflammation that may result from viral or bacterial infections, from allergies or from an immune system response to fungus. Chronic inflammation causes the blood vessels in the lining of the nose and sinuses to become more permeable, allowing water to accumulate in the cells. Over time, as gravity pulls on these waterlogged tissues, they may develop into polyps.
What are the symptoms?
A person suffering from nasal polyps may feel difficulty in breathing; there is constant dripping from the nose and loss of one’s sense of smell. A person may have just one nasal polyp or have several, clustered together like grapes on a stem. Single or multiple polyps, which are very small in size, may not cause any problem, but larger ones are likely to obstruct the airways in the nose, making it difficult to breathe.
Other signs and symptoms include:
Running nose
Persistent stuffiness
Chronic sinus infections
Loss or reduced sense of smell
Dull headaches
Snoring
Nasal polypsis is a disease affecting the adults. When children below 10 are affected, cystic fibrosis needs to be ruled out.
Small polyps cause no symptoms at all.
Larger ones can cause obstruction in the air passages of the nose causing stuffiness or blocked sensation.
Partial or total loss of sense of smell.
When they obstruct the discharge from the sinus openings, polyps lead to chronic sinusitis.
Sneezing and watery nasal discharge due to associated allergies.
Post nasal drip.
Mass protruding in the nostril.
Large polyps can cause difficulty in breathing while lying down, causing the patient to breathe from the mouth. Patients with very severe polyposis may also present with obstructive sleep apnea.
Asthma and aspirin sensitivity may be present in patients with ethmoidal polyps.
Unilateral nasal obstruction may be present in patients with an antrochoanal polyp.
Headache, snoring and a permanent runny nose, facial pain, hyponasal voice and cough.
Nosebleeds.
What is the diagnosis?
The doctor examines the patient’s nasal passages. A computerized tomography (CT) scan will be done to help determine the size and exact location of the polyps, including any polyps in the sinuses.
For a young child, the doctor might suggest a test for cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition affecting the glands that produce mucus, tears, sweat, saliva and digestive juices. Children who have both nasal polyps and hay fever may have allergy skin tests, which can provide important information about allergic sensitivities.
What is the treatment?
Inhaled or oral steroid medications are the most common treatment for small nasal polyps. Surgery might be required to remove larger polyps. Although this eliminates symptoms, polyps frequently return, requiring further operations. For one or more small polyps, corticosteroid nasal sprays are prescribed. These medications relieve inflammation, increase nasal airflow and may help shrink polyps. Although they cause fewer side effects than oral steroids, long-term use can lead to nasal bleeding or perforation of the septum and an increased risk of glaucoma. Nasal corticosteroids may also reduce growth rates by as much as one-half inch in some children.
Other treatments for nasal polyps include:
Oral corticosteroids: An oral corticosteroid pill can be taken either alone or in combination with a nasal spray.
Other medications: Medications to control allergies or infection may also be prescribed. Antihistamines, for instance, counteract histamine, an inflammatory substance released when the immune system encounters an allergen. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics for an acute sinus infection.
Surgery: Polyps can be removed surgically. This is often the only option for people with cystic fibrosis who usually don't respond to steroids. The type of operation depends on the size, number and location of the polyps. Small or isolated polyps can often be completely removed using a small mechanical suction device. The procedure, called a polypectomy, is performed on an outpatient basis.
Endoscopic sinus surgery: It is a more extensive procedure that not only removes polyps, but also opens the part of the sinus cavity where polyps usually form. The surgeon uses a thin, rigid tube and a camera called a video endoscope. In this surgery the polyps may heal more quickly with less discomfort than with other types of surgery. Full recovery may take several weeks, and polyps may return. This surgery carries serious potential risks, including leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, injury to the optic nerve or eye muscles, and haemorrhage.
Home Remedies for Nasal Polyps
To help decongest a stuffy nose and keep the mucous membranes from swelling and forming polyps, try hot baths or showers.
Try steam inhalations : Run very hot hoter in a sink until steam builds up. With the water running, lean over the sink, and drape a towel over your head to trap the steam. Breathe deeply through your mouth and nose for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat several times a day.
Heat a pan . Keep a towel on the dry pan. When the towel is as hot as you can bear, keep the towel on your nose , sides of the nose and head. It gives you instant relief.
Allopathic mode of treatment
The treatment comprises of antibiotics to control local infection, decongestants and steroids.
Conservative treatment can be given in the form of oral or topical steroids, antihistaminics and decongestants. Though these are not curative but only control the situation. Cases refractory to conservative treatment are dealt with surgically by performing functional endoscopic sinus therapy.
The ethmoidal polypoid disease is essentially an allergic condition. Eary polyposis may respond to medical treatment, but well established polyposis will require surgical treatment. Recurrences are common even after surgical removal of the polyp as the underlying cause is nasal allergy.
Allopathic treatment gives only immediate symptomatic relief and when this fails to control significant symptoms with repeated or prolonged courses of steroid and antibiotic therapy, or when total nasal obstruction occurs, the allopathic doctor refers the patient to surgery.
Since allergy is often the root cause, high recurrence rate remains a feature of allergic nasal polyposis. Other causes of failure of surgery include inadequate surgery, aggressive nature of polyps, predisposing local factors or improper post operative care.
Nasal polyps is a recurrent disease that may be very frustrating to both the patient and the doctor.
How does homeopathy helps in treating nasal polyps
Homeopathic treatment for those who suffer from nasal polyps can be a big boom. It can help them save from the surgeon's knife. Not only does it slowly and steadily shrinks the nasal polyps, it also helps in stopping their recurrences by treating the underlying causes such as allergies, asthma and chronic cold.
Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. This means that homeopathy treats the body as a whole. Detailed mental and physical symptoms of the whole being are taken into consideration while prescribing. This form of homeopathic treatment is called as constitutional treatment.
In cases where the nasal polyps are due to deep seated chronic disorder like asthma or allergies this constitutional treatment is usually taken up by the homeopathic doctor.
Timely administered homeopathic medicines help avoid surgery and its inherent complications. Moreover, it is very common for the condition to recur even after surgery. Homeopathy is therefore highly recommended for people who have had surgery done to remove nasal polyps as homeopathic treatment would have a preventive effect, by which chance of recurrence is minimized.
In short homeopathic treatment is targeted towards the root cause of the illness and hence the disease is treated from the core. Homeopathy believes in treating the patient and not just the disease.
There are 70 homoeopathic remedies which give great relief in nasal polyps. However, the correct choice and the resulting relief is a matter of experience and right judgment on the part of the homeopathic doctor. The treatment is decided after thorough case taking of the patient. Thus homeopathic medicines of nasal polyps are tailor made unlike allopathy in which all patients receive the same drugs although trade name may be different.
For total cure the homeopathic treatment must be taken seriously for about 16 to 24 months depending upon the number and size of nasal polyps.
For online homeopathic treatment of nasal polyps, you may fill in the consultation form at Allopathic mode of treatment
The treatment comprises of antibiotics to control local infection, decongestants and steroids.
Conservative treatment can be given in the form of oral or topical steroids, antihistaminics and decongestants. Though these are not curative but only control the situation. Cases refractory to conservative treatment are dealt with surgically by performing functional endoscopic sinus therapy.
The ethmoidal polypoid disease is essentially an allergic condition. Eary polyposis may respond to medical treatment, but well established polyposis will require surgical treatment. Recurrences are common even after surgical removal of the polyp as the underlying cause is nasal allergy.
Allopathic treatment gives only immediate symptomatic relief and when this fails to control significant symptoms with repeated or prolonged courses of steroid and antibiotic therapy, or when total nasal obstruction occurs, the allopathic doctor refers the patient to surgery.
Since allergy is often the root cause, high recurrence rate remains a feature of allergic nasal polyposis. Other causes of failure of surgery include inadequate surgery, aggressive nature of polyps, predisposing local factors or improper post operative care.
Nasal polyps is a recurrent disease that may be very frustrating to both the patient and the doctor.
How does homeopathy helps in treating nasal polyps?
Homeopathic treatment for those who suffer from nasal polyps can be a big boom. It can help them save from the surgeon's knife. Not only does it slowly and steadily shrinks the nasal polyps, it also helps in stopping their recurrences by treating the underlying causes such as allergies, asthma and chronic cold.
Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. This means that homeopathy treats the body as a whole. Detailed mental and physical symptoms of the whole being are taken into consideration while prescribing. This form of homeopathic treatment is called as constitutional treatment.
In cases where the nasal polyps are due to deep seated chronic disorder like asthma or allergies this constitutional treatment is usually taken up by the homeopathic doctor.
Timely administered homeopathic medicines help avoid surgery and its inherent complications. Moreover, it is very common for the condition to recur even after surgery. Homeopathy is therefore highly recommended for people who have had surgery done to remove nasal polyps as homeopathic treatment would have a preventive effect, by which chance of recurrence is minimized.
In short homeopathic treatment is targeted towards the root cause of the illness and hence the disease is treated from the core. Homeopathy believes in treating the patient and not just the disease.
There are 70 homoeopathic remedies which give great relief in nasal polyps. However, the correct choice and the resulting relief is a matter of experience and right judgment on the part of the homeopathic doctor. The treatment is decided after thorough case taking of the patient. Thus homeopathic medicines of nasal polyps are tailor made unlike allopathy in which all patients receive the same drugs although trade name may be different.
For total cure the homeopathic treatment must be taken seriously for about 16 to 24 months depending upon the number and size of nasal polyps.
For online homeopathic treatment of nasal polyps, you may fill in the consultation form at HomeopathicTreatment4U.com