Polyps are tissue swellings within the nose and sinuses that can be responsible for many of the symptoms described by patients with rhinosinusitis. Polyps may simply block the nasal airway creating difficulty in nasal breathing, or they may block the proper drainage of the sinus cavities leading to stagnant secretions within the sinuses that may become infected.
Polyps are generally thought to occur as a result of an ongoing inflammatory process within the nose and sinuses. Although this may be related to allergies, most cases of polyps occur as a result of non-allergic processes.
Whatever the cause, polyps can wreak havoc in the nose and sinuses and make patients miserable. Common symptoms in patients with nasal and sinus polyps include nasal obstruction, decreased sense of smell, recurrent sinus infections, and profuse nasal drainage. Many of these patients feel as though they have a cold all of the time.