Nasal Polyp Removal: Will Ease My Seasonal Allergy Symptoms?

Allergies result from an immune system that overreacts to harmless substances it sees as threats (allergens) and creates histamines, which lead to a range of bodily reactions, many of which resemble upper respiratory illnesses like the common cold. They come from different sources, including particles that are only active during specific times of the year, known as seasonal allergies.

The upper respiratory problems associated with allergies can be managed with various treatment options, but can removing nasal polyps help relieve symptoms? Let’s find out by looking at some basics about seasonal allergies, find out more about nasal polyps, and determine their effect on this seasonal problem.

Residents of the West Midtown area of Atlanta, Georgia, dealing with seasonal allergies and other problems affecting their sinuses, can find help from Dr. Shivan Amin and his dedicated team at Midtown ENT.

Seasonal allergy basics

People with seasonal allergies experience cold-like symptoms called allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Signs include runny or stuffy nose, postnasal drip, itchy and watery eyes, ear congestion, and itchiness in the throat, sinuses, and ear canals. Some people with seasonal allergies also have asthma, which can inflame the airways and make breathing harder.

The causes of allergic reactions during the Spring, Summer, and Fall tend to come from different trees and plants active in those months, including birch, alder, chestnut, horse, poplar, and willow trees, and ryegrass, timothy grass, ragweed, mugwort, plantains, sorrels, and nettles.

Defining nasal polyps

Also known as nasal polyposis, these growths are soft, painless, and noncancerous, and develop in your nose or sinus lining (the thin, soft tissue also known as the mucosa), are often tear-drop shaped and can become pink-yellow or gray in color as they grow. Nasal polyps can happen to anyone, and as many as 40% of the population are affected by them, but they are twice as common in men and frequently happen to people in their 30s and 40s.

They are caused by inflammation and genetics, chronic sinus infections, and hypersensitivity to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can increase your chances of having them. People with them will experience symptoms like nasal congestion, nosebleeds, loss of taste and smell, runny nose, snoring, asthma, and sinus pressure.

Their effects on allergies

Allergies also increase the risk of nasal polyps. Allergic reactions inflame the mucosa in your sinuses, and the more they occur during a seasonal reaction to an allergen, the higher the risk of developing them. Because both conditions have overlapping symptoms, removing the polyps can help relieve issues with an allergic reaction, but they can also grow back over time.

The surgery to remove them is called a polypectomy and uses either a microdebrider to remove the polyps or an intranasal polypectomy where small graspers will do the job.

If you’re dealing with the frustration of seasonal allergies, polyp surgery is one of many ways to help relieve the symptoms to make you feel better. For this and other sinus treatments, make an appointment with Dr. Amin and his team at Midtown ENT today.