Cure Nasal Polyps

Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous growths that can form inside your sinuses and nose. While they might not be painful, they can grow larger and block your airways, making it harder for you to breathe and smell. There is usually no complete cure for polyps, since they tend to return if you are prone to them. You can, however, take several medical and lifestyle steps to shrink or remove polyps and reduce your risk of forming more.

Steps

Curing Polyps with Medical Intervention

1. Visit the doctor if you have symptoms of nasal polyps. Often, nasal polyps do not show symptoms, and you may live your whole life without knowing they are there. If polyps grow larger, however, you can experience complications that will require medical attention. If you have the following symptoms, you should visit the doctor and see if you are suffering from nasal polyps. If they test you and confirm that you have polyps, there are some medical treatments they may recommend.
   • An excessively runny or stuffed up nose.
   • Decreased sense of smell and taste.
   • Pressure on the forehead or face.
   • Feeling like your nose is clogged when mucus isn't present.
   • Headaches.
   • Pain in your upper row of teeth.
2. Use steroid sprays. Steroid sprays can help to reduce the size of your nasal polyps. If the polyps were small enough, they might disappear completely when treated with steroid sprays. Some steroid sprays are sold over the counter at pharmacies, but stronger varieties are available with a prescription. Talk to your doctor about using a steroid spray and see if it would work for you.
   • Some of the common nasal sprays include beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone, mometasone, and triamcinolone. Nasonex is the most common brand name for steroid nasal sprays.
3. Try steroid nasal drops. Nasal drops, like nasal spray, help to shrink your polyps. Nasal drops can also clear up congestion, which can help you to breathe more easily while your polyps shrink. Most nasal drops take between 7 and 14 days to begin reducing polyps, and it is generally recommended that you continue to use them for another four to six weeks.
   • When administering nasal drops, you should bend fully forward and downward. You should almost feel like you are about to try to stand on your head. Put the drops in your nose while your head hangs down. Keep your head down for 3 to 4 minutes after administering the drops to make sure that the drops reach your nasal cavity.
4. Take prednisone. Prednisone is an oral corticosteroid that reduces swelling and inflammation. It can help treat the inflammation in your nose and thus reduce the size of your nasal polyps. You can only get this steroid through a prescription from your doctor. Normally, you would take the steroid for 7 to 10 days.
5. Take oral antibiotics. While antibiotics won't help reduce your polyps, they will treat complications that could result from polyps. If polyps block the sinuses, they can cause a sinus infection because the trapped bacteria will multiply. If you have a sinus infection from your polyps, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection.
6. Consider surgery. While these previous treatments will help shrink your polyps, usually the only way to get rid of polyps completely is with surgical removal. If polyps are persistent and causing significant discomfort, your doctor will probably suggest this option. To surgically remove nasal polyps, you will most likely have to get endoscopic sinus surgery. An endoscope—a long tube that has a light and video camera at the end—will be inserted in one of your nostrils and several tools will be used to remove your nasal polyps. You will be placed under general anesthesia during this operation. Usually you are well enough to go home the same day as your surgery.
   • Remember that in some cases, the nasal polyps will return after two or three years.

Preventing Further Growth with Home Remedies

1. Use a saline rinse to clear your nose and sinuses. Saline (or salt water) can help to reduce inflammation in your nose and dry up mucus that is blocking your nasal passageways. Salt slows down your body’s production of adiponectin, a chemical that is associated with inflammation.
   • You can mix a half a teaspoon (or less) of table salt into a cup of boiling water and let it cool down to body temperature. Put this mixture in a clean squeeze bottle or a neti pot and rinse out your nasal passages.
2. Try steam inhalation. Breathing in steam through your nose will open up your nasal passages and thin out any thick mucus secretions caused by congestion. There are a few methods for using steam inhalation.
   • Close all the windows and doors in your bathroom and run a hot shower to create your own personal steam room.
   • To make your own steam inhalation setup, boil a pot of water. Pour the boiling water in a large bowl. Place a towel over your head and neck and put your face over the water bowl so that your nose is over the steam. Make sure that the towel is covering your head and the bowl so that no steam is escaping. Breathe in deeply so that you can feel the steam in your nose. Continue to do this until the water cools down.
   • You can add essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus to enhance the nasal-clearing effect.
3. Eat a combination of horseradish and honey to clear out the sinuses. Eating horseradish is a natural way to clear out your sinuses. Horseradish has antibacterial properties and a flavor and smell that can help to open up your nasal passages and reduce the size of your polyps. Try eating some horseradish. If you hate the strong flavor, mix it with honey.
   • You can mix 200 mg of horseradish (about 2 cups) with two cups of honey. Keep the mixture in your fridge. Eat one teaspoon in the morning and one at night every day until your sinuses clear up and your polyp begins to shrink.
4. Up your intake of garlic and onions. Both garlic and onions are known to have antifungal and antibacterial properties that help loosen up nasal glands and shrink polyps. This is because both root vegetables contain quercetin, which helps to reduce inflammation.
   • Try to eat two cloves of raw garlic and some pieces of raw onion twice a day for a week. If you hate the flavor, you can also take garlic and onion supplements.
5. Take the herbal supplement Xanthium. This is a herb from East Asia. It is also referred to as "Fructus Xanthii" in the ancient Chinese traditional medicine system. It has been used to treat nasal polyps and nasal congestion for centuries. This herb has an anti-inflammatory effect on nasal polyps. It is thought that Fructus Xanthii acts by suppressing part of the inflammatory system.
6. Try taking goldenseal supplements. This is also known as or Hydrastis Canadensis. It is a North American plant that has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. This is because it contains chemicals like berberine and hydrastine, both of which help to reduce inflammation.
   • You must not use this herb if you are pregnant because it may adversely affect your uterus.
7. Use a diluted capsicum annum spray. This herb is used in traditional medicine to strengthen capillaries and increase blood circulation, as well as reduce polyps. You can purchase a diluted capsicum spray that can help to reduce pain in your nose, and will help to shrink your polyps.
   • Make sure that the spray is diluted or else it may irritate your nose. You must also make sure that the capsicum does not get in your eyes or any open wounds you may have.
8. Break down mucus with magnolia. Magnolia is a deciduous tree with bark and flowers that may shrink your polyps. The bark has mucolytic action, which means that it can break down mucus that is blocking your nasal passage. The flowers also have astringent action, which means that they can constrict the mucous membrane of your nose, reducing the size of your polyps.
   • You should not use Magnolia if you are constipated or having digestive issues.

Strengthening Your Immune System to Stop Further Growth

1. Get plenty of sleep each night. When you allow your body to rest, it can fight off illnesses and infections much more easily than if it is overworked and tired. Be aware of your limits—while you might think that you can handle staying up all night to finish a report, know that your immune system will likely pay the price. Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Even just taking a break to nap when you’re tired can help your immune system function properly.
2. Eat a balanced diet. Another part of keeping your immune system healthy is making sure that you get all of the nutrients that you need. The amount of each nutrient that you need will depend on your weight, age, and health. You can talk to your doctor about a diet plan, or click here to learn more about what you should be eating.
   • Try to fit lean protein, whole wheat carbs, unsaturated fats, non-fat dairy products, and lots of fruits and vegetables into your diet each day.
   • Get between 500 mg and 1000 mg of vitamin C each day. Vitamin C helps to keep your immune system strong and to function. When you don’t get enough vitamin C each day, your immune system can suffer, increasing your chances of getting sick or developing an infection. Vitamin C-rich foods include oranges, lemon, guava, kiwi, strawberries, and papaya.
3. Exercise daily. To keep your body, including your immune system, healthy, you should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes, three to five times a week. Exercise speeds up your metabolism and boosts your immune system’s strength. Try to work in cardiovascular exercise, weight training, and flexibility workouts.
   • Cardio includes running, hiking, biking, swimming, and walking.
   • Strength and flexibility training includes yoga, weight lifting, and stretching.

Tips

• It is important to keep in mind that if you have a polyp surgically removed, there is a chance that it will come back. That is why it is important to strengthen your immune system and try home remedies to prevent future polyps.

Warnings

• If you start having trouble breathing because of your polyps, you must go see a doctor immediately.
• Always talk to your doctor before trying new herbs or making changes to your lifestyle.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Treat Nasal Infection Naturally
• Clear a Stuffy Nose
• Make Yourself Sneeze
• Get Rid of a Runny Nose
• Stop a Sneeze
• Clean Your Nostrils
• Prevent Nose Bleeds
• Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose Quickly
• Clear Nasal Congestion
• Drain Sinuses

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