Between 3 and 6% of the general population suffers nasal polyps. It is a consistent inflammation of the nasal passages, with what this entails for the quality of life of patients.
Its appearance usually occurs around the age of 42, and the probability of suffering from it increases as we get older.
In addition, men are more prone to suffer from it. And it is also very common among patients with asthma.
Nasal polyps are commonly associated with sinusitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages and sinuses.
What symptoms do nasal polyps produce?
Nasal polyps can be small, and in these cases they often cause no symptoms.
But larger growths or clusters of polyps can block the nasal passages and lead to:
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Trouble breathing
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Loss of sense of smell
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Frequent infections.
As he explains Dr. Isam AlobidPresident of the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC).
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“It is characterized by feeling of nasal congestion Initially, it evolves in more advanced phases towards.
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nasal obstruction
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Anterior and posterior mucus
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Loss of smell and taste
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Feeling of pressure in the forehead or face
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facial pain
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Frequent nosebleeds»
The impact of these symptoms on patients is such that Dr. Alobid compares it to that caused by “debilitating conditions such as heart failure, chronic back pain, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
When do we have to go to the doctor
According to specialists at the Mayo Clinic, it is essential to see a doctor or the emergency department if you feel:
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severe breathing problems
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Double vision, reduced vision, or limited ability to move the eyes
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severe swelling around the eyes
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Increasing headache along with high fever
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Inability to tilt the head forward
In addition, nasal polyps represent a large consumption of health resources, both outpatient and hospital, and a high indirect cost in terms of labor productivity.
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A study published in calculated that the direct costs of nasal polyposis were €1,501 per patient/year, mainly due to visits to the outpatient service and hospitalization.
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Indirect costs were €5,659 per patient/year, with lost productivity as the main cost expense.
Causes of nasal polyposis
Despite all the scientific advances made on this pathology, the causes are still a matter of controversy. But as Dr. Alobid points out:
- «Some authors propose that they may be due to fungi, viruses, allergens and/or toxins produced by staphylococcus aureus»
Nasal polyposis involves a significant damage to the epithelial barrierwith significant inflammation that is related to a greater severity of symptoms, recurrence in the appearance of polyps and the presence of comorbidities such as asthma and hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among others.
Treatment of nasal polyps
When the specialist in otolaryngology is faced with a case of nasal polyposis, it is most likely that, first of all, they will opt for the use of drugs (corticosteroids, for example) to address the problem.
But in some cases this will not be enough, and the patient will have to undergo a surgical procedure to remove polyps.
Sometimes, surgery will not solve the problem either because the polyps appear again after a few months.
In these cases, otolaryngologists have recently had biologic drugs based on monoclonal antibodies.
Biological drugs to reduce nasal polyps
Biological drugs are drugs that are produced from the genetic material of living beings.
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Among these drugs are monoclonal antibodiesthat is, artificial proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system and attack cells against which they are specifically designed.
Monoclonal antibodies have been known for a long time and are used in multiple diseases of the human body, mainly for the treatment of chronic inflammatory and oncological diseases.
Well, according to three recent meta-analyses, this type of biological drugs They help reduce nasal polyposis.
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“Monoclonal antibodies have represented a great therapeutic advance in recent years for those patients who cannot control their disease after treatment with intranasal and oral corticosteroids and at least one nasal surgery”, emphasizes Dr. Alobid.
According to him Dr. Serafin Sanchezpresident of the SEORL-CCC Training Commission,:
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“They get substantially improve smell, decrease nasal obstruction and runny nosereduce headaches and provide the patient with a markedly better quality of life.”
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In addition, they “reduce the need for ongoing use of other anti-inflammatory medications, such as inhaled or systemic nasal corticosteroids.”
Individualized treatment selection
Doctor Sánchez points out that many patients noticeably improve their symptoms, although there are some who have less response.
For this reason, the challenge for specialists in otorhinolaryngology is “to be able to select precisely what these patients who will benefit…