Living With Nasal Polyps

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Living with Nasal Polyps

How this invisible disease affects your quality of life

Sun comes up, a woman in bed sleeps while an alarm clock goes off on her bedside table

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Facial pain

Stuffy/runny nose

Loss of taste/smell

Headaches

Narrator: What’s it like to live with nasal polyps, an invisible disease that affects pretty much everything you do?

Nasal polyps are growths in the nose or sinuses. They cause symptoms like facial pain, stuffy or runny nose, loss of smell or taste, headaches that can be severe, and more.

She reaches over and hits snooze

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Restless sleep

Sleep apnea

Snoring

When you live with nasal polyps, your day may get off to a sleepy start.

Nasal polyps can block your nose and sinuses at night, making it hard to breathe and potentially leading to restless sleep, sleep apnea, snoring and other sleep problems.

Woman is jogging slowly through a park, stops to catch her breath

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Nasal polyps may make your morning workout more challenging.

One in three people with nasal polyps say the disease seriously limits their ability to exercise.

Woman pushing food around on plate

You may not enjoy your breakfast — or any meal — since nasal polyps can affect your ability to smell and taste food.

Woman sitting in bed, holding her head

If you’re not feeling well, you might miss work — which could affect your finances.

Woman sitting by the pool with a box of tissues while her family frolics and splashes in the water

Even fun things like a vacation are sometimes less-than-fun with nasal polyps.

Woman staring in the mirror with a tear rolling down her cheek

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Inflammation causes recurrence

8 out 10 got polyps again after surgery

Nasal polyps don’t just affect your physical health. They can also take a toll on your mental health, especially since they often come back after certain treatments because of underlying inflammation.

One study found that polyps came back in 8 out of 10 people who had surgery to remove them.

Woman in a doctor’s office, smiling as doctor writes prescription

The good news? There are medications to treat nasal polyps and help prevent recurrence after surgery.

Talk to your healthcare provider about which treatments might be right for you.

For more information, please visit HealthyWomen.org

For more information, please visit HealthyWomen.org

This educational resource was created with support from Sanofi and Regeneron.