NASAL POLYPS Nasal polyps are teardrop-shaped, non-cancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. Small nasal polyps may cause no problems and go unnoticed. Larger nasal polyps can block your nasal passages or sinuses and cause breathing difficulties, a loss of your sense of smell, frequent sinus infections and other problems. Although nasal polyps can affect anyone, they're more common in adults, particularly those with asthma, frequent sinus infections and allergies. Signs & Symptoms - Nasal polyps are associated with chronic inflammation of the lining of your nasal passages and sinuses (chronic sinusitis). If you have several polyps or large polyps, they may obstruct your nasal passages and sinuses. As a result of these conditions in your nose and sinuses, you may experience some of the following signs and symptoms: Runny nose Persistent stuffiness Post-nasal drip Decreased or no sense of smell Loss of sense of taste Facial pain or headache Snoring Itching around your eyes You may have small nasal polyps and experience no signs or symptoms. How Do Polyps Form? Nasal polyps can form when the mucous membrane of your nasal passages and sinuses is chronically inflamed. A nasal or sinus condition is generally defined as chronic if the signs and symptoms of inflammation last more than 12 weeks. It's unclear exactly how chronic inflammation leads to the formation of polyps, but the response of your immune system in the mucous membrane appears to contribute. Nasal polyps may develop anywhere throughout the nasal passages or sinuses, but they appear most often near the openings to your sinuses. Treatment - The treatment goals for nasal polyps are to decrease the size of polyps or eliminate polyps and to treat disorders, such as allergies, that may contribute to chronic inflammation in your nasal passages and sinuses.