UVM Medical Center - Facility Exterior

ENT - Main Campus

 (802) 847-8198

111 Colchester Avenue
Main Campus, West Pavilion, Level 4
Burlington, VT 05401-1473

Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Nasal polyps are noncancerous growths (tumors) on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. They are soft, painless and hang down like teardrops. Nasal polyps can happen to anyone at any age, but they're more common in young and middle-aged adults.

Nasal Polyps: What You Need to Know

Prevention
Reduce your chances of developing nasal polyps or having them return (recur) by following some simple steps:

  • Follow your allergy and asthma treatment plan
  • Avoid nasal irritants, including:
    • Smoke
    • Chemical fumes
    • Dust
    • Allergens
  • Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
  • Use a humidifier
  • Use a saltwater (saline) spray or nasal lavage to rinse your nasal passages

Teamwork
Nasal polyps are best managed by a group of specialists that include otolaryngologists (surgeons who specialize in disorders of the ears, nose and throat - also known as ENTs), radiologists and nurses. At UVM Medical Center, our physicians and other support staff work together as a team, providing expert care.

Technology
The University of Vermont Medical Center uses the latest technology and minimally invasive procedures when possible to treat nasal polyps. You will benefit from our Otolaryngology clinic where we manage ear, nose and throat conditions both surgically and with a multidisciplinary approach. We offer polypectomy to treat nasal polyps, which is an outpatient nasal polyps surgery.

Experienced, Trusted Expertise
As an academic medical center and health system, our team provides the most advanced care backed by research: we make all diagnostic and treatment recommendations based on the latest thinking in the field. In fact, advancing medical knowledge through research is one of our core missions.

What are Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps may form anywhere in your sinuses or nasal passages, but they appear most often where the sinuses drain into your nose (ostiomeatal complex).

Often, otolaryngologists shrink or eliminate nasal polyps with medications, but nasal polyps surgery is sometimes needed to remove them. Even after successful treatment, nasal polyps often recur.

If your nasal polyps are small you may not experience symptoms. Large nasal polyps or groups of nasal polyps can block your nasal passages or lead to breathing problems, a lost sense of smell and frequent infections. Chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps symptoms include:

  • Runny nose
  • Frequent stuffiness
  • Postnasal drip
  • Decreased or no sense of smell
  • Lost sense of taste
  • Facial pain or headache
  • Pain in your upper teeth
  • Forehead or face pressure
  • Snoring
  • Itching around your eyes

Any chronic inflammation in your nasal passages or sinuses may increase your risk of developing nasal polyps, including: