ENT surgeon here: a nose that’s always blocked and a sense of smell that’s gone often means nasal polyps. What they are and how they’re treated
After viral infections, sinus disease is one of the most common reasons people lose their sense of smell for months at a time. In my practice in Delhi, I regularly see people who have lived with nasal polyps for years, thinking they just have a permanent cold or “sinus”. What polyps are Nasal polyps are soft, painless swellings of the lining of the nose and sinuses, a bit like peeled grapes. They grow out of long-standing inflammation, usually on both sides, and they are not cancer. Doctors call the condition chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps. Signs that point to polyps The nose stays blocked on both sides for months. Smell fades or goes, and food loses its taste with it. There’s often a runny nose or mucus running down the throat, a feeling of fullness in the face, and snoring or mouth breathing at night. Many people with polyps also have asthma. Some get wheezy or more blocked after aspirin or painkillers like ibuprofen, a combination called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory di...
