What is Chronic Rhinosinusitis WITHOUT Nasal Polyps?

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Welcome to the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast. This episode takes a close look at chronic rhinosinusitis WITHOUT nasal polyps (CRSsNP). It is the most common form of chronic sinusitis, which is ongoing swelling and irritation inside the sinuses.

Our co-hosts Payel Gupta, MD, and Kortney are joined by board-certified allergists Michael Blaiss, MD, and Anju Peters, MD, an expert in CRSsNP who helped write the Adult Sinusitis Clinical Practice Guideline. Together they explain how CRSsNP is different from an infection caused by a virus or bacteria. They discuss how doctors make a CRSsNP diagnosis and how the condition connects to asthma and the rest of the airway.

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Key Takeaways About Chronic Rhinosinusitis Without Nasal Polyps

Many people with CRSsNP spend years thinking their symptoms are just how they are. They get used to feeling congested, tired, and foggy without realizing they are living with a chronic disease. In this episode, we address how you can determine if you have chronic rhinosinusitis.

  • Chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps happens because the immune system creates long-term swelling inside the sinuses.
  • Patients often deal with fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and missing out on social life. 
  • Sinus congestion and pressure can also come from allergies, which is why so many patients go without a correct diagnosis for years.
  • To confirm this diagnosis, a doctor needs to look inside the nose with a small camera, called nasal endoscopy, or a CT scan of the sinuses.
  • The nose, sinuses, and lungs are one connected airway. About 60% of people with chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps also have asthma, and each condition can make the other worse.

Podcast Timestamps About CRSsNP

01:37 – Dr. Anju Peters introduction

03:46 – What CRSsNP is and how it differs from a sinus infection

05:46 – What causes CRSsNP

09:01 – How CRSsNP is diagnosed

15:07 – Discolored mucus

16:27 – How to distinguish CRS from other conditions

18:11 – Why antibiotics are often not the answer

19:49 – Immune deficiency and CRSsNP

22:49 – The united airway: sinusitis and asthma

25:05 – Environment and occupational triggers

27:33 – Takeaways for patients

More Resources About CRSsNP