(BPT) - If you live with asthma and struggle with chronic sinus problems, the two conditions may be more connected than you think.
Chronic rhinosinusitis is long-term swelling of the nose and sinus passages that lasts for 12 weeks or more. It causes ongoing congestion, facial pain or pressure, postnasal drip and difficulty with sense of smell.
Sometimes chronic rhinosinusitis can cause small growths in the nose called nasal polyps. These are soft, painless, noncancerous lumps. Globally, about 5-12% of people live with chronic rhinosinusitis, and up to 30% of them also develop nasal polyps. When both conditions are present, it's called chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).
How does CRSwNP affect asthma?
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps can worsen asthma. The nose,