Sinus (or nasal) polyps (singular : nasal polyp, sinus polyp ) are grape shaped non-cancerous growths in the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses, usually around the area where the sinuses ( cavity within the bones of the face ) open into the nasal cavity. Fully grown polyps in nose will most likely have a dull grey/pink colour. They tend to grow in both nostrils and can grow by themselves or in groups. Nose polyps usually tend to affect both nostrils and polyps that affect one side of the nose are relatively rare. They usually affect around 1% of any given population.

Small sinus polyps usually  no issues and display little or no symptoms. Polyps of this size in most instances will require no treatment. However, larger nasal polyps can block normal drainage from your nasal passages or sinuses leading to habitual sinus infections, breathing difficulties, a loss of smell or loss of taste and other problems. As mucus builds up in the blocked sinus passageways, it can become infected resulting in heavy and discoloured drainage emanating from the nasal cavity.

Nose polyps can theoretically affect anyone, but they are usually more common in adult males over 40 (they are four times as common in men than women) particularly those individuals with asthma, or frequent sinus infections and allergies. Children with cystic fibrosis present a particularly high risk of developing nasal polyps, with statistics showing they affect around one in four of CF sufferers.

Medications such as steroid sprays can often shrink the size of nasal polyps to a degree that it manages the problem, but surgery is still often needed to remove them.

Even after successful treatments, nasal polyps frequently return.

Nasal Polyps ( although sharing the same name ) are unrelated to polyps that form in the colon or bladder and unlike those variety of polyps, they are usually benign and non-cancerous.