Latest news with #nasalpolyps
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Chef Julia Sullivan Struggled to Breathe For 8 Years Due to Nasal Polyps: ‘Feels Like An Elephant On My Chest' (Exclusive)
Julia Sullivan was strolling through the garden of her Nashville home in August 2021 when she suddenly caught the strong scent of fresh basil in the breeze. 'I was astounded by how much I could smell it,' she says. 'It was like being able to see in color for the first time in years.' Incredibly, it had been nearly a decade since the award-winning chef and successful Nashville restaurant owner had been able to taste or smell much of anything. For the past eight years she'd been struggling to breathe daily until finally, in September 2020, she was diagnosed with severe nasal polyps—soft, teardrop-shaped clusters of tissue that grow in the nose and sinuses, causing congestion, headaches, a loss of taste or smell and difficulty breathing. 'Not being able to breathe normally makes your whole day feel like a struggle,' says Sullivan, 42, who's one of 13 million people in the U.S. who suffer from the incurable condition. 'It feels like there's an elephant sitting on your chest. Your nose is closed up, and it makes you feel like you're underwater. I was pretty miserable.' Sullivan tried multiple nasal rinses, inhalers, ibuprofen and antibiotics — before a CAT scan finally revealed her polyps. Her doctors initially suggested surgery, but she worried the procedure might permanently affect her career. 'I'm a chef, and I'm not sure I want something scraped out of the inside of my nose,' she says. Fortunately, the James Beard Foundation finalist was able to find ongoing relief through medication — and with her health problems behind her, she's been thriving ever since. 'Now that I'm a few years out from it, I kind of forget how bad it was,' Sullivan says from the dining room of her oyster bar and restaurant Henrietta Red in Nashville. 'I remember going out for meals, spending all this money on food and wine — constantly blowing my nose at the table — and not being able to enjoy any of it. Now everything tastes better.' ! Sullivan was born and raised in Nashville, where she was the younger of two kids to Jimmy Sullivan, 78, an endocrinologist, and Stephanie Potts, 73, a nurse. 'It was such a great place to grow up. I always loved living on such a big rural piece of property. We had two donkeys, and I just loved to be outside, where we had a tree house,' says Sullivan, who grew up in a blended family with four siblings after her parents divorced in 1988 and both remarried. An avid track and cross-country runner throughout her teen years, she remembers struggling with periodic allergic reactions and wheezing as a kid — at times while she was on the track. 'As I got older, it kind of resolved itself. I've always carried an inhaler, but in my 20s I never really needed to use it.' After her junior year in high school she spent six weeks in France as part of an immersion program, where her host-mother introduced her to the culinary culture of Burgundy — igniting a passion for food and cooking. 'It was intoxicating. I really got into it,' says Sullivan. Her interest intensified during her undergrad years at Tulane University in New Orleans — where she was captivated by the city's rich culinary heritage and historic restaurant scene. 'It got me interested in the restaurant business,' says Sullivan, who worked doing food prep at a local restaurant during her junior year. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in finance and management and soon landed a job as a line cook at the Wild Iris restaurant in Brentwood, Tenn., under a female chef who prioritized seasonal cooking. 'It was my first real chef-driven restaurant experience.' In the fall of that same year, Sullivan enrolled at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. — which led to jobs at two Michelin-starred restaurants in and around New York City — Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns — and, later, private-chef positions in Manhattan and the Hamptons. 'It was an incredible experience,' says Sullivan, who moved back to Nashville in late 2013 with dreams of opening up a restaurant. 'I always saw myself coming back and having a small business in some way, shape or form.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Unfortunately, her return to the greener surroundings of Nashville also triggered a resurgence of her breathing problems. She initially took a job as a sous-chef in a new restaurant, where the long hours and stressful kitchen atmosphere wreaked havoc on her sinuses. 'My head would just close up, and my nose constantly ran, and I had a lot of coughing,' recalls Sullivan. 'I was always dealing with something.' In the years that followed, she endured a relentless roller-coaster ride of symptoms. 'I was always in this persistent cycle of wheezing, issues with asthma and allergic reactions of varying degrees of severity. You don't want to be blowing your nose in a restaurant,' she adds. 'I would have to lie down and then have pretty serious fatigue for 24 hours.' Her doctors prescribed regimens of steroids — which offered temporary relief at best. 'Everything worked somewhat but not fully,' she says. Meeting the demands of her burgeoning career while feeling constantly exhausted added to her challenges. 'When I was a sous-chef, I would often just try to work through it,' says Sullivan, who more often than not was fighting to breathe while standing on her feet all day. 'I remember having to go home several times and not really understanding what was going on.' By the time she opened Henrietta Red in 2017, she'd lost most of her senses of both taste and smell. 'I could probably taste salt, acid and spice more than anything, but I really did struggle in that regard,' recalls Sullivan, who was forced to rely on her sensory memories. 'Luckily, I had other chefs who could taste and help season things so I could work normally. But it took a lot of the fun out of cooking for a long time. It really burned me out.' In the meantime, Sullivan's doctor had encouraged her to keep exercising and to maintain her lifelong active lifestyle despite her breathing problems. 'I've always done marathons and triathlons and bike races; the health stuff was just kind of happening alongside of that,' says Sullivan, whose last half Ironman competition (which includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run) was in 2019. 'Swimming underwater was one of the only things that would release the pressure in my sinuses,' she adds. Finally, in September 2020, her pulmonologist recommended a CAT scan — which confirmed her nasal polyps. 'My sinuses were completely blocked off,' she says. 'At that point no one had told me [that was a possible cause] even though I'd been struggling for years.' After ruling out surgery, a common treatment for nasal polyps, her doctor prescribed a bimonthly injection — and within two months she was breathing more freely. 'I haven't had any problems since,' she says. 'I can breathe normally.' is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Now, nearly four years later, Sullivan still marvels at how far she's come. 'Walking around not being able to breathe is exhausting. Before, I could be in bed for days,' she says. 'Now I've almost forgotten all that happened.' Last fall she opened a second restaurant, called Judith, in Sewanee, Tenn., in the southern Appalachian Mountains about 90 miles outside Nashville. 'I just love being able to take advantage of the peace and quiet and natural beauty out there,' says Sullivan, who enjoys gardening, tennis, hiking with her two mixed huskies, June and Mack — and hosting dinner parties for friends when she has the time. 'I went through a time when I was really miserable — and I'm so grateful not to be stuck in that place anymore. 'I love cooking,' she adds, 'and seeing ingredients being turned into something that everyone can enjoy. Ultimately it's about bringing people together — it's the enjoyment of it all that keeps me in it.' Read the original article on People
Health Line
09-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Can Nasal Polyps Come Back After Being Removed? Your FAQs Answered
While nasal polyps often return after surgical removal, knowing your options can help keep symptoms at bay. Nasal polyps are noncancerous (benign) growths that develop in the nose. They are seen in about 20% of people who have chronic rhinosinusitis. You may not notice these growths at first. As they get bigger, nasal polyps can cause recurring postnasal drip, runny nose, congestion, and pain and tenderness in your cheeks and forehead. Nasal polyps may also lead to frequent sinus infections and a reduced sense of smell. The only way to completely remove nasal polyps is through a surgical technique called a polypectomy. However, even with surgery, nasal polyps are notorious for growing back after removal. Curious about whether your nasal polyps may grow back after surgery? Read on to learn about the statistics, risks, and other important information to discuss with your doctor. Will nasal polyps grow back? Nasal polyps may be managed with medications. Steroid sprays are often the first treatment prescribed to help reduce swelling (inflammation) and polyp size. Surgery is sometimes recommended if polyps are so large that they can't be managed with medications, and you continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. However, nasal polyps will likely grow back even after surgical removal. It's important to keep track of your symptoms and continue to consult your doctor for ongoing management. Why do nasal polyps come back? Nasal polyps comprise soft, inflamed tissue that forms inside the nasal and sinus cavities. They can grow so large that they make it difficult to breathe. The polyps themselves are distinct from healthy mucous membranes lining the nose. The goal of surgery is to remove the polyp tissue while leaving as much of the healthy mucus membranes as possible. While there's no exact known cause, nasal polyps are thought to stem from long-term inflammation. This may be related to a variety of conditions, such as: allergies asthma chronic rhinosinusitis cystic fibrosis About 30% of adults with asthma and nasal polyps have aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). People with this chronic medical condition experience respiratory symptoms such as congestion, sinus pain, and cough when they're exposed to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Most require daily treatment to help manage symptoms, but still have nasal polyps even when they entirely avoid NSAIDs. Nasal polyps may return after surgery due to the underlying inflammation that caused them to form in the first place. How often do nasal polyps return? Research has revealed a high recurrence of nasal polyp growth after surgery. One long-term study followed people with chronic rhinosinusitis for 12 years after surgery. Around 37% required a future surgery for polyp removal. Those who had been diagnosed with allergic disease were significantly more likely to require revision surgery. Yet, despite the need for revision surgery, participants experienced significant improvements in smell and other symptoms. Managing inflammation-related conditions such as allergies and aspirin sensitivity before surgery helps ensure the best outcome possible. This might involve strategies such as taking: allergy medications allergy shots aspirin desensitization therapy How long does it take for nasal polyps to grow? It is difficult to predict the exact timeline for nasal polyp regrowth. However, it's common for polyps to grow back within a few years. Some research has found that about 20% of those who have nasal polyps surgically removed require follow-up surgery within 5 years. However, it's worth noting that just because polyps regrow doesn't mean the same symptoms will also return. Treatments for recurrent nasal polyps In some cases, your doctor may recommend additional treatment after surgery to help maximize the benefits of surgery, regardless of whether you're currently having symptoms. Some medications may also help stop the polyps from getting larger and even reduce the likelihood that you'll need a second surgery. Steroid nasal sprays The most common treatments for nasal polyps, even after surgery, are nasal steroid sprays. These sprays are considered safe to use long term. Using steroid sprays may help decrease the size of nasal polyps. They may also help reduce your symptoms and the likelihood that you'll need additional surgery. Doctors also usually recommend regular use of saline nasal irrigation or nasal irrigation with steroids, such as budesonide, to help keep nasal passageways clear and reduce inflammation. Allergy medications If you also have allergies, your doctor might recommend over-the-counter nasal sprays with fluticasone (Flonase, Xhance). These may help ease your symptoms and decrease inflammation in your nose. In addition to nasal steroid sprays, another option for people with allergies or asthma is an oral prescription leukotriene modifier called montelukast (Singulair). Biologics Your doctor may recommend treatment with biologic medication, such as dupilumab (Dupixent), mepolizumab (Nucala), or omalizumab (Xolair), to help treat the underlying inflammation relating to nasal polyps. These medications were originally created to treat asthma and allergies. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved them to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Antibiotics Oral antibiotics may be prescribed if you have recurring nasal polyps that cause bacterial sinus infections. However, these are not long-term solutions and don't help decrease inflammation or shrink polyps directly. If you have chronic bacterial sinus infections, your doctor may recommend using an antibiotic nasal rinse. This allows the antibiotic to clear up the infection without affecting the entire body. Intranasal polypectomy Your doctor may sometimes recommend a less invasive nasal polyp removal procedure known as an intranasal polypectomy. This outpatient procedure involves removing the polyps with a suction device. This procedure is usually used for those with polyps that are obstructing the nasal passages. One 2020 study found that nearly two-thirds of patients who underwent the procedure had improvements in their symptoms. The downside is that this procedure only addresses smaller polyps that are closer to the nostrils. It cannot treat those located deeper in the nasal or sinus cavities. Drug-eluting stents Drug-eluting stents are devices inserted into the sinuses following endoscopic sinus surgery. They slowly release corticosteroids into the nasal passageways to help decrease inflammation and improve wound healing. They dissolve on their own with time. The American Rhinologic Society recommends the use of drug-eluting stents after sinus surgery to help: reduce inflammation keep nasal passages unobstructed reduce scarring prevent unnecessary surgery limit the need for oral steroids The takeaway Nasal polyps are commonly seen in people with chronic rhinosinusitis. While benign, these growths can cause uncomfortable symptoms that affect your daily life, including congestion, runny nose, loss of smell, and more. Surgery is the only way to completely remove nasal polyps, and it is frequently recommended for larger polyps. However, polyps are likely to return within a few years after they've been removed, so you'll likely need ongoing treatment.
