Use the diagnosis your care team has established
People often hear “sinusitis,” “chronic rhinosinusitis” and “nasal polyps” during the same conversation. They describe related concepts but should not be treated as interchangeable labels. The NHS explains nasal polyps as soft growths inside the nose and describes symptoms and clinical care on its patient page.
Similar symptoms can have different explanations. Nasal blockage or a change in smell does not, by itself, tell you whether polyps are present. Write “not assessed” or “not sure” when that is the situation. A diary is a record of experience, not a way to inspect the nose or assign a subtype.
Sources: NHS: Nasal polyps; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Separate findings from observations
A helpful appointment note has room for what the clinician found and what you have noticed. Keeping separate headings prevents a possible explanation in an old note from becoming an established diagnosis when you summarize it later.
| Heading | What belongs here | If uncertain |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical term used | Exact wording from your report or care team | Ask the team to clarify |
| Assessment discussed | What the clinician says was examined or reviewed | Do not infer a test result |
| Your observations | Dated blockage, smell, pressure or daily impact | Use approximate dates or unknown |
| Plan and review | Instructions and follow-up agreed with the team | Confirm unclear details with the clinic |
Sources: NHS: Nasal polyps; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Questions that make the terminology useful
Ask whether the current assessment describes chronic rhinosinusitis, whether polyps were seen, and which findings support the explanation. Ask the clinician to explain unfamiliar words and to distinguish what is known from what is still being assessed. The aim is a shared understanding, not to arrive with a self-assigned subtype.
If smell has changed, describe when that began and whether it changed alongside nasal blockage. The smell-and-blockage chronology preserves this sequence without claiming to identify the cause. A report can also show what remains unknown and how much of the period you actually recorded.
Sources: NHS: Nasal polyps; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Record the plan without turning this page into one
Care depends on an individual assessment, existing history and the instructions of the treating team. This explainer does not compare medicines, advise a procedure or supply a universal treatment pathway. Use the NHS patient information for background and discuss its relevance with your clinician.
If a report uses language you do not recognize, bring the original report through the clinic’s secure process rather than relying only on a paraphrase. Ask when the plan should be reviewed and whom to contact if the situation changes. This draft awaits specialist clinical review.
AirBloom is in development. Its planned diary and editable summaries are intended to organize personal records, not determine whether nasal polyps are present. The current one-page summary can hold both your observations and the terms used by your care team, with uncertainty left visible.
Sources: NHS: Nasal polyps; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Sources & further reading
This guide provides general education, not individual medical advice. It has not been clinically reviewed. Talk to a qualified clinician about persistent, new or worsening symptoms. Follow your local emergency guidance for urgent concerns.
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