Foreign Body in Ear and Nose
Children may put small objects in their ear or nose. It may go unnoticed at times.
Q. How do I know if the child has put some object in nose or ear?
A. Many times a child might say that he/she has put something in there. Sometimes it may be discovered while giving bath or cleaning nose or may be even witnessed while the child put it in accidentally. Most importantly if there is thick discharge from one nostril or from ear especially in the absence of fever and severe pain, one should think about some foreign body lying there.
Q. What do I do once the foreign body is discovered in the nose?
A. If the child is sneezing, let him sneeze. The foreign body may come out. One should not put any attempt to physically remove foreign body at home. An attempt to remove the foreign body, one might even push it back deep in the airway. This may cause choking. It is better to consult and ENT specialist.
Q. What about blowing into the mouth to remove foreign body from the nose?
A. Some people used to recommend that we can block the patent nostril and then should blow hard into the mouth. This can dislodge the foreign body from the nostril. This technique is not advisable. It is difficult to remove foreign body this way and high air pressure of the blow may cause harm.
Q. What do I do if I discover a foreign body in ear?
A. Once a foreign body is seen in the ear, the child should be taken to an ENT specialist. He has instruments to remove the foreign body from the ear. Some children may need some ear drops for couple of days. The same can be prescribed by the ENT specialist.