Foreign Object In The Nose - First Aid and Emergency Treatment Guide

Overview

• Any outside object inserted into nose
• Usually children are the affected ones
• During play, they insert small objects into nostrils

Causes

• Food particles
• Erasers
• Dried seeds
• Objects, like crayons
• Beads
• Buttons

Symptoms

• Irritation
• Infection
• Foul smelling / bloody discharge from nose
• Breathing difficulty

Treatment

• The person must be urged to breathe through mouth
• The person should avoid breathing with force
• Close the unaffected nostril
• Blow out gently through the affected nostril
• Get medical aid if this method fails

Steps to Avoid

• Do not probe an object which is not seen
• Do not probe an object that is not easy to grasp
• Do not blow nose too hard
• Do not use sharp instruments to remove the object

Consult a doctor

• When the object cannot be removed
• When the victim suffers from infection

Prognosis

• No problem expected once the object is removed

Prevention

• Children must be trained not to put objects in body openings
• Small objects must be kept out of reach of children