How can you remove an object from your nose? Foreign body in a child’s nose: symptoms and first aid rules. How to distinguish a common runny nose from the presence of a foreign body in the nose

Worries begin for parents from the moment the baby is born. Is he healthy? Is it developing correctly? Is he gaining weight well? However, in the process of raising a child, you may encounter other problems. An active baby sticks his nose everywhere. He is interested in the stove and electrical sockets, his mother's jewelry, buttons and much more. Often playing with objects not intended for this purpose turns out to be dangerous for the child’s health.

What can get into a child's nose?

A variety of objects get into the baby's nasal passages. The reason for the hit is closely related to the nature of the item:

  • live ones (mosquitoes, midges, beetles, worms) penetrate the nasal passages on their own in the yard, on the street, sometimes at home;
  • organic (seeds, pieces of food, bones) the baby pushes into the nostril himself, or foreign particles enter the nostrils when vomiting or coughing;
  • inorganic (beads, buttons, toy parts, cotton wool, polyethylene and others) forcefully penetrate the nasal passage, the baby pushes them in, or a foreign object remains in the nose after medical procedures;
  • metal (coins, pins, screws, nails, tool tips) enter in the same ways as inorganic foreign bodies.

Objects that enter the nasal passage are divided into radiopaque and radiopaque. The former are easy to detect and localize using radiography, but this cannot be done with the latter.

Symptoms of a foreign body in the nasal passages

To help the baby, you must first understand what happened. If a baby puts a bead or other small part in his nose, it will immediately become noticeable.


A foreign body in the nose may not be noticed, so if healthy child If you are concerned about pain and discomfort, clear mucus from one nostril, you should contact the nearest medical center

Characteristic symptoms They will tell you what kind of problem the baby has:

  • the baby is breathing heavily, one nostril may be completely blocked (see also:);
  • appeared bloody issues or the nose is bleeding heavily (we recommend reading:);
  • clear mucus flows from one nostril;
  • poor sleep and appetite;
  • the voice became nasal;
  • The baby complains of pain and feels dizzy.

If you do not pay attention to the first symptoms, complications will arise. Symptoms will change:

  • yellowish or greenish purulent discharge will appear;
  • there will be an unpleasant odor;
  • signs of inflammation of the nasal mucosa will appear;
  • formation of rhinoliths (stones) is possible.

First aid for a baby at home

When providing first aid to children, you must first try not to harm. If you are not confident of success, you should not try to take drastic measures. It is better to consult a doctor immediately.

However, you can do some things yourself:

  1. You can try to blow out your baby’s nose if you can find out in which nostril the object is stuck. To do this, pinch the free nostril with your finger, pressing it against the nasal septum, and exhale sharply into the baby’s mouth. You can repeat the operation several times.
  2. An older child can be asked to do the blowing himself. To do this, he must take a deep breath through his mouth, then the adult will pinch his free nostril, and the child will exhale sharply. If movement is felt in the blocked nostril, the process should be repeated until the nasal passage is freed.
  3. It is also recommended to let the child smell pepper or tobacco to induce sneezing. However, this method is more dangerous. If a foreign body is firmly stuck, violent sneezing will not remove it, and the nasal passage will be injured.

A number of actions are strictly not recommended. You should not try to remove the obstruction from your nose at home. Trying to get the item using improvised means can aggravate the situation. You should not try to remove a foreign object by pressing on the nose. It is forbidden to rinse your nose with water or remove the obstruction with a cotton swab or tweezers.

Any of these actions will advance the subject even deeper and make the doctor’s work more difficult. If bleeding occurs or a foreign object is so deep that it cannot be seen, it is necessary to call ambulance. If the foreign body is expelled, but breathing is not restored within 24 hours, mucus continues to be released from the nose, you must also immediately seek medical attention. medical care.


You can try to remove the foreign object from the child’s nose yourself, but it is still better to entrust this procedure to a medical professional.

When is it necessary to remove a foreign body from a specialist and how is the procedure performed?

If you are unable to remove the object from your nose by sneezing or blowing, you will have to consult a doctor. He will conduct an external examination and, if necessary, prescribe additional studies. These include fluoroscopy, rhinoscopy, fibrorhinoscopy. These methods will allow you to determine the exact location of the bead or vitamin in the nose.

If a child puts a piece of plasticine up his nose, it will be even more difficult to get it out than a hard object. The body itself tries to free the respiratory passages. Excessive mucus secretion and sneezing can clear the nose. However, you should not try to remove it mechanically yourself. It is possible to spread the adhesive mass over a large area of ​​the mucous membrane.

The specialist will manipulate a blunt hook, which will allow the foreign body to be removed without injuring the mucous membrane. If necessary, the child will be given local anesthesia.

Manipulations are performed on an outpatient basis, hospitalization is required only in very complex or advanced cases. After extraction, the doctor performs an antiseptic treatment of the nasal passage and prescribes anti-inflammatory treatment.

IN severe cases, when a foreign object has penetrated into the soft tissue, a perforation has occurred and surgical intervention is required to remove it. It is performed in a hospital setting under general anesthesia.

To make extraction easier, it is best to see a doctor as soon as possible and do not feed or drink your baby until you see a specialist.

Consequences and complications if the problem is ignored for a long time

One of the obvious complications when a foreign object enters the nose is that it travels higher up the respiratory tract and then enters the throat and lungs. However, even if this does not happen, a long stay in the nostril of a foreign body will lead to an inflammatory process.

Damage to the mucous membrane can take on the character of ulceration; constant irritation is fraught with the growth of polyps and necrosis. Prolonged contact with the irritant will also affect the organs of vision. Suppuration in the lacrimal sac and inflammation of the lacrimal ducts may begin. Purulent rhinosinusitis and sometimes perforation of the nasal walls also occur when there is untreated blockage of the nasal passage by a foreign object.

Prevention measures

The main method of prevention is to remove all small objects from places inaccessible to the baby. Toys for children who can put small things into their nose or ear should not contain parts suitable for this. Games with plasticine or mosaics should only be played with the participation of adults.

Particular attention should be paid to eating. At this time, you should not talk to the baby, make him laugh, or encourage his conversations. If a child is choking, you need to lift him by both legs so that the food comes out. When vomiting, the baby's head should be tilted so that the vomit does not enter the respiratory tract. Following these rules will help you avoid trouble.

As a rule, foreign objects do not penetrate too deeply and are removed independently or on an outpatient basis. But in some cases, objects end up in the middle turbinate or paranasal sinuses.

Types of foreign bodies

Most often, parents with children aged 2–6 years seek medical help for a foreign object in the nose. While playing, children push various things into the respiratory canals for themselves or their peers, which are classified according to the nature of their origin:

  • organic - fruit seeds, peas, beans, beans, sunflower seeds, pieces of vegetables;
  • metal - buttons and paper clips, small coins, button batteries;
  • inorganic - paper, fragments of toys, pieces of wood, beads;
  • live - insects.

In addition, all foreign objects are divided into radiopaque and low-contrast, which are difficult to see on an x-ray: plastic, wood.

IN in rare cases foreign objects enter a child's nose through the choanae (openings between the nasal cavity and pharynx) during vomiting. In addition, there may be pieces of cotton wool or gauze left in the canals after medical procedures.

For adult patients, the presence of a foreign body in the sinuses is more typical. The cause of penetration is facial trauma or dental procedures, during which filling materials, root fragments or pieces of an implant fall into the cavity.

Symptoms

The severity of the symptoms depends on the size and shape of the foreign body, its location, and the age of the victim.

Most common symptoms:

  • obvious anxiety of the child;
  • difficulty breathing through one nostril;
  • the appearance of copious mucus;
  • constant picking of the nose with a finger;
  • sleep disturbance;
  • nasal voice, snorting.

The baby may complain of headache, slight dizziness, loss of appetite.

When a foreign body remains in the nose for a long time, other signs appear:

  • purulent discharge with ichor;
  • unpleasant odor from the mouth and nostrils;
  • inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane;
  • irritation of the skin above the upper lip;
  • constant headache associated with lack of oxygen;
  • fatigue, tearfulness.

Local symptoms are usually localized in one half of the nose, but if a foreign object penetrates both parts at once, congestion and discharge will be bilateral.

If a foreign body is present in the sinus, symptoms of sinusitis appear:

  • a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the face when bending over;
  • pain under the eyes and in the bridge of the nose;
  • with unilateral damage, swelling of half the face is observed;
  • temperature rise to 38–40° C.

There may be discomfort when chewing, weakness, impaired sense of smell, and loss of appetite.

First aid

Health and life sometimes depend on how correctly and timely first aid was provided. little man. It is possible to independently remove a foreign body only if the baby understands what is being asked of him and can follow the instructions of adults. It is better to take children under 3 years of age to the hospital immediately.

How to remove a foreign body from a child’s nose? The first step is to determine how far the foreign object is stuck. If it is visible to the naked eye, the following actions should be taken:

  1. Inject into the nose.
  2. After 5 minutes, ask the baby to blow his nose and help him by closing the free nostril with his finger.
  3. If the previous procedure is ineffective, active sneezing should be provoked.

If both methods are unsuccessful, it is necessary to take the injured child to the hospital.

If a live insect gets into your nose, it is not recommended to take any independent action. In this case, it is necessary to urgently contact a doctor, since the arthropod can crawl further and create many problems.

If the foreign object was removed, the victim should be shown to a specialist as soon as possible. Firstly, it is important to make sure that the object is completely removed and that there are no wounds or abrasions left on the mucous membrane. Secondly, the child needs to undergo a course of anti-inflammatory therapy.

What can't you do?

When planning to remove a foreign object from your nose, you need to understand that this is a very serious undertaking and any incorrect actions can only aggravate the situation.

Strictly prohibited:

  • rinse your nose with liquids;
  • remove a foreign body with tweezers, a cotton swab or pick it out with your finger;
  • press on the nostril on the affected side.

Under no circumstances should you try to pick out a foreign body in a child’s nose with a sharp, long object, such as a hook or knitting needle. Such “help” can lead to the most unpleasant consequences and end in surgical intervention.

Which doctor should I contact?

An ENT doctor or otolaryngologist is involved in removing foreign bodies from the nasal cavity. As a last resort, if a specialist is not available, you should visit a surgeon or go to a 24-hour emergency room.

If the trouble happened at night or a trip to the hospital is difficult, you can call an ambulance and explain over the phone what happened. Doctors will tell you what to do and, if necessary, send a car on call.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing a foreign body in the nasal cavity can be difficult, especially if medical help is not sought immediately. In this case, the object is securely fixed in the soft tissues and a period of temporary rest begins.

To detect it, anterior and posterior rhinoscopy are performed; if an endoscope is available, endoscopy is performed or the nasal passages are probed with a metal probe. It is especially difficult to find an old object in children who cannot or are afraid to talk about their feelings, and sometimes simply do not feel a foreign body.

In such cases, a small patient is prescribed fluoroscopy and radiography in 3 projections. If the foreign object is low-contrast and difficult to see in the nasal cavity, CT and contrast are used. These methods help to detect any object and differentiate it from a neoplasm, normal or diphtheria.

Medical assistance

Removal of a foreign body from the nose is most often performed on an outpatient basis. Before the procedure, local anesthesia is performed with further administration of vasoconstrictor drops. After 10–15 minutes, the nasal passages are examined and the discovered object is pulled out using a blunt hook or forceps.

For young children, the intervention is carried out under general anesthesia, since it is impossible to force the baby to sit still. Full anesthesia is also used if the item cannot be removed under local anesthesia.

After removing the foreign object, anti-inflammatory and symptomatic therapy is carried out. The treatment regimen depends on how long the object was in the patient’s soft tissues and what consequences it caused.

Most often a course of antibiotics is prescribed wide range actions: Ampicillin, Amoxiclav, Suprax, Zinnat. Vitamin complexes, immunostimulants, and calcium supplements are prescribed as general tonics. Dolphin and Morenasal are used to cleanse the mucous membrane.

How can parents keep their children safe?

Of course, it is difficult to look after a small child, especially if he is not the only one in the family. But avoid the most common reasons Parents are quite capable of dealing with problems.

Prevention measures:

  • do not leave children unattended;
  • remove small, sharp and piercing objects from reach;
  • buy toys according to age. For a child under 3 years old, it is better not to purchase construction sets with small parts, collapsible dolls and cars;
  • remove seeds from fruits before offering them to your child.

It is necessary to have conversations with preschoolers and schoolchildren of the younger age group about safety rules on the street and at home, and explain what the consequences may be for disobedience.

In adults, preventing foreign bodies in the sinuses comes down to regular dental care and avoiding facial injuries.

Complications

As a rule, the most serious consequences develop when a foreign body remains in the nose for a long time. If it is an insect, it sooner or later dies and begins to decompose, releasing a foul odor and provoking an inflammatory process.

Fragile objects can break down and migrate through the respiratory tract, penetrating the sinuses and pharynx. Solids become overgrown with salts and turn into rhinolitis (a stone in the nose). With a large tumor, the central septum may be bent or perforated, and facial symmetry may be disrupted.

Another serious complication is sinusitis. It may be accompanied by mycetoma, meningitis, acute tonsillitis, inflammation of the facial bones, and osteomyelitis.

The sooner adults detect a foreign body in a child’s nose and take appropriate measures, the less likely serious complications are. If you cannot remove the object yourself, you must urgently contact a specialist.

Useful video on how to remove a foreign body from the nose

A foreign body appears in the nose various reasons, most often children face this problem preschool age, but this happens in adults too. A foreign object sometimes does not cause any symptoms, but can also cause serious complications, so it is important to seek medical help in time and remove it. Let us consider in more detail how pathology manifests itself in different situations, and what features it has.

Where do they come from?

Nasal foreign bodies are objects that accidentally or intentionally enter the nostrils. Children independently insert small particles into their holes out of curiosity. In adults, mostly accidental penetration of objects is observed. They can get there for the following reasons:

  • during children's play;
  • when swimming in open water;
  • when inhaling air (it may contain dust, insects and other small particles);
  • when eating;
  • while vomiting.

Even people who carefully monitor personal hygiene and do not try to stuff any objects into their nostrils can end up with foreign bodies in the nose. There is a high likelihood of accidental entry of small particles through vomiting or ingestion. Penetration of food pieces occurs by throwing them through the choanal openings connecting the pharynx to the nose.

Provoking reasons

The sensation of a foreign body in the nostrils can occur for various reasons. Often objects get into the nostrils naturally - by inhaling air or mishandling various things. However, there are times when during surgery the doctor leaves cotton swabs, various instrument tips or other parts of work equipment in the passage. In this case, the pathology is of iatrogenic origin.

Serious injury may result in glass, rocks, wood, or other objects becoming lodged in the nostrils. Foreign bodies can be located throughout inner surface nose

If they got into it naturally, then most likely the doctor will find them in the lower nasal passages, but there are cases when the object digs into nasal septum or nasal concha. It also happens that particles move into the nasopharynx with inhaled air.

Types of particles

The presence of a foreign body in the nose is determined either by the patient himself or by the doctor. A variety of objects can get into the nostril. To make it easier to decide how to remove them, all particles were divided into main groups:

There is also a division of foreign bodies in relation to visibility on radiography. If an object can be visualized during examination, it is radiopaque. These are mainly small inorganic and solid organic objects.

If no changes are visible in the picture, then we can say that the body is non-radiographically opaque. Basically, food particles and living organisms that tend to decompose in the nose are not visible on the film.

How to recognize

If something gets into your nose and causes discomfort, you should immediately consult a doctor. However, the patient does not always notice how small particles penetrate the nostrils; sometimes the situation does not reveal itself at all, or the disorder is “masked” as other diseases. In this case, you should pay attention to a number of accompanying symptoms that most often worry the patient:

If these signs appear, then a foreign body lodged in the nose interferes with normal life activities. Failure to see a doctor in a timely manner can lead to secondary infections and a number of complications.

Symptoms of prolonged presence of foreign objects in the nose are:

  • unpleasant odor from the nose (a consequence of the decomposition of organic or living foreign bodies);
  • purulent discharge;
  • inflammation and soreness of the mucous membrane;
  • unilateral headache;
  • formation of rhinoliths;
  • loss of appetite;
  • sleep disturbance.

Possible complications and risks

It is necessary to remove the object that interferes with normal breathing and life immediately. If you ignore this, you may experience serious problems with health. Failure to seek medical help in a timely manner can lead to foreign bodies causing the following complications:

Bodies of organic origin can change their volume, size and even consistency if they remain in the nasal passages for a long time. For example, beans or peas may enlarge under the influence of mucus, in which case there is complete or partial obstruction of breathing in the affected nostril. Also, living organisms and plant particles may decompose or break apart.

The most dangerous thing is when rhinolith begins to form around a metal or inorganic object - a stone consisting of salts that contain mucus. Rhinolith can be smooth and rough, soft and hard, it constantly irritates the mucous membrane, which leads to chronic runny nose.

Also, when a foreign body remains in the nostril for a long time, granulation tissue grows, which complicates diagnosis and causes frequent bleeding.

Diagnostic features

An otolaryngologist (ENT) is involved in identifying the problem. In some cases, rhinoscopy is enough to make a diagnosis - an examination using special instruments. If the object has moved to the lower section, then fibrorhinoscopy is needed. In this case, the doctor must treat the nasal cavity with adrenaline to relieve swelling, which prevents normal examination of the affected nostril.

If the object cannot be seen, then it is probed with a special metal probe made of metal. However, the tool helps to recognize only dense bodies.

When concomitant infections occur and it is impossible to conduct a normal visual examination, techniques such as ultrasound diagnostics, fluoroscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used. A mucus culture must be taken from the patient.

Methods for removing objects from the nostrils

It is important for patients to remember that the sooner they come for examination to an ENT specialist, the greater their chances of quickly and painlessly getting rid of the foreign body. If you consult a doctor in time, you can avoid the appearance of swelling, inflammation and the growth of granulation tissue, which makes it much more difficult to remove objects from the nostrils. Otolaryngologists use the following methods for extracting bodies:

  1. Blowing. This is the easiest way to help get rid of a foreign object. In order for the procedure to be successful, the patient must close the healthy nostril with his finger, draw in full lungs of air and exhale it with great force through the diseased nostril. Small and smooth objects simply “fly out” when performing such a manipulation, relief immediately sets in, breathing resumes and discomfort disappears.
  2. Endoscopy. Endoscopic removal is indicated for children and adults who were unable to get rid of the problem by blowing. In this case, both local anesthesia and general anesthesia can be used. The body is removed from the nasal passages using a blunt hook; the ENT uses it to pick up small particles and remove them.
  3. Surgical intervention. Shown only in the most difficult cases, is performed under general anesthesia. If it is necessary to get rid of foreign objects around which rhinoliths have formed, the stones are immediately crushed, and only then taken out along with the foreign bodies.

When removing objects, procedures such as disinfecting the mucous membrane, rinsing the nostrils, and using vasoconstrictor drops are mandatory. Also, in some cases, it is necessary to rinse the nasal sinuses and install drainage. If a foreign body causes secondary infections, they are treated.

Prohibitions and warnings

The patient must remember that a foreign body entering the nasal passage is a good reason to visit an otolaryngologist. It is prohibited to carry out any manipulations on your own, as this can only worsen the situation. The following measures should also not be taken:

A good prevention would be to follow basic safety rules. Children should not be left alone with small objects, cereals and other particles that could theoretically be shoved into the nostril. You should also choose toys for them that do not contain small parts.

Adults should wear personal protective equipment if they know there is a high risk of foreign bodies being inhaled. Eat food slowly to avoid getting it into your respiratory tract, and do not swim in dirty ponds where organisms that can easily enter your nose can be found.

Let's sum it up

A foreign body can get into the nostril in different ways. The disorder often does not show any signs, but causes some discomfort, similar to the symptoms of an incipient cold.

If you detect the first signals indicating the presence of foreign objects in the nose, you should consult a doctor. It is important to remove the particles in time so that they do not cause complications.

Children love to explore the world, and endlessly try to stuff everything that comes to hand into their nose, ears and mouth - buttons, beans, toys, etc.
Everyone knows that babies need an eye and an eye. But mothers very often do not have time to keep an eye on the child before he already has a foreign body in his nose. What to do in this case, how to provide first aid to the child and how to avoid this - you will find answers to these and other questions in our article.

Foreign bodies most often get into the nose of children younger age(up to 5-7 years). While playing, children stick a wide variety of objects into their own and their friends' noses. In addition, a foreign body can enter the nose due to injury, or during vomiting through the nasopharynx. In older children, cotton swabs are sometimes found in the nose, which were placed in them to stop nosebleeds.

What foreign bodies can be in a child’s nose?

  • Organic (pieces of food, fruit seeds, plant seeds, matches, pieces of paper, etc.).
  • Live foreign bodies (insects, esophageal worms, leeches, larvae).
  • Inorganic (buttons, stones, beads, parts of toys, sponges, pieces of foam rubber, paper, cotton wool).
  • Metal (coins, buttons, badges, nails, pins, needles, etc.).
  • By what signs can you understand that a child has a foreign body in the nose?

The main and sometimes only sign of a foreign body in the nasal cavity is one-sided nasal congestion.

If a foreign body remains in the child’s nose for a long time, purulent discharge mixed with blood may appear, a putrid odor from the corresponding half of the nose, especially if the organic foreign body is decomposing, and irritation of the skin at the entrance to the nose may occur.

The first reactions to a foreign body (sneezing, lacrimation, watery discharge) most often disappear quickly.

What is the danger of a foreign body in the nose?

Prolonged stay of a foreign body in the nasal cavity leads to the formation of rhinoliths (nasal stones), the development of inflammation of the nasal mucosa and the appearance of a bleeding wound.

Unsuccessful attempts to remove a foreign body further injure the mucous membrane, cause bleeding, and the foreign body moves deeper into the nasal cavity, into the nasopharynx, from where it can enter the respiratory tract and esophagus.

How to avoid foreign objects getting into your child's nose?

There is a simple but very effective technique removal of foreign bodies from the nose called “mom’s kiss”, which was described back in 1965 by a doctor general practice Vladimir Stibor in the New English Journal Medicine.

What is the “mom’s kiss” technique?

- Place your lips firmly on the baby's mouth
- With one finger, press firmly on the foreign body-free nostril
- Exhale forcefully into the child’s mouth.
— The air will “squeeze out” the stuck foreign body.

This technique has shown very good results - its effectiveness is about 60%. Although it is still recommended to perform the “mother’s kiss” technique in the presence of a doctor.

Important! To avoid displacement of a foreign body into the deep parts of the nose, nasopharynx and respiratory tract, it is prohibited to remove round foreign objects from the nose with tweezers or forceps. This does not apply to foreign bodies of other shapes (matches, pieces of paper, rubber, etc.).

Diagnostics

It is often very difficult to make a diagnosis, because foreign bodies most often get into the child’s nose when no adult sees it. And only when the disease develops do all its circumstances become clear.

To detect a foreign body in the nose, an x-ray is performed. If this diagnostic method does not give the desired effect, other research methods are used.

Foreign body in the nose: treatment

If a child gets a foreign body in the nose, contact. A foreign body from the nasal cavity is most often removed on an outpatient basis (on site), but if complications arise, hospitalization may be required.

The easiest way is to blow your nose after instilling a vasoconstrictor solution. This technique is most effective for small foreign bodies.

If the foreign body does not come out, it is removed under local anesthesia using a blunt hook. In severe cases, this operation is performed under anesthesia.

Do not leave your child unattended! And be healthy!

Any object that ends up in the nasal cavity for any reason is called a nasal foreign body. In young children, this situation occurs quite often, because the child likes to put a wide variety of objects into his nose. Sometimes children stick foreign bodies into a peer’s nose.


The risk of such a problem occurring is especially high when the baby begins to move independently and explore the world around him with curiosity. Small objects found that arouse interest can easily end up in the nose.

Types of foreign bodies in the nose

Babies are strictly forbidden to put any small objects in their hands - children often experiment by inserting these objects into their noses.

What kind of objects have not been removed from the noses of babies:

  • beads;
  • small parts of toys;
  • buttons;
  • cotton wool;
  • sponge pieces;
  • scraps of paper;
  • fruit grains;
  • sunflower seeds;
  • beans;
  • peas, etc.

Pieces food products can get into the nose if the baby chokes during feeding. In this case, food particles enter the nose through the choanae - openings connecting the nasal cavities with the pharynx. Vomit also enters the nose through the choanae. Teeth may be found in the nasal cavity due to improper eruption of canines or incisors. Foreign bodies can enter the nasal cavity when open.

Foreign bodies in the nose can be:

  • live (leeches, insects);
  • non-living - organic (plant seeds, pieces of fruits and vegetables) and inorganic (pebbles, foam rubber, paper, plastic parts of toys, etc.);
  • radiopaque (metal buttons, snaps, screws, etc.) and non-contrast.

Items may have different shapes and size.

Parents are not always able to track the moment a foreign body enters the nose and then do not know for even a long time about its presence in the nose. And sometimes the fact that a foreign object has entered the nose is detected immediately.

When foreign bodies remain in the nasal cavity for a long time, calcareous and phosphorus salts can be deposited in them, resulting in the formation of rhinoliths (nasal stones), sometimes of considerable size.


Symptoms

Immediately after a foreign object enters the nose, lacrimation and sneezing reflexively appear. But these manifestations disappear quickly enough due to the tissues becoming accustomed to the foreign body.

After about 3 days, the following symptoms occur:

  • one-sided;
  • discharge from one nasal passage of mucous discharge with an unpleasant putrefactive odor (an admixture may be noted);
  • unilateral headache;
  • difficulty breathing;
  • pain in the nose;
  • irritation of the skin at the nasal entrance.

If the foreign body is not removed, the inflammatory process spreads to the paranasal sinus and sinusitis develops. In rare severe cases, bone tissue melts (occurs). As granulation tissue grows, nosebleeds may occur.

Diagnostics

A pediatric ENT doctor is involved in the diagnosis and removal of a foreign body from the nasal cavity (). After interviewing the parents, he conducts an internal examination of the nasal cavity - rhinoscopy. If necessary, radiography, fibrorhinoscopy and probe examination using local anesthesia can be performed. In the case of the inorganic nature of the foreign body in the nose, a contrast agent is used.

During rhinoscopy, the doctor sees redness and swelling of the mucous membrane. When the mucosa is damaged by a sharp foreign body, proliferation of granulation tissue may occur, which requires differentiation of the formation (foreign body covered with granulations) from.

The lower nasal passage is the most frequent place the location of a foreign body that is wedged between the nasal septum and the inferior concha. a foreign body may enter the middle nasal meatus.

First aid


The doctor will perform a rhinoscopy and, having found a foreign body, remove it using special tools.

If a child puts an object in his nose in the presence of his parents, then his nasal passages (nostrils) need to be examined. You shouldn't panic. If you manage to see a foreign body, it is better to contact an ENT doctor.

If this is not possible, you can start providing first aid:

  1. It should be dropped into the nose. You should not use a spray, because the stream of medicine can push the foreign body deeper.
  2. If the child is very small and is not able to follow commands, then you need to watch your breathing to find out in which nasal passage the air passes through with difficulty. Then you need to close the healthy nasal passage with your finger, pressing the nostril to the nasal septum, and exhale sharply into the baby’s mouth (trying to blow out the object), repeating the action several times.
  3. If the child is older and understands the requirements, then you should ask him to breathe through his mouth. He needs to take a deep breath (while the parent pinches his healthy nostril) and then exhale forcefully through his nose. If the baby feels that the object in the nose is moving, then this procedure must be repeated until the body comes out.
  4. If it was not possible to free the nostril, you can provoke the child to sneeze by letting him smell ground black pepper.
  5. If these actions are unsuccessful, you should immediately contact a medical facility. It is advisable for the child to breathe through the mouth so that the air flow does not push the foreign body deeper - if it penetrates into the nasopharynx, there is a danger of the foreign body entering the lower respiratory tract during inhalation. You should not feed or water your child.

Absolutely forbidden:

  • try to remove a foreign body with tweezers, a finger or a cotton swab;
  • press on the nostril with a foreign body;
  • rinse the nasal passage with water.

Any of these actions will push the stuck object further and deeper. In addition, unsuccessful manipulations with instruments can injure the mucous membrane and cause bleeding. If there is heavy bleeding, you should call an ambulance.

If you cannot see a foreign body during examination of the nasal passages, you should immediately seek medical help. You should also consult a pediatric otolaryngologist if a foreign body comes out when you blow your nose, but within 24 hours breathing through the damaged nasal passage has not returned to normal and copious fluid discharge continues.

Medical assistance

Removal of a foreign body from the nose is performed on an outpatient basis. The child is hospitalized only in case of complications. If, after using vasoconstrictor drops and blowing your nose, the foreign body does not come out, then under local anesthesia the doctor removes it with a blunt hook.

If the removal attempt is unsuccessful, the issue of prompt removal of the foreign object under anesthesia is decided. If the foreign body has turned into a large nasal stone, then it is crushed with forceps before removal.

After removal of a foreign body, anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out as prescribed by an ENT doctor, even if the object was removed at home.

Prevention

Prevention of a foreign body getting into a child’s nose is as follows:

  • don't leave children in early age without adult supervision;
  • monitor the quality of toys and select them according to age;
  • keep small items (beads, buttons, etc.) out of the reach of children;
  • Remove seeds and grains from fruits before giving them to your child.

Summary for parents

It is much easier not to leave children unattended by adults than to eliminate problems that arise later. Left to his own devices, a child can easily create them. One of these problem situations there may be a foreign body in the nose. If this difficulty arises, it is better to entrust the removal of the foreign body to a doctor. Independent manipulations must be carried out very carefully, since inept actions can make it difficult to remove an object from the nose and cause complications.

The program “Live Healthy!” talks about how to remove a foreign body from a child’s nose:



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