Foreign bodies in the nose – symptoms and first aid

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Small children, and sometimes mentally ill people, put various small objects into their nose: seeds, peas, beans, beads, rolls of paper, small pieces of toys. If a foreign body is inserted into the nose, which nobody from the environment notices in time, it can get stuck deep in the nose.

Foreign bodies in the nose

Foreign bodies in the nose are most often found in young children who have an inquisitive nature and often want to see how some things work. They do it by asking questions about the world around them or just by putting various objects in their mouth, ear or just their nose. Young children, usually under the age of 5, usually put blocks, pieces of toys, peas or beads into their nose. Therefore, it is very important to watch your toddler play. It should be emphasized that the object is not always placed in the nose on purpose. It happens that an insect entered the baby’s nose while he was sleeping. This problem also applies to elderly people, then the cause is a psycic disease or mechanical trauma.

There may be a foreign body in the nose organic or inorganic. Organic foreign bodies are mostly food pieces, but also seeds. They can irritate the nasal mucosa through, for example, the germination process (seeds). On the other hand, inorganic foreign bodies are usually fragments of objects made of metal or plastic. They rarely irritate the mucosa and may go unnoticed for a long time. They are most often detected during a routine examination.

The most dangerous thing is to put a battery in the nose, because under the influence of moisture and heat, the electrolyte releases from the cell, which irritates and destroys the mucosa, which is manifested by bleeding. It happens that in order to remove the battery from the nasal cavity, it is necessary to give the patient general anesthesia.

A foreign body in the nose usually has no serious consequences, but may pose a risk of injury, infection and even choking. It is therefore important to help your child as soon as possible.

Foreign body symptoms in the nose

Symptoms appearing in people with a foreign body in the nose result from irritation of the nasal mucosa and damage to the mucosa. Their intensity depends on the type of the placed object and the time it remains inside the nasal cavity. In people with a foreign body in the nose, the following are the most common:

1. trouble breathing, pain when breathing, sneezing, itching and wheezing – these are usually the first symptoms that appear in people who have a foreign body in their nose; pain usually occurs as a consequence of nasal irritation, while wheezing and breathing problems depend on the shape and size of the object;
2. discharge with an unpleasant smell – it happens that some items lying in the nose give off an unpleasant smell, which is due to the temperature of the human body. Odor may also be the result of a bacterial infection, which is generally characterized by a yellow discharge. Antibiotic therapy is initiated only when a foreign body is removed from the nasal cavity;
3. bleeding from the nose – this is a very common symptom reported in a doctor’s office and associated with the presence of a foreign body in the nose. Bleeding usually stops when the remaining object is removed;
4. perforation of the nasal septum – this is a symptom that occurs only in extreme cases. Appears when a foreign body in the nose exerts pressure that causes the mucosa and adjacent tissues to necrotize and atrophy, leading to perforation and fistulas;
5. formation of rhinoliths (nasal stones) – they are formed when carbon, calcium, magnesium or phosphorus salts are deposited on an object left in the nose for a long time.

You should see a doctor when:

1. blowing your nose does not help remove the foreign body
2. the item has moved to the higher parts of the nasal passage,
3. there is damage to the nasal cavity, hemorrhage, bloody discharge with an unpleasant smell;
4. there was a swelling of the nose and an unpleasant smell from the mouth.

Foreign body in the nose – what does first aid look like?

First aid is the most difficult for children because it happens that the youngest do not want to listen to their parents or are physically unable to blow their nose in a way that allows the foreign body to be removed from the nose. Parents often, under the influence of amok and panic attack, try to pull the object out of the nose in all possible ways, without realizing that in this way they can do more harm, e.g. push the object deeper. Therefore, before removing the foreign body from your baby’s nose, there are a few important things to remember:

1.to remove residual objects, do not use tweezers or cotton buds, which may cause the foreign body to move even deeper,

2. a child with a foreign body in the nose should breathe smoothly through the mouth, because inhaling air through the nose may cause the object to move into the respiratory tract, thus choking;

3. if the foreign body is in one of the nostrils and it is close, gently expel the air through the nose;

4. If it is impossible to remove a foreign body from the patient’s nose, immediately see a doctor who will perform the procedure. Removing a foreign body from the nose requires a lot of skill, dexterity and the right tools.

Removal of a foreign body from the nose

Before the doctor decides to remove the foreign body from the nose, he performs an ENT examination to determine its location. For this purpose, e.g. computed tomography. Sometimes a lingering object can be seen by looking into the baby’s nose. The location of the foreign body should be precisely defined as its removal requires great precision during the operation. Before the procedure, the patient is given a local anesthetic and a nasal decongestant. On the other hand, the technique and tools for removing the object are selected depending on the position of the foreign body in the nose, the patient’s age, size and shape of the object.

1. Large items are removed with hypertension techniques. In its course, a large amount of air is introduced into the patient’s mouth, while leaving the nose open. The pressure that enters the nasal cavity should push the foreign body out.

2. A method for removing round objects that are difficult to pull out with forceps balloon catheter. It is placed in the nasal cavity outside the object to be removed and then pumped using a syringe. As a result, the balloon pushes the foreign body in the nose outwards.

3. Visible objects, shallowly located, are removed with thin forceps. For better visibility, items that are equipped with a small webcam are also used.

4. Glue. It is used when a foreign body cannot be captured by traditional methods. Quick-drying glue is applied to a synthetic or wooden element and then touches the foreign body. Allow the glue to dry for a minute, then remove the item. This method can damage the nasal mucosa.

5. Suction. It consists in inserting a catheter with a suction tip into the nasal cavity, and then suctioning the body under a pressure of 110-150mmHg.

6. Rinsing the nasal cavity with a saline solution with a syringe and thus rinse out the residual object. However, this method is rarely used due to the risk of choking during the procedure.