SALT LAKE CITY — If a child finds an object small enough to fit inside his nose, chances are he'll put it there. And more often than not, he won't be able to get it out.

A foreign object stuck in the nose or ear of a child is a relatively common problem, especially in toddlers. Children often place items in their nose and ears out of curiosity.

As an emergency room nurse, I have seen children stick toys, tissue, bugs, erasers, candy wrappers and food in their noses. In some cases the items went unnoticed for months because the parent didn't know the signs and symptoms associated with the problem.

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If your child has a runny nose in just one nostril, accompanied by a bad case of bad breath, you should probably check and see if there's something stuck in the affected nostril.

While the vast majority of cases involve foreign items lodged in the nose, I have also seen a good amount of cases where the child has something stuck in his ear canal. Because the ear canal is quite sensitive, you can usually tell immediately that something is wrong.

It's important to note that getting a foreign object stuck in the nose or ear canal is not an emergency. While it is irritating to the child and frustrating to the parent, there is no need to take the child to an emergency room. If you can't get the item out yourself, you can usually wait to schedule an appointment with your child's doctor to have it removed.

When removing the object, know that the first attempt is very important. Success rates markedly decrease after the first failed attempt. This is mainly because your child will be less likely to cooperate with you after you have irritated her nose or ear.

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In addition, multiple removal attempts are often painful and cause bleeding, which will limit visualization and can further wedge the foreign body into the nose or ear, as explained by Doctors Steven W. Heim and Karen L. Maughan in an article for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

That being said, here are few suggestions on how to remove a foreign object from the nose:

• Use tweezers or a Q-tip to pull the object out.
• Flush the nostril with warm water or saline water. (If you have saline for your contact lenses, you can use it in the nose or ears safely.)
• Have the child blow his nose as aggressively as possible. This method will cause the least amount of irritation.

Ways to remove a foreign object from the ear:

• Flush the ear canal with warm water or saline water (do not use force or direct flushing on the eardrum, as this will cause nausea and vomiting if too much pressure hits the eardrum).
• Tweezers are an option if you can readily see the object.
• You can also use a damp Q-tip to gently coax the object out of the ear.

Objects that pose the most concern are food or insects. This is due to the fact that the bacteria will grow rapidly; or the insect could bite the area, causing tissue to swell, which in turn makes the insect more difficult to remove.

Always consider medical help if the object has sharp edges or if multiple attempts have been made without success.

Contributing: Jordan Ormond

Suzanne Carlile, "Nurse Suzy," has been a nurse since 1982. Her main focus is critical care and nursing education. She holds a master's degree in nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, and a member of NNSDO Intermountain West Chapter.

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