Foreign Body Inside Ear, Nose Or Throat - What To Do And What Not To?

Having a foreign object stuck inside a child’s ear or nose is an issue many parents encounter, especially while their child is a toddler. At the early developmental stages, it’s natural for children to be curious and attempt such things. It is also quite common for children as well as adults to get insects caught inside their nose or ear. In situations such as this, it’s best not to worry, as people tend to aggravate the situation when they panic.
The first thing you should try if you have any foreign object stuck inside your nose is to blow your nose. Be careful not to push too hard so as to not risk injury. Often children will be able to expel foreign objects from their nose only when asked to blow their nose.

If the foreign object in question is not stuck up the nose, but up the ear, or if blowing your nose has not helped, you should try and remove the object with a pair of clean tweezers. Do not try to use household items other than tweezers, as they might push the object further up the cavity. Do keep in mind to have someone help you while removing foreign objects from your own ear as well as to keep in mind to be extra careful not to be too harsh as you might puncture your ear drum. If the foreign object is stuck up your child’s nose or ear and they refuse to keep still, it’s best to take them to a professional.

What can an ENT specialist do?
If you have a foreign object stuck in your nose or ear and can’t get it out easily, it’s safest to go to the doctor rather than risk hurting yourself or your child. An Ear-Nose-Throat Specialist can use a local anesthetic to numb the area and use their expertise to better navigate the cavity and remove the object from the ear or nose. If the object is too far up the nose to reach, the ENT Specialist can administer medication to induce nose bleeding which will naturally dislodge the object from the cavity without having to insert anything into it.

When faced with problems such as a foreign object stuck in the ear or nasal cavity, it’s best to consult a professional as soon as possible instead of leaving the problem untouched for a long duration of time, as activities such as sniffing or scratching may further aggravate the issue. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an ENT specialist.