Foreign Bodies Inside the Nose: How to Remove Them

We’ve all heard of kids sticking things up their noses and not being able to remove them! I run a busy clinic as a paediatric ENT specialist. So I often have to fish out weird and wonderful objects from inside children’s noses.

HOW DO I TELL IF THERE IS A FOREIGN BODY TRAPPED INSIDE MY CHILD’S NOSE?

Sometimes, parents have actually seen their child stick something up their nose! Then they bring their child to see me to remove the object in the nose. Some parents may not be aware that their child has inserted a foreign body into their nose, until the child starts to develop a runny nose from that side. The nasal discharge can be a smelly nasal discharge with nasal infection.

As a children’s ENT specialist, I usually suspect a foreign body stuck up the child’s nose if the discharge comes from just one nostril. It’s a foreign body somewhere inside the nose until proven otherwise! These foreign bodies in the nose include beads, stones and toy parts in the nose. Sometimes, we fish out seeds and nuts stuck up the nose.

DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BE SEDATED TO HAVE THE FOREIGN BODY REMOVED?

It’s trickier to remove organic material like seeds and nuts because the mucus secretions may make it swell up, making it harder to remove in clinic. We do try our very best to remove the foreign object in the nose in clinic, with the cooperation of the parents. However when the child is already rather upset before they enter our ENT clinic, it is safer and kinder to put the child to sleep with a short period of sedation. Then this allows us to easily remove the foreign body from the nose.

WHAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS OBJECT TO STICK UP THE NOSE?

The most dangerous objects to insert inside the nose are the button batteries! Why? Well, in a matter of 60-90 minutes, the button battery will lead to an increase in pH of the tissue adjacent to the battery, setting up a local electrical circuit. There is also leakage of battery fluid into surrounding soft tissue, resulting in chemical burns, hence causing significant corrosion injury of the delicate nasal lining. This may lead to perforation of the nasal septum (the cartilage dividing the left and right nasal passages) and necrosis (tissue damage) of the nose. The higher the voltage of the battery (3V vs 1.5V), the faster the rate of injury!

So if your child puts a button battery up his nose, please recognise that this is an ENT emergency! We need to remove that button battery as soon as possible so please take your child to the A & E or to see an experienced ENT specialist for children.

Dr Annabelle’s tips for Parents:

1. Don’t assume that every battery-powered device is safe for children to handle because the battery may fall out unexpectedly.
2. Make sure you tape shut the battery compartments of all your devices if you have young kids at home.
3. Always keep your spare loose batteries in a safe place, out of reach of curious little hands.

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