Patient education: Removing objects stuck up the nose (The Basics)

Does an object stuck up the nose cause symptoms? — Sometimes. People with an object stuck up the nose usually have no symptoms. If people do have symptoms, they can have:

●Trouble breathing through the nostril with the object in it

●Bleeding from the nose

●Pain in the nose

●Bad-smelling fluid draining out of the nose

Should I remove an object stuck up a child's nose on my own? — No. Do not try to grab or pull out an object that is stuck up a child's nose. If you do, you might push the object deeper into the nose or push it to the back of the nose. From the back of the nose, the object can fall into and get stuck in the wind pipe. Or the child might breathe it into their lungs (figure 1).

Is there anything I can do on my own to help the child? — Yes. You can have the child try to blow the object out of their nose. To do this:

●Hold the nostril without the object closed

●Have the child blow air out of the nostril that has the object in it

If the object comes out, the child's nose might bleed for a short time. To stop the bleeding, gently pinch the nostrils closed for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also put a cold pack on the nose or cheeks. If the child's nose is bleeding, do not tilt their head back. Tilting the head back does not stop a nosebleed and could make the child swallow blood.

Should I call the child's doctor or nurse? — Yes. Call the doctor or nurse right away.

If your child can't blow the object out of their nose, the doctor or nurse will need to remove it. Depending on the object and other factors, the doctor or nurse might be able to remove the object in the office. If not, they will have you go to the emergency room or to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor to have it removed. Batteries (such as button or disc batteries) and beads usually need to be removed in the emergency room.

Even if the child blew the object out of their nose, you will still need to see the doctor or nurse. They will do an exam and check that no other objects are in your child's nose or ears. (Children sometimes put objects in their ears, too.)

How will the doctor or nurse remove the object? — The doctor or nurse can use different tools to look inside the nose and remove the object. Before they remove the object, they might put drops in the nose to numb the nose and reduce swelling.

Will the child need any other treatment? — Maybe. Objects that are stuck in the nose for a long time can sometimes cause a sinus infection. The sinuses are hollow areas in the bones of the face (figure 2). If your child has a sinus infection, they might need to take antibiotic medicines.

Disc (round) batteries can cause damage to the lining of the nose, similar to a burn. If your child put a battery in their nose, the ENT doctor might need to look inside to check for damage. They can do this using a special tool called a "nasopharyngoscope."

More on this topic

Patient education: Nosebleeds (The Basics)
Patient education: Removing objects stuck in the ear (The Basics)

Patient education: Nosebleeds (epistaxis) (Beyond the Basics)