About this topic
A nasal foreign body is caused by something getting stuck in your childs nose. Children sometimes put small objects in the nose. Some of these objects include food, disc batteries, beads, cotton, magnets, tissue, clay, erasers, seeds, coins, buttons, and small toys such as marbles. ‚
What care is needed at home?
Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Prevent or fight an infection
Make sure your child takes all drugs as ordered. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Keep all small objects out of your childs reach.
- Teach your child not to put foreign objects into body openings.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or wound that will not heal.
- You cannot easily take out a foreign body from your childs nose
- Bleeding after the foreign body has been taken out that lasts more than 3 minutes
- Health problem is not better or your child is feeling worse
Helpful tips
- If you cannot see an object in your childs nose, do not try to remove it. Talk with your doctor.
- Do not use cotton swabs or tweezers to remove a foreign body. You may push the object farther into your child's nose or cause damage to the nasal tissue.
- If your child can help, have your child breathe through the mouth. Try to keep your child from breathing in quickly or sharply because this may force the foreign body more into the nose.
- Once you know which side of the nose has the foreign body, gently press the other nostril shut and have your child blow the nose gently. If the foreign body does not come out, take your child to the doctor.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you how to care for my child.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has a fever, chills, or yellow fluid or a bad smell coming from the nose.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Otolaryngology ¢ ˆ ’ Head and Neck Surgery ‚
http://www.entnet.org/healthinformation ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/dictionary/f/az-foreign-nose.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚