A foreign body in the nose is an object that is stuck in the cavity of the organ. It can be either organic or inorganic in origin. Most often, such problems occur in young children.
Most often, foreign bodies are not too far away, and they can be removed without any problems at home. Unfortunately, sometimes objects can get into the middle turbinate, and then a doctor's intervention is indispensable.
Types of foreign bodies
Most often parents of small children address the problem of a foreign body in the nose. Babies often push things into their airways for themselves or their friends.
Let's look at their types:
- live - insects;
- inorganic - toys, paper, wood or beads;
- metal - buttons and paper clips, coins or batteries;
- organic - fruit pips, sunflower seeds, vegetables and so on.
Also, foreign bodies in the nose (ICD-10 code: T17) can be divided into radiopaque and low contrast. The latter are difficult to see in the picture, these include plastic,wood. Sometimes foreign objects can enter through the choana during vomiting. Often, after various medical interventions, cotton wool and gauze may remain in the nose.
In adults, foreign bodies get stuck in the sinuses, which is much more serious. The cause is trauma or dental procedures.
Symptoms
The severity of the manifestation depends on the size of the foreign body in the nose, its location and the age of the patient. The most common symptoms are: restlessness of the child, breathing problems, copious mucus, picking his fingers in his nose, trouble sleeping, nasal nasality. The baby may experience headaches, dizziness and problems with appetite.
If a foreign body is in the nose for too long, then over time there will be skin irritation, inflammation and swelling, bad breath and nose, fatigue, tearfulness, constant pain in the head. Most of the symptoms are localized in one of the nostrils, however, if a foreign object is immediately in both parts of the nose, then congestion and the release of copious mucus will become bilateral. Sometimes symptoms of sinusitis may appear: fever up to 40 degrees, swelling of half of the face, pain under the eyes, and a feeling of fullness of the face. There may be problems with breathing, chewing, and the sense of smell is also often disturbed.
First Aid
The he alth and life of a person often depend on how quickly first aid was provided. At the same time, self-medication is possible only ifif the child understands what people require of him and can freely follow the instructions of adults. If the child is under 3 years old, it is best to take him to the hospital immediately so as not to waste time.
Before removing a foreign body from the nose, it is necessary to understand how far it is stuck. If it is visible to the naked eye, then you need to inject special drops into the nose that constrict the blood vessels. After 5 minutes, you need to ask the baby to blow his nose. In this case, he should be helped by holding his free nostril. If this procedure was ineffective, then you need to provoke a sneeze. If both methods do not help, then you need to take the child to the hospital.
If an insect gets into the nose, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. This is due to the fact that it can crawl further and create serious problems. If the item was pulled out, then you must also contact a specialist. You will have to do special tests that will make it possible to understand whether the mucous membrane is damaged and whether there are fragments of the object left in the nose. After that, you need to conduct an antibacterial course to prevent inflammation.
What is forbidden to do?
If parents are trying to pull a foreign object out of the nose, it must be understood that this event is as serious as possible. Any wrong action can lead to a worsening of the condition. That is why it is necessary to take measures to prevent the development of complications.
Do not put pressure on the nostril from the affected side, use tweezers or a cotton swab when removingforeign object, and it is also forbidden to rinse the nose with any liquid. Trying to crush a foreign body in the nose is also not worth it, especially if a person is trying to do this with a sharp and long object. Otherwise, all this can end in very disastrous consequences. Such "assistance" can lead to serious injuries, which will entail the inevitable surgical intervention.
Which specialist should I contact?
Only an otolaryngologist is engaged in removing a foreign object. If there is no such specialist on site, then you need to urgently look for a therapist or surgeon. You can also go to a 24-hour emergency room.
If such a nuisance happened at night or there is no way to go to the hospital, then you need to call an ambulance, which will send an otolaryngologist to the house. In addition, the operator will advise you in detail and tell you what to do.
Diagnostic Methods
Most often, if parents do not go to the doctor immediately, but after some time, the diagnosis becomes very difficult. This is due to the fact that the object is securely fixed in the nose and the period of remission begins. In order to detect it, you need to carry out a special procedure called rhinoscopy. And it is necessary both front and rear. If you have an endoscope, you can do an endoscopy or start probing the nasal passages with a metal probe.
The problem is most difficult to diagnose in children who are unable or afraid to talk about how they feel, or if they simply do not feelthe presence of a foreign body in the nose. In such cases, an x-ray is prescribed in 3 projections.
If the object is poorly viewed, then contrasting is used along with computed tomography. Thanks to this method, you can identify any object, as well as understand and distinguish it from sinusitis or diphtheria.
Doctor help
It should be understood that most often the foreign body is removed on an outpatient basis. Before performing this procedure, local anesthesia is done. Next, vasoconstrictor drops are introduced. Then wait 15 minutes for the drops to work. Then the nasal passages are explored and objects are pulled out using a hook or forceps.
If the child is very small, then he is given general anesthesia, since it is impossible to make him sit still. Also, sometimes full anesthesia is prescribed for those children who do not respond to local anesthetic. After the item is removed, the doctor prescribes a special therapy that will relieve inflammation and relieve symptoms. The treatment regimen will depend entirely on how long the foreign body has been in the child's nose. Most often, antibiotics are prescribed in the form of Suprax, Ampicillin and others. In order to restore the mucosa and relieve swelling, prescribe Dolphin or Morenasal. Calcium supplements are also often used.
Resection
One of the best methods for eliminating nasal defects after a foreign body has entered is turbinate resection. It is carried out inif a person has a deviated septum.
Sometimes, when exposed to a foreign body, a curvature of the cartilage plate appears, which makes it difficult to breathe. Most often, this procedure is performed on young patients. This is due to the fact that with age, a person’s cardiovascular activity is disturbed, so there is a big risk when performing such an operation.
Resection is done without any incisions on the face. At the same time, the shape of the outer part of the nose remains the same, that is, no external cosmetic defects remain. If the deformation is quite strong, then the damaged cartilage fragment is removed, and a bone plate is inserted instead. The operation can be done under general anesthesia, although most often only local anesthesia is used. Before doing this procedure, premedication is carried out, that is, a drug is administered that will enhance the effect of a local anesthetic. The duration of such an operation depends entirely on how the plate is deformed.
Prevention methods
In order to protect children, it is necessary to constantly monitor their activities. However, there are times when it is not possible to provide round-the-clock supervision, especially if the child is not the only one. Therefore, there are preventive measures that will help reduce the likelihood of such a problem.
Children should not be left unattended when they are in a room with small items. You also need to remember that toys such as a designer are for children from 3 years old. That is why the guys younger than themcannot be purchased. The same applies to collapsible dolls and cars.
Also, before giving fruit to a child, you need to remove the bones from them. It is necessary to remove all small items from shelves and surfaces where children can get them. Unless, of course, you want the child to stuff a bead or a paper clip in his nose.
If we are talking about children of preschool and primary school age, then it is necessary to conduct conversations that will allow them to be safe on the street and at home, while it is necessary to explain what the consequences may be if they do not obey.
In adults, preventive measures are reduced to constant care of the teeth and avoid facial injuries.
Complications
One should understand what complications await a child and an adult with a long stay of a foreign object in the nose. If this is an insect, then even if it does not climb further down the passage, then sooner or later, it will die and begin to decompose. Because of this, not only an unpleasant odor will be emitted, but an inflammatory process will also occur.
If fragile objects are in the nose, they can collapse and move further along the respiratory tract. As a result, they will fall into the sinuses and throat.
Another serious complication of such a disease as a foreign body in the nose (ICD code 10: T17) is sinusitis. It can be accompanied by meningitis, tonsillitis, osteomyelitis and some other serious diseases. That is why the sooner a foreign object is found in a child or an adult and appropriate measures are taken, the less likely it is that inflammation begins. If athe object could not be removed on its own, you should call the otolaryngologist at home.
Forecast
If the treatment is carried out correctly and the object is quickly removed from the nose, then the prognosis will be as positive as possible. If the object had any pointed parts, then most likely the nasal membrane can be injured, and this will lead to various complications. If treatment is not carried out, then the risk of any consequences increases many times over.
Conclusion
In short, it should be said that such an ailment as a foreign body entering the nasal cavity is a fairly common problem. As a rule, it concerns children. It must be remembered that the designer is intended for children from 3 years old, not younger! Most often, babies have problems precisely because they buy toys that are too small, which they stuff up their noses. Therefore, parents need to carefully monitor their children and buy toys according to their age. Then there will be no such problems.
In order to perform the procedure for removing a foreign body from the nose with a hook, it is necessary to contact the clinic. This tool is quite often used for such problems. It is medical and has a special form. They are quite easy to get small and large items. If objects can injure the mucous membrane, then special forceps are used.
A ball in a child's nose is also a common problem. Most often it appearswhen playing with a toy gun or mother's beads. That is why preventive measures are reduced to only one. Children must be carefully monitored.
