Introduction
A foreign body in the nose is an object that is located in the nasal passages or the paranasal sinuses, but does not actually belong there. Foreign objects in the nose are often found in small children who put coins or beads up their nose while playing. They can also occur in adults. If they are quickly detected and removed, foreign bodies in the nose are relatively harmless. Foreign bodies that are not detected for a long time can lead to chronic inflammation through permanent irritation of the mucous membranes or can even get further into the paranasal sinuses, where they can cause serious complications.
What should I do if I have a foreign body in my nose?
A foreign body in the nose is usually not an acute emergency, which is associated with the risk of respiratory or circulatory arrest. If you have a strange feeling in your nose and suspect a foreign body as the cause, you should first ask yourself whether there is a possible cause for this or whether you remember an accident in which the foreign body could have entered your nose. In addition, one should look carefully whether the foreign body is visible from the outside.
If this is the case, you can first try to remove the foreign object yourself with fine tweezers. In some cases, repeated heavy sneezing can contribute to a rapid independent removal of the foreign body. If the foreign body lies deeper in the nasal passages or cannot be mobilized, a doctor should always be consulted.
He or she can check whether a foreign body is really the cause of the symptoms or whether there is something else behind them. In addition, the doctor can also determine possible concomitant injuries and treat them if necessary. If the foreign body is deep-seated, a rhinoscopy using a tube with a small camera attached is necessary. This examination allows the foreign body to be precisely located and then removed under visual control with the aid of pliers that are advanced through a working channel on the tube.
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