Nasal foreign body refers to the presence of foreign substances in the nasal cavity. Foreign bodies can be divided into three major categories: nonbiological foreign bodies, such as buttons, glass beads, paper rolls, toys, stones, dirt, etc.; plant foreign bodies, such as shells, peanuts, beans, kernels, etc.; and animal foreign bodies, such as insects, roundworms, maggots, trichomonads, leeches, etc. Non-biological foreign bodies and plant-based foreign bodies are more common in clinical practice.
Most of the nasal foreign bodies occur in children aged 2 to 4 years old. Due to their ignorance, children may stuff beans, paper balls, buttons and other gadgets into the nasal cavity, and over time, the foreign bodies corrupt or stimulate the nasal mucosa, causing congestion and edema of the nasal mucosa, which, together with bacterial infection, leads to secretions becoming purulent and bloody and emitting fishy odor. Severe nasal foreign body can cause nasal septum perforation and necrosis, and what is more dangerous is that foreign body can fall into the larynx, trachea and bronchus through the posterior nasal cavity, causing lung infection or death by suffocation caused by obstruction of trachea.
Normal human nasal discharge is colorless and transparent, slightly sticky, and fishy smell of nasal discharge is often a symptom of foreign body in nasal cavity. When young parents find that one side of the child’s nasal cavity is blocked and smelly snot comes out, they should think of the possibility of nasal foreign body and take the child to a hospital specialist for further examination immediately. Be careful not to use your hands or tweezers to remove the foreign body, as this may make the foreign body deeper and deeper, making it difficult to remove, and may also easily cause damage to the child’s nasal mucosa, causing bleeding or inflammation.