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# Removing a foreign body from the ear or nose

- Procedure

Most objects in the ear or nose come out with good light, the right tool and one careful attempt; batteries and magnets cannot wait.

Updated Nov 5, 2026

## Key points

- Button batteries (ear or nose) and paired magnets across the septum are emergencies: they cause necrosis and perforation.
- A child with a one-sided, foul-smelling nasal discharge has a nasal foreign body until proven otherwise.
- Do not irrigate the ear when there is a battery, vegetable matter (seeds swell) or a possible eardrum perforation.
- A live insect in the ear is killed first (for example with mineral oil or a topical anaesthetic) and then removed.
- After removal, check the other ear and nostril: children often place more than one object.

## What it is

Objects in the ear canal or nose are very common in small children, and insects enter the ear at any age. Removal is done by a general doctor, emergency physician or ENT in the clinic or emergency room, with good light (a headlight or otoscope), a still patient and the right tool. The first attempt has the best chance; repeated attempts push the object deeper, cause bleeding and make the child uncooperative. This page is an educational overview; failed or risky cases go to ENT, sometimes under general anaesthesia.

## Indications and contraindications

- Indication: any foreign body in the ear or nose; timing depends on the object (battery and magnets now; inert objects soon).
- Irrigation is contraindicated with batteries, organic material, a suspected eardrum perforation or grommets.
- Positive-pressure technique («parent's kiss») for the nose: unsuitable if the child cannot cooperate or the object is very posterior.
- Refer instead of attempting: object touching the eardrum, deep or impacted object, injury already present, or a child who cannot be kept still.

## How it is done

- Identify the object and its depth with good light; ask about batteries and magnets.
- Explain and position: a small child is held firmly on a parent's lap; sedation is considered if needed.
- Ear: graspable objects with alligator forceps, round ones with a right-angle hook behind them; small inert objects may be irrigated or suctioned.
- Nose: topical vasoconstrictor first; then positive pressure (a parent blows into the mouth, clear nostril blocked), hook, forceps or balloon catheter.
- Stop after one or two failed attempts and refer: repeated tries push the object deeper.
- After removal, inspect the canal and eardrum or the nasal cavity for injury, and check the other side.

## Complications

- Ear canal laceration and bleeding, the most common complication.
- Eardrum perforation and ossicular injury, with hearing loss or vertigo.
- Nose: epistaxis, septal perforation (batteries, magnets), sinusitis.
- Displacement of a nasal object backwards with aspiration into the airway.

## Next step / Initial management

- No tests are needed for most cases; an X-ray helps when a metal object or battery is suspected but not seen.
- After an uncomplicated removal, antibiotics or ear drops are usually not needed; treat infection or canal injury if present.
- Refer as an emergency, the same moment: any button battery or paired magnets, or a nasal object at risk of being aspirated.
- Refer to ENT urgently, within a day: failed removal, eardrum injury, hearing loss or vertigo after removal, or a child needing general anaesthesia.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## A 3-year-old has a one-sided, foul-smelling nasal discharge for two weeks. What is the most likely cause?

A nasal foreign body. It should be looked for with good light and removed; antibiotics alone miss the cause.

## Why should a bean in the ear not be removed by irrigation?

Vegetable matter absorbs water and swells, wedging further into the canal and making removal harder and more painful.

## When is a foreign body in the nose an emergency?

When it is a button battery or magnets (paired across the septum), which cause necrosis and perforation, or when it may be aspirated.

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## Connections

## Related 1

- [Otoscopy: technique and the normal eardrum](https://durgical.com/en/ent/otoscopy-technique-and-the-normal-eardrum/)

## Related conditions 1

- [Foreign bodies of the ear and nose](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/foreign-bodies-of-the-ear-and-nose/)

[← All of ENT](https://durgical.com/en/ent/)

Educational content; it does not replace a medical assessment and is not a clinical instruction. For a real case, follow current guidelines and specialist advice.

Sources: [Ear Foreign Body Removal (StatPearls)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459136/) (StatPearls Publishing, NCBI Bookshelf, 2026); [Nasal Foreign Body (StatPearls)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459279/) (StatPearls Publishing, NCBI Bookshelf, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/ent/removing-a-foreign-body-from-the-ear-or-nose/