I can’t tell you how many rocks, beads, or other small objects I’ve had the misfortune of having to fish out of a child’s ear or nose. I think it is something that every child at one time feels like they have to try.

Be sure to teach your children the danger of putting anything of the sort in their nose or ears. Talk about the unpleasant experiences of getting the object back out again. Explain to them it can be very painful to remove. In some cases it may even cause permanent damage.

If a child has an object stuck in their nose:

1. Cover the other nostril and try to have them blow the object out.
2. If after 5 minutes of trying, the child still cannot blow it out, take them to a doctor.
3. If your child is a toddler or older, you can try the technique often used by doctors: place your mouth over the child’s mouth as if you were giving them mouth to mouth then blow into their mouth while putting a finger over one side of their nose to hold the other nostril closed. When done correctly, the item will often come shooting out. DO NOT TRY THIS TECHNIQUE ON A BABY.

If a child has an object stuck in their ear:

1. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FISH AN OBJECT OUT OF A CHILD’S INNER EAR. You may do permanent damage or lodge the object in further. If it is a bead or something you can see from the outer ear, it’s ok to use tweezers, so long as you can grip the object without digging in the inner ear.
2. Turn them onto their side and gently whack the opposite side of the head to try and dislodge the object.
3. If this doesn’t work, take them to a Doctor. You do not want to risk damage to their eardrum by trying to fix things yourself.