How to dislodge an object stuck in a kid’s nose: First aid group gives tips

Being a nosy parent could save your kid’s life.

Medical professionals at Tiny Hearts Education are sharing tips on what to do if your child decides to shove a pencil eraser, a button battery, a precious family heirloom, or another item up their nose.

Button batteries or lithium coin batteries are extremely dangerous to children and warrant immediate action, the children’s first aid group advises.

“A note on button batteries up the nose: If it is a button battery that your little one has popped up their nose, then you should call the poisons hotline immediately, as button batteries can damage the surrounding tissue and warrant urgent removal,” reads an Instagram post shared last week to the Tiny Hearts Education page.

The organization revealed a 2-second retrieval trick called the “Big Kiss.”

Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz, co-founder of Tiny Hearts, performed the “rescue” on a child with a raisin in their nose.

“Knowing how to perform this 2-second trick could save you a trip to the emergency department,” Jurcutz wrote.

The technique involves gently blowing air into a child’s mouth while simultaneously closing the nostril without the lodged item. 

The air moves through the child’s nasal passages to safely dislodge the foreign object. 

The four-step “Big Kiss” guide is:

1. Stay calm and reassure your child.

2. Have them sit up straight and keep their mouth closed.

3. Gently place your mouth over their open mouth, forming a seal.

4. Blow a puff of air into their mouth while closing the opposite nostril with your finger.

The group recommends using gentle, controlled breaths; seeking medical help if the object doesn’t come out after a few tries; and consulting a doctor if the child is in distress, or the object is sharp or large.

The post notes the puff of air should be “short and sharp.”

The method is “useful and safe,” despite potential risks such as trauma to the eardrum and lower airways.

“There has never been a reported incidence of tympanic membrane rupture or pneumothorax using the parent’s kiss technique,” the group explained. 

One person who might have benefited from the “Big Kiss” is a Georgia woman who was shocked to find a giant booger she blew out her nose was actually a bead that had been stuck inside her nasal cavity for 20 years.