A three-year-old boy in China had a blueberry-sized object lodged deep inside his nose for several days, with the trapped object producing such a foul smell that even his parents nearly vomited when doctors removed it.
The child, identified by the pseudonym Xiaotian, had recently become reluctant to eat properly. His mother also noticed an unpleasant smell around his nose and mouth.
She initially thought the smell was caused by bad breath or indigestion. But later that night, she noticed the odour remained even after her son had gone to sleep with his mouth closed.
When she moved closer, she realised the smell was coming from his nose.
Using a torch to look inside, she noticed that one nostril appeared to be blocked. After finding online accounts of children putting foreign objects into their noses, she took Xiaotian to the Ear, Nose and Throat Department at Wuhan Children’s Hospital the following day.
Doctor Hao Lili used an anterior rhinoscopy to examine the child and found an unidentified mass deep inside his nasal cavity.
The object had apparently been lodged there for some time and was covered in thick secretions, causing a strong odour.
With the help of medical instruments, Hao carefully removed the object intact — and discovered it was a small furry ball about the size of a blueberry.
Xiaotian later told his mother that he had put the ball into his nostril himself during an arts and crafts class.
His mother described the smell as being “like fermented lobster shells” and said she nearly vomited after smelling it.
After removing the object, doctors also treated Xiaotian for rhinitis.
Hao said most children treated for nasal foreign objects also suffer from rhinitis. Discomfort in the nose can cause children to rub or pick their noses, and some may even attempt to insert objects into their nostrils.
Such cases are particularly common among children aged one to three, she said.
Hao warned that treating the underlying nasal condition is important after removing a foreign object, as young children may otherwise repeat the behaviour.
“Xiaotian’s experience is not an isolated case,” Hao said, adding that the hospital’s ENT department had treated many children with nasal foreign objects during the school holidays.
The objects removed from children’s noses have included sunflower seeds, soybeans, pieces of sponge, beads, paper balls and sand from playgrounds.
Among them, button batteries pose the greatest danger.
Some children may not realise that the object is dangerous and fail to tell their parents, allowing it to remain inside the nose for an extended period. Others may try to remove it with their fingers, potentially pushing it deeper and making removal more difficult.
Hao advised parents to seek medical attention if they notice their children frequently rubbing, sniffing or picking their noses.
Treating nasal symptoms promptly can help reduce the discomfort that may lead children to insert objects into their nostrils and lower the risk of nasal foreign-body incidents.
