Sticking Stuff up Nose

Updated on May 19, 2011
T.C. asks from East Grand Forks, MN
9 answers

My 2 year old daughter has been sticking stuff up her nose for a couple months. I am scared that she is going to stick something up her nose and that she will not sneeze it out or I won't be able to get it out. Some of the stuff that she has been sticking up her nose has been lint, paper and last night when we were at the park another little girl saw her stick a small rock up her nose. This is a really gross and dangerous habit she has. What can I do to get her to stop doing this?

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So What Happened?

Well did end up in the OR after she stuck some black foam from a tear in the pack n play that she sleeps in at daycare up her nose. But she hasn't stuck anything up there since so hopefully the trip to the OR helped her be scared to stuff things up her nose.

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A.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son is 2 yrs old, and had a brief phase of putting things in his nose. It started with a bean one day at lunch time. He has also put a leaf and a raisin up there. There was one more thing, but I can't remember what it was. But, lots of kids do this. And I don't think there's anything you can do to make them stop. It's like them putting things in their mouth when they're babies (dirt, dog food, the remote...) He eventually just stopped doing it. I think it's a phase she just has to get thru.

(I did it once too, a small sea shell. My grandpa had to dig it out with tweezers, and I did not enjoy it. I never did it again).

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

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J.M.

answers from Duluth on

My very bright son stuck a bean up his nose and I didn't know about it till the thing sprouted and there was a leaf growing out of his nose! We went to the dr. to get it out. He was sure amusing!!!

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L.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

How about this. Try to get her to always hold something in her hand that's too large to stick in her nose. Like a doll.

When you see her trying to shove a bat into the cave, re-direct her toward another task. If you say, "don't stick that raisin in your nose," all she will hear is "Stick a raisin in your nose" and focus on that. However, if you say, "Hey, where's the kitty?" she'll focus on looking for the cat.

Otherwise, it's impossible to watch a busy 2-year old 24/7. All I can say is she's probably going to do it, you may have to deal with a doctor's office, and HOPEFULLY she'll understand the "natural consequences" of what happens.

(P.S. Call the nurse line before visiting the Dr. Some of these objects are known to work their way out on their own, without intervention. Dr. visits are expensive!)

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S.G.

answers from Rapid City on

When I worked at day care we had a little boy who use to come in and all the sudden he had a smell to him. His mother was going crazy with this because she would bath him and yet nothing got rid of the smell. She took him to the doctor and they found a little bead (the kind you use a iron to melt on a form) in his nose. The doctor told them it wasn't unusual for kids to do that.

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H.M.

answers from Omaha on

I couldn't get my son to stop either. He eventually stuck a 6mm bead up his nose. Perfect size to get stuck. We went to the er and they even have a special tool to free foreign objects from the nose. That made me laugh. They treated it like it was no big deal and we were last priority. Talk about annoying and scary! Finally we get in there he jabs that thing up my sons nose pops the bead out and were on our way. It LITERALLY took him less than a minute for our 3 hour wait. His nose bled and it hurt of course. Poor baby cried for pry 10 mins. Doctor gave him a small lecture naturally.

Well fast forward 2 months he did it again! Same thing... except this time he actually learned his lesson that removing the stuff hurt and he never did it again. After the first time we told him nothing smaller than his elbow should be in his nose. He went through the pain... NOTHING made a difference. Still blows my mind.

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J.B.

answers from Rochester on

My son used to put things in his nose as well. He would mostly put paper or cumbled stickers right in the opening and thus, easy to get out. We would consistently tell him that things don't go in noses (or ears- b/c sometimes he would suggest putting smething in his ear). So, one day, he sticks a pea in his nose that he found on the floor from lunch. I was unable to get it out, my husband couldn't get it out. We ended up at the Dr. office, then the hospital pediatric ER where they finally were able to get it out with forceps. He will bring it up every now and then that he had to go to the Dr. to get the pea out of his nose, but hasn't put anything in there since. The Dr.'s commented that it is not uncommon for kids to come in with this "situation". I would just keep reminding her that it is not safe and may have to go to the Dr. if she puts things in her nose. I also think that it will pass. Besides not putting things in his nose anymore, he doesn't suggest putting things in his ears either.

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

My baby brother used to do this. Pea, Kix cereal, cheerios, legos, you name it, it went up there. He finally had to go to the ER to have a MARBLE removed. To this day, I have no idea how he smashed a marble up his baby nose!! BUT... after the ER incident, he never put anything else up his nose... it all went in his EARS.

Good luck ;)

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G.H.

answers from Chicago on

my daughter did this a few months ago, she was 3....she stuck a raisin but she couldn't breathe & since i didn't witness the incident (my other 2 kids told me), i panicked & called 911.....when i asked her if she could breathe or talk she shook her head no & she started getting hysterical but had no sound coming out of her........while i was on the phone with 911 she finally started crying.....the dispatcher could here her crying & said the ambulance was still coming.........well my DD was very embarrassed & i had the paramedics talk to all my kids about sticking things in *openings* in their bodies other than their mouths

BTW the raisin was *extracted* before the paramedics got there

maybe you can make an appointment with her pediatricians office to have the nurse or Dr talk to her about this

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I will tell you what stopped me when I was a kid ... something DID get stuck up there and we had to go the ER to have it removed. I was like 5 or 6 at the time I think ... not 100% sure on the age but 100% sure on the memory!

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