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Little things in little places
Growing children explore objects with their fingers and mouths, and prod their own ears and noses while holding objects in their hands. The list of foreign bodies encountered in various openings of children's bodies is almost endless, but a bead stuck in the ear, a button lodged up the nose or the coin that is swallowed, can cause alarm in both the child and the parent.
Objects in the eye
A speck of dust or loose eyelash can float on the white of the eye - and is easily removed. This can be by washing out with a small glass of clean water, or lifting the object off with a moist corner of a tissue or a handkerchief. However, anything that sticks to the eye, or rests on the coloured part of the eye, should not be touched or removed. Cover the eye, if necessary, and seek medical advice.
Objects in the ear canal
These are most common in children between the ages of two and four years, and can be anything a child can push into his or her ear. Commonly found objects include food, insects (which may fly into the ear), toys, buttons, pieces of crayon and small batteries. Some objects placed in the ear may not cause any symptoms, while other objects - like food and insects - may cause pain in the ear, redness or some discharge. Hearing may be affected if the object blocks the ear canal.
The usual treatment is to seek medical help straight away. It is helpful to realise, however, that the object is unlikely to do any harm if left alone for a short while - so there is usually no need to act hastily. Do remember that the deeper structures in the ear are very sensitive and delicate, so you should not attempt to remove any foreign object with an implement or a finger.
'Buzzing' or 'moving' insects can be very distressing, and manuals of first aid do suggest that these can sometimes be removed by floating them out - supporting the head on one side with the affected ear uppermost, then gently flooding the ear with tepid water, so that the insect floats out. It is best that this treatment is only carried out when the insect has first been seen, by viewing the ear canal with a torch.
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