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Vacuum removal of object stuck in child's nose

Vacuum removal of object stuck in child\
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  • nose 012.jpg
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My kids seem to have this issue with sticking things in their noses. It's kind of scary at first, but it's not life-threatening. Here are some common methods used for removing an object stuck in the nose:
  • Plug the opposite nostril, close mouth, and blow out the nostril that has the foreign object in it
  • Induce a sneeze to more forcefully blow it out (with pepper or some other method that works)
  • Delicately grab the object with tweezers (but don't make things worse by shoving it in further)
Unfortunately, if your child jams something way up into his nose or just won't sit still enough, these methods might not work. You may need to go to a doctor, and possibly to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Smaller kids can be physically restrained well enough so the doctor can work, but often bigger kids cannot. At worst, if your child can't remain still enough he may need to be sedated so the doctor can get in there with his or her tools to get whatever it is, out.

Recently, our two year-old stuck a Lego man's arm into his nose. We tried all the regular methods as best we could (with a squirmy, crying child), with no luck. I decided to try something new and perhaps save a lot of trauma, time, and money. I got out the shop vacuum, and with a quick nozzle modification, we sucked that Lego man's arm out of my kid's nose lickety-split!

Now, be sure to read ALL the steps before you condemn me as a terrible, irresponsible parent.... and if you ever try something like this... blah, blah, blah, use common sense, blah, blah, blah.

 
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Step 1Get the vacuum

Get the vacuum
My shop vacuum was handy, so that's what I used.
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63 comments
1-40 of 63next »
Mar 8, 2010. 4:07 AMPunkguyta says:
 Honestly, why did this even happen in the first place??!? I was NEVER that curious/lacking of any intelligence to be sticking things up my nose at that age. Why do kids do this?
Mar 7, 2012. 1:10 PMjadekikyo says:
Obviously you don't have children. It happens because some kids are simply more curious then others. It doesn't mean the kids aren't intelligent. I have 3 kids and 1 of them likes to put things up her nose. It never occurred to her older sister to put things in her nose but this one has done it at least 3 different times. She is extremely intelligent and a great problem solver already at only 2yrs old. Stubborn as mule though. I think it's a combination of being stubborn and enjoying figuring out the way things work that makes her do it.

I'm sure if you think about it you'll remember something you did as a kid that wasn't the brightest of your shining achievements. Or something that someone else might consider stupid.
Nov 5, 2011. 9:36 PMparentagain says:
11 YR put air-soft bb up nose. Tried to get it out with Q-tip and pushed it up higher. Tried to blow through the one nostrial, air would go through but bb would not budge. I read this column and tried it by getting a large diameter flexable straw fitted to the shop vac. Tested on me first. Had 11YR plug other nostrial and blow hard while held straw to just inside opening of bb nostrial..
Third hard blow and thump, we heard it go through the straw; it came out. Saved me a $100 co pay and spending all night at the ER.
I was lucky -- this as last resort before the ER.
Oct 28, 2011. 11:56 PMpfallon says:
i just tried this - worked a treat - took 2 goes the booglie eye (the offending object) moved a little on its own so it came out with ease the second time.

obviously use the vacuum on low setting and try on parent first..
Aug 30, 2011. 7:55 PMjcastro14 says:
AS A LAST RESORT!!! An Er visit, and two trip to the ear, nose and throat specialist!!!! This might have just saved us a trip to the dang pediatric surgery unit! I am keeping my fingers crossed while we create our nozzle! I'll let you know!
Jun 3, 2011. 3:09 PMtoughgurrillas says:
wth??? haha YUCKIE PANTS!!!!!
Apr 12, 2011. 8:29 PMellaclay says:
I wish I had known this while on vacation in New Orleans, my daughter stuck a broken hair clip piece up her nose and I franticly rushed her to the emergency room only to find out that it fell out before we left the hotel room. I will remember this for when my next kid does it. Genius!
Mar 24, 2011. 6:24 PMpopoamanda06 says:
I love this idea! I much rather use your method then take my child to the doctors. I just can't bare watching my child suffer more pain at the ER again while they run "test" to make sure "nothing else is wrong". Lesson Learned.. Listen to Mommy Instincts.
Jul 14, 2010. 10:07 AMshepnstein says:
I found an easy way to induce a sneeze is to pluck a nose hair out with a tweezers.
Jul 2, 2010. 12:20 PMH1T4TCH1 says:
My dad putted the vacuum cleaner on my sisters nose without any other mods, only a pen on the end of the suction thing ;) xD
Jul 2, 2010. 10:09 AMweiblen.c says:
Thanks for sharing the Instructable!

Parents can choose to set an example, to teach their kids to be self-sufficient and handle life's little problems with ingenuity and cautious confidence, like you are doing.

Or, they can teach their kids to be dependent on others and to go haring off to the hospital in EMERGENCY mode for every little thing that happens to them in the course of a normal childhood.

It's amazing how many kids cram things up their nose.  Reasons?  I don't believe they ever have or need a reason. It's nice that the experience can sometimes be changed from a scary ER trip into just another thing that happened today, by using a simple vacuum and a pen.

I also think it's great that other parents have chimed in with alternative methods to try. I heart the Instructables community.
Jun 23, 2010. 1:30 PMizzyinsf says:
ha! the "memorial hospital" pen is a nice touch.
May 26, 2010. 8:33 AMphredrik says:
Step 1: Make child smell pepper
Step 2: Wait for sneeze.

Works well, have done it in the past, when my wife did daycare. Although I do enjoy the extra effort that this involves.
May 15, 2010. 2:55 PMtwocvbloke says:
I wouldn't like to try this with pretty much any vacuum cleaner, it's safer to take a child to a doctor who has the training to do such things...

for anything not related to human (or animal) orifices, then it's a good idea, though if you had a Kirby, you already get an Inflater/deflater tool which can do this job... :)
May 15, 2010. 4:15 PMtwocvbloke says:
I guess that's where living here in the UK has it's advantages, cos with the NHS, you don't pay for a doctor to do a professional job, so there's less risk to the child in question... :)

I can just imagine someone trying this with something like a Tristar, and bursting several bloodvessels in the nasal cavity, and a trip to the hospital to stem the bleeding and stitch up the damage... :)

Not wanting to be too negative, but there are really dumb people out there who will just use a vacuum on full blast to do something like this, so yeah, it's an "At your own risk" kind of thing... :)
Apr 11, 2010. 5:52 PMelvisisdead says:
 You, sir, are a Dad that other Dads should be proud of and look up to. Creative on the spot thinking. I like it! 
Apr 1, 2010. 1:34 PMmelissa_0785 says:
last month some how my 2yrs old got a band aid stuck up her nose. i used the tweezers, and i was so scared she was gonna move, and make things worst. i wish i new about the whole vaccum bit thing then!
Mar 22, 2010. 11:42 AMchuckr44 says:
Thank you for this I'ble! I have been wondering how to clean the circuit boards of my furnace, and I can't find the small attachments for vacuums in the stores anymore.

Also, this reminded me when my son stuck 2 peas in the same nostril. I had to teach him to blow hard after he inhaled, while I plugged the other nostril.

Mar 21, 2010. 10:31 PMjlc673 says:
I learned this in the ER and the co-payment was $50:
un-popped popcorn kernel was stuck in my toddler's nose. The ER doc said he had a suction device or forceps, but first he had me close the other nostril, cover the child's mouth with my mouth and puff a breath into the toddler's mouth.
It popped right out! It was the easiest thing I ever saw!
Mar 19, 2010. 5:17 PMYomiko says:
I find it interesting that so many people freak out over the idea of suction being used, but guess what the ER uses... suction!
My daughter (about 5 years old at the time) squished down a foam bead and shoved it up her nose. I tried making her blow, tweezers, pushing down on her nostril, nothing worked (I didn't know about the plug-and-blow method!). Children's ER tried the same things, had one person pushing it down, having her blow AND suction to finally get it out! The resident helping asked her why she shoved it up her nose. She looked at him and with a completely serious face, responded "because I tried to put it in my ear but it wouldn't fit!"
Mar 2, 2010. 10:22 AMjeff-o says:
Oh, why didn't you publish this two months ago?  My daughter stuck a plastic bead up her nose, and it took a trip to E.R. to get it out.  In the end, the doctor sprayed a numbing agent into her nose, then scooped it out with what was basically a tiny spoon.  My daughter was thrashing like a wild animal the whole time; it took quite a bit of strength (physical and emotional) to hold her down.  I'm glad it was me in there and not my wife; she would have been a wreck!

Hopefully I shall never have to use this instructable.  But I will surely remember it in case I do!
Mar 15, 2010. 12:40 AMNikongirl says:
Yes I was a wreck when my daughter was about 20 months old she fell on the pools entry step and smacked her chin on side of pool.  She hardly cried other than when held pressure on it.  But the it took 2 nurses and her dad to hold her down while the Dr. stitched her up with a whooping 25 stitches he estimated.  A ton for such a small tear that wasn't quite an inch even. LOL  I guess he thought she's a girl and face scars will make a huge difference to her.  But the point is yeah I'd rather not hold down a toddler that is screaming and crying.
Mar 8, 2010. 8:34 AMartquilter says:
Sometimes SOME children will be calmer when the parents are not in the room.
Mar 8, 2010. 8:58 AMjeff-o says:
Not mine!  ;)
Mar 2, 2010. 7:45 PMspooky1300 says:
 In the old days in Philippines, we don't use any vacuum, we just use our mouth to suck the thing out of the children nose, after all, they are your children, nothing to gross about.
Mar 2, 2010. 11:42 AMRavingMadStudios says:
Feeling your pain. I had to hold down RavingChild a few years back so the ER doctor could remove a twig from his ear canal. It was horrible.
Mar 15, 2010. 12:26 AMNikongirl says:
My step brother's ex wife was an EMT for awhile and when my daughter was 3 and stuck a Cheerio in her nose my dad had tried a plastic crochet hook to grab it but she breathed it in but no harm was done.  Later my step mom had asked her(my step brothers wife at time) what we should have done.

She said plug the non-blocked nostril and blow through the mouth.  When my curious little explorer later put a raisin in her nose at 3 I knew exactly what to do and it worked like a charm.  No scary hospital needed.
Mar 15, 2010. 12:27 AMNikongirl says:
opps should be 2 when she did the Cherrio she as 2 years 3 months.
Mar 2, 2010. 3:33 PMMusicman41 says:
I wonder if there is a way to modify a vacuum to have variable suction powers, so you only need to use as much suction as needed.
Mar 2, 2010. 10:42 PMBeanGolem says:
 You could drill tiny little holes in the Bic-style pen and cover them up as needed.
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