After being in practice for over 15 years as an Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck Surgeon (Ear Nose and Throat specialist) I am never amazed at what kids end up putting into their ears and nose.
One of the most common foreign objects is the bead.
You know – those beads that kids and adults use to make necklaces and bracelets. Well, beads happen to be one of the most common objects that kids shove up their nose or slide into their ear! And low and behold, they are sometimes the most difficult to remove. They can be the most difficult because some beads are round and they just roll over and over when trying to remove them. Even though they have a hole in them (through which a tool can be inserted to pull out the bead) the hole may not be visible like it is in this picture.
This is the bead as it sat in the patient’s ear canal
Also, in this 5 years old’s situation, there were multiple unsuccessful attempts at removing the bead in the office, that he was taken to the operating room and put to sleep to remove the bead. Once he was sleeping, the bead was gently removed from his ear canal. I doubt he will put anything in his ears again. I know that his Mom will read the book to him, Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! (www.dontstickdontstuff.com). Also, I am confident that this book would be perfect on the shelves of craft stores across the country. You know, this book really offers a fun and easy way for parents to start a discussion with their kids about how to be safe and smart when enjoying arts and crafts. Kids learn from repetition and they absolutely love rhyming schemes and having their favorite books read to them over and over again. When parents read Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! to children, they’ll learn to save themselves from long-term or permanent injury. Jerald S. Altman, M.D.
