Foreign bodies can get lodged in a body part such as the eyes, ears, nose, or skin. They can cause infections and other problems if they are not removed. 

Ear

Typical initial clinical findings of a foreign body inside the ear are fluid coming out of the ear and ear pain. Attempts to remove any foreign body inside the ear should not be made without the proper instrument because doing so may cause trauma to the ear. Gravity can often be helpful to dislodge the foreign body.

If gravity does not facilitate removal of the foreign body, the patient should be transported to a physician with the proper tools to remove foreign bodies in the ear.

Eye

Foreign bodies in the eye can cause a sensation of having sand or dust in the eyes. These foreign bodies may cause trauma to the sclera and lead to an infection. 

Standard treatment for removing foreign bodies in the eye uses a sterile normal saline solution to rinse the affected eye and flush the foreign body away. If, after flushing the foreign body, the person still feels pain and an unusual sand-like sensation in the eye or blurring, they should be sent to an ophthalmologist for further intervention.

An ophthalmologist examines a patient’s eye.

Sometimes a foreign body such as a metal fragment from welding can embed itself within the cornea. In this instance, the eye should be covered with sterile gauze and the person brought to an ophthalmologist or an ED so that an expert can extract the foreign body.

If larger foreign bodies are protruding from the eye, attempts to remove them should be avoided. Instead, the object should be stabilized and the person transported to the emergency department for treatment.

Nose

A common sign that signifies a foreign body inside the nose is pain and fluid coming out of the affected nostril. The first aid provider should avoid attempts to use anything to try to get the foreign body out of the nose. It may cause more harm and move the foreign object further into the nose. 

The person should be instructed to breathe through their mouth to prevent inhalation of the foreign body and obstruction of the airway. They should be brought to the emergency department for extraction of the foreign body. 

Skin

Attempts to remove any foreign body in the skin can be made if it is superficial. Clean tweezers can be used to extract superficial foreign bodies such as splinters. Antibiotic or antiseptic solution should be applied to the affected area. 

If the first aid responder does not feel comfortable removing the object or if it is deeply embedded, transport to the emergency department may be necessary. An extremity with a wooden foreign body should not be soaked since this can make it much harder to remove.