Swallowed Objects and Objects in the Ear or Nose: First Aid and When to Go to the ER

Quick answer: if someone cannot breathe, speak or cough after swallowing an object, treat it as choking and call 911. A swallowed button battery, more than one magnet, water-absorbing beads or a sharp object is an emergency: go to the emergency room right away, even without symptoms. For a button battery in a child age 1 or older swallowed within the past 12 hours, the National Capital Poison Center advises giving 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of honey every 10 minutes, up to six doses, on the way to the ER, as long as it does not delay care. For objects in the ear or nose, do not probe with swabs or tweezers; try gentle nose blowing for the nose, and get medical help if the object does not come out easily. Batteries in the ear or nose are emergencies too.

Young children explore the world with their mouths and fingers, so it is no surprise that coins, beads, toy parts and food end up swallowed or stuck in ears and noses. Most small, smooth objects pass on their own or come out easily with a doctor’s help. A few objects, however, can cause serious damage within hours. Knowing which ones are emergencies helps you act fast without panicking. This guide is part of our emergency first aid guide.

Guidance in this article comes from the National Capital Poison Center, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus. It is general information, not a substitute for medical care. In the United States, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 in an emergency.

First: Is the Person Choking?

If an object is blocking the airway, the person cannot breathe, speak, cry or cough effectively. Their skin may turn blue, and they may clutch their throat. Call 911 and begin choking first aid right away:

• Adults and children over 1: abdominal thrusts, often called the Heimlich maneuver.
• Infants under 1: back blows and chest thrusts.

Our guide to choking first aid for adults and children explains each step. If the person is coughing forcefully, encourage them to keep coughing and watch closely.

Swallowed Objects: Which Are Emergencies?

Object	Why it matters	What to do
Button or coin battery	Can cause severe burns in the esophagus within hours	ER immediately; honey for ages 1+ if within 12 hours
Two or more magnets, or a magnet with metal	Can attract through intestinal walls, causing holes and blockage	ER immediately
Water-absorbing beads	Can expand inside the gut and block it	ER or doctor right away
Sharp objects (pins, glass, bones)	Can cut or puncture the digestive tract	ER
Large objects	May get stuck in the esophagus or stomach	Call a doctor or go to the ER
Small, smooth coins or toy parts	Often pass, but may get stuck	Call a doctor; ER if symptoms
Medications or chemicals	Poisoning risk	Call Poison Help

Button Batteries

Button batteries, the small, flat batteries found in remotes, key fobs, watches, toys, greeting cards and holiday decorations, are among the most dangerous items a child can swallow. When a battery lodges in the esophagus, it can create a chemical reaction that burns tissue. The National Capital Poison Center warns that serious burns can happen in as little as two hours.

What to do:

1. Go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Do not wait for symptoms.
2. If the child is 1 year or older and swallowed the battery within the last 12 hours, give 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of honey every 10 minutes, up to six doses, on the way. Honey can coat the battery and slow the damage. Do not give honey to infants under 1, and do not let it delay getting to the ER.
3. Do not induce vomiting.
4. Bring the battery package or a matching battery if you can, which helps doctors identify the size and type.
5. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666 for guidance.

Symptoms can include drooling, trouble swallowing, vomiting, coughing, chest pain, refusing food, blood in vomit or stool and noisy breathing. Many children have no symptoms at first, which is why the ER visit cannot wait.

Batteries pushed into the ear or nose are emergencies too, since they can burn tissue there.

Magnets

A single small magnet may pass on its own, but two or more strong magnets, or a magnet and a piece of metal, can attract each other through loops of intestine. That can pinch tissue, causing holes, infections and blockage that may need surgery. High-powered magnets from desk toys, jewelry and building sets are especially risky. Go to the ER right away if you think your child swallowed magnets.

Water-Absorbing Beads

Water beads are tiny polymer balls sold for crafts, sensory play and vases. They can grow many times their original size when wet. The CPSC has warned that swallowed water beads can expand inside the body and cause intestinal blockage, and several products have been recalled. Because they may not appear clearly on X-rays, tell doctors exactly what was swallowed.

Coins and Other Small Objects

Coins are among the most commonly swallowed objects in children. Many pass through the digestive system within a few days. Still, call your child’s doctor, since a coin can lodge in the esophagus and doctors often order an X-ray. Go to the ER if your child has drooling, trouble swallowing, chest pain, vomiting, stomach pain or trouble breathing.

What Not to Do After a Swallowed Object

• Do not make the person vomit.
• Do not give laxatives unless a doctor tells you to.
• Do not try to reach down the throat to grab an object you cannot see, which can push it deeper.
• Do not assume that a lack of symptoms means everything is fine, especially with batteries or magnets.

Objects in the Ear

Children may push beads, small toys, food or paper into their ears. Insects can also crawl in.

What to do:

• Stay calm and keep the child still.
• Use gravity: tilt the head so the affected ear faces down and gently shake the head. Do not hit the head.
• If you can clearly see the object and it is soft and easy to grasp, you may carefully remove it with tweezers, according to Mayo Clinic guidance. Do not push in further.
• For an insect, tilt the head so the affected ear faces up. Mayo Clinic notes you can try floating it out with a few drops of warm (not hot) mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil, but only if there is no sign of an ear tube, eardrum hole, pain, bleeding or discharge.
• Get medical help if the object does not come out easily, or if there is pain, bleeding, discharge or hearing loss.

Do not:

• Use cotton swabs, matches or other tools to probe the ear.
• Use oil or water for objects other than insects, or for batteries or any object that can swell, such as beans or seeds.

Objects in the Nose

Small children often put beads, food, crayons, foam or toy parts in their noses. Signs may include a smelly or bloody discharge from one nostril, or one nostril that seems blocked.

What to do:

• Breathe through the mouth to avoid pulling the object farther in.
• Gently blow the nose while pressing the other nostril closed. Older children can usually do this.
• Remove only what you can easily see and grasp, and only if the object is near the opening.
• Seek medical care if the object stays in place, if there is bleeding that will not stop or if the object is a battery or magnet.

Some doctors teach a technique sometimes called the “parent’s kiss,” in which a parent covers the child’s mouth with their own and gives a short puff of air while pressing the other nostril closed. Ask your child’s doctor whether it is appropriate before trying it.

If a nosebleed starts, our guide to nosebleed first aid covers how to stop it.

When to Call 911 or Go to the ER

• Trouble breathing, choking or noisy breathing
• A swallowed button battery, multiple magnets, water beads or sharp object
• Drooling, refusing to eat or drink or trouble swallowing
• Chest, neck or stomach pain, vomiting or blood in vomit or stool
• An object in the ear or nose that is a battery, or that causes bleeding or severe pain
• Any swallowed medication or chemical with symptoms

For possible poisoning, our guide on when to call Poison Control explains what to expect.

How Doctors Remove Objects

In the ER, doctors may use X-rays to find metal objects and determine their location. Objects stuck in the esophagus, as well as button batteries and multiple magnets, are often removed with an endoscope, a thin tube with a camera passed through the mouth under sedation. Ear and nose objects are often removed with special tools, suction or gentle irrigation. Rarely, surgery is needed.

Preventing Swallowed and Stuck Objects

• Secure batteries. Use products with screw-closed battery compartments and store spare batteries out of reach. In the United States, Reese’s Law, passed in 2022, requires child-resistant battery compartments and warning labels on products with button and coin batteries.
• Dispose of batteries carefully, taping both sides before recycling.
• Keep magnets away from young children, and watch for loose magnets in older toys.
• Avoid water beads in homes with young children.
• Follow age labels on toys, and check for small parts.
• Get down to a child’s level to find coins, buttons and other small items on the floor.
• Supervise snacks and cut food into small pieces for toddlers.

Adults and Older Children Swallow Objects Too

Swallowed objects are not only a toddler problem. Adults may swallow dental work, pins held in the mouth while sewing, fish or chicken bones, or medication blister packs. Older adults with dentures can have trouble feeling small bones in food. People who are intoxicated, have certain developmental disabilities or have swallowing disorders also face higher risk. A food bolus, such as a piece of steak stuck in the esophagus, can cause drooling, chest pain and an inability to swallow saliva; this needs emergency care even if the person can breathe.

For objects in the eye, which need a different approach, see our guide to eye injury first aid.

What to Keep Ready at Home

• Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, saved in every phone and posted on the fridge
• National Battery Ingestion Hotline, 1-800-498-8666
• A jar of honey in the pantry, for children 1 and older in a battery emergency
• A small flashlight to look into ears and noses
• Blunt-tipped tweezers in your first aid kit
• Your child’s doctor’s number and the nearest ER address

Our checklist for a first aid kit for a small apartment shows how to fit these supplies into a compact space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my child swallowed a coin?

Call your child’s doctor. Many coins pass on their own, but an X-ray may be needed. Go to the ER for trouble swallowing, drooling, pain, vomiting or breathing problems.

Why is a button battery so dangerous?

A battery stuck in the esophagus can cause a chemical reaction that burns tissue severely within about two hours.

Should I give honey for a swallowed battery?

For children 1 year and older within 12 hours of swallowing a battery, the National Capital Poison Center advises 10 mL of honey every 10 minutes, up to six doses, on the way to the ER. Never delay getting care.

Can I use tweezers to remove something from my child's ear?

Only if the object is clearly visible, soft and easy to grasp. Do not probe, and see a doctor if it does not come out easily.

How do I get a bead out of my child's nose?

Have your child breathe through the mouth and gently blow the nose while closing the other nostril. See a doctor if the bead stays in place.

What happens if my child swallows a magnet?

One small magnet may pass, but two or more, or a magnet with metal, can damage the intestines. Go to the ER right away.