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Dust, dirt, sand, or other airborne material can lodge in the eyes, causing minor irritation and redness. More serious damage can be caused by hard or sharp objects that penetrate the surface and become embedded in the cornea or conjunctiva (the mucous membranes around the inner surface of the eyelids). Swelling, redness, bleeding from the surface blood vessels, sensitivity to light, and sudden vision problems are all symptoms of foreign matter in the eyes.
Ears and noseChildren will sometimes put things into their noses, ears, and other openings. Beans, popcorn kernels, raisins, and beads are just a few of the many items that have been found in these bodily cavities. On occasion, insects may also fly into the ears and nose. Pain, hearing loss, and a sense of something stuck in the ear are symptoms of foreign bodies in the ears. A smelly, bloody discharge from one nostril is a symptom of foreign bodies in the nose.
Airways and stomachAt a certain age children will eat anything. A very partial list of items recovered from young stomachs includes the following: Coins, chicken bones, fish bones, beads, rocks, plastic toys, pins, keys, round stones, marbles, nails, rings, batteries, ball bearings, screws, staples, washers, a heart pendant, a clothespin spring, and a toy soldier. Some of these items will pass right on through and come out the other end. The progress of metal objects has been successfully followed with a metal detector. Others, like sharp bones, can get stuck and cause trouble. Batteries are corrosive and must be removed immediately.
Children eat things and stick things into their bodily openings of their own volition. But they inhale them unwittingly. The most commonly inhaled item is probably a peanut. A crayon and a cockroach have been found in a child's windpipes. These items always cause symptoms (difficulty swallowing and spitting up saliva, for instance) and may elude detection for some time while the child is being treated for asthma or recurring pneumonia.
Adults are not exempt from unorthodox inedibles. Dental devices are commonly swallowed. Adults with mental illness or subversive motives may swallow inappropriate objects, such as toothbrushes.
RectumSometimes a foreign object will successfully pass throught the throat and stomach only to get stuck at the juncture between the rectum and the anal canal. Items may also be self-introduced to enhance sexual stimulation and then get stuck. Sudden sharp pain during elimination may signify that an object is lodged in the rectum. Other symptoms vary depending upon the size of the object, its location, how long it has been in place, and whether or not infection has set in.
— J. Ricker Polsdorfer, MD
