What to Do If Foreign Substances Enter Your Eyes, Nose, Mouth, or Ears During Outdoor Activities?

During the summer, more people enjoy outdoor activities such as going to resorts with family or playing in the water with friends.

When engaging in outdoor activities, exposed body parts increase, allowing foreign substances to enter the body. The openings through which foreign substances can invade exposed body parts include the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

These parts are exposed to the outside to perform important bodily functions, but accidents involving foreign substances entering them can easily occur during daily life, so it is essential to know how to respond to emergencies in various situations.

If foreign substances enter the eyes due to wind or other reasons, symptoms such as stinging or itchy pain, eye redness, and tearing occur. Avoid touching or rubbing the eyes when feeling foreign body sensation, and rinse the eyes with saline solution.

If the foreign body sensation and pain persist or vision deteriorates, seek medical attention promptly. When performing tasks such as weeding or using grinders, saws, or drills where foreign substances may fly, always wear protective glasses or goggles to protect the eyes.

It is also common for foreign substances to enter the nose during outdoor activities. In such cases, some people try to remove the foreign body with fingers or cotton swabs due to discomfort, but this can push the foreign substance deeper and cause damage to the nasal mucosa.

Block the opposite nostril and blow the nose forcefully to check if the foreign substance comes out. If removal is unsuccessful, visit a medical institution for removal.

Especially in children, accidents involving inserting paper, beads, toys, nuts, etc., into the nose occur frequently. These can block the airway if they move backward or cause infection and breathing difficulties, so visit a medical institution immediately upon confirmation.

Sometimes parents realize the foreign body accident late, but if bleeding from the child's nose, foul-smelling discharge, or breathing difficulties are observed, a foreign body accident can be suspected.

With the increase in camping, many patients visit hospitals after small insects or bugs attracted by lights at night enter their ears. When insects invade the ear, pain and fear caused by noise occur.

Since insects instinctively move toward light, shine a flashlight to lure them outside. Avoid forcibly removing them with tweezers or other tools, as this can damage the ear canal or eardrum.

Heimlich maneuver image. [Image source=Clipart Korea]

Foreign body accidents in the mouth occur across various age groups, from curious children to the elderly, denture wearers, and intoxicated individuals, often involving sharp or large foreign bodies lodged in the esophagus.

Some try to remove the foreign body by hand using a mirror or attempt folk remedies found online, such as swallowing plain rice or eating acidic foods like lemon or vinegar. These attempts can push the foreign body deeper or cause inflammation due to wounds, so they should be avoided.

Particularly, if the airway is blocked by a foreign body, it can lead to death from suffocation, so special caution is required. If someone nearby is choking due to a foreign body blocking the airway and cannot breathe, call 119 and perform the Heimlich maneuver.

To perform the Heimlich maneuver, stand behind the patient, make a fist with one hand, and place it between the patient’s navel and sternum. Wrap the other hand around the fist, place one leg between the patient’s legs and the other leg behind, then pull the patient’s abdomen inward and upward quickly and strongly.

If the foreign body is not removed, continue alternating five back blows and five Heimlich maneuvers while waiting for emergency responders.

Kim Miran, director of the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Daedong Hospital, said, “Although foreign bodies can be relatively easily removed at nearby clinics or hospitals, many people try unverified folk remedies at home, worsening symptoms and eventually visiting the emergency room.”

She added, “If symptoms occur, visit a medical institution immediately. Leaving it untreated can cause various complications, so even during nighttime or vulnerable hours, it is best to receive treatment at the emergency room. If symptoms such as breathing difficulties are severe, call 119 without delay to get help,” she emphasized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.