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6A Daily News – Monday, May 23, 2011 Vitality & health Your kid swallowed what? (MCT) — If your child stuffs something into his ear, be sure to check the other one. There's a good chance you'll discover another unexpected trea- sure, said Dr. Christopher Hampson, an ear, nose and throat specialist, who recently discovered some pebbles in a young patient's ear. When Hampson peeked into the other one, he dis- covered a crayon. The boy, naturally, blamed it on his puppy. "Kids rarely fess up to putting something in their ear so you have to check carefully," said Hampson. Grapefruit seeds, pins, Lego ninjas, plastic beads and button batteries: There's no end to what a curious child will jam into an orifice in the name of scientific experimentation. Button batteries which rapidly corrode and leach chemicals, can be serious. Other objects, like the 40- centimeter long piece of dental floss swallowed by a toddler, resolve naturally. Here's what to look for and whether to panic, should you discover a for- eign object lodged in your child: NOSE Age range: Toddlers through age 5 or 6. What goes in: Peas, beans, blueberries and other foodstuffs. Hampson has retrieved magnets, Legos, plastic toys and a squishy rubber ball, an inch in diam- eter. Look for: Foul-smelling discharge from one nostril. Kids might stick one mag- net in one side of the nose and one in the other, hook- ing up in the nasal septum, said Hampson. "If the mag- nets are squeezing tight against the tissue the blood can't flow and the tissue dies." Stuck objects can go unnoticed for a long time — years in some cases — because kids often don't complain. Treatment: If you can see it, try to remove it with blunt-end tweezers, said pediatrician Bob Sears, co- author of "The Portable Pediatrician." Parents can encourage nose blowing or try to induce sneezing by rubbing fresh ground pep- per in front of the nose, he said. Or try to "steam clean" the nose. "If the object is water-soluble, such as a piece of candy, take the child into the shower; the humidity will help loosen the secretions that plug the nose," Sears said. "Or squirt some saltwater (or saline nose drops) up into the nos- tril to soften the object and reduce its size." If this fails, head to the doctor but "don't let your child lie on his back or fall asleep with a foreign object in his nose since it may be aspirated into the lungs," Sears said. EARS Age range: Toddlers through ages 5 or 6. What goes in: food, bugs, pencils, beads. Look for: You child may start complaining of dis- comfort, a "plugged" feel- ing or draining from the ear. But there may be no sign: As a 4-year-old, Christianna Smith of Ashton, Idaho, once stuck a mancala bead into her ear. The doctor found it during a visit for a sore throat. Treatment: Objects in the ears are generally not emergencies, said pediatri- cian Ari Brown. "They can- not move in the ear canal as the eardrum prevents the object from heading into dangerous territory in the middle or inner ear." Parents can try flushing the ear with a syringe or the shower stream, but should- n't insert tweezers or any instruments into the ear," added Sears. "The only exception to rinsing is that dried beans or peas can expand when they get wet, so water shouldn't be used in those cases," said Sears. MOUTH/THROAT Age range: 1 to 3 years. What goes in: What doesn't? Food, pen caps, dried dog feces, sticks, coins, small batteries, screws, little plastic pieces, Legos and Colorforms Look for: Parents don't witness an estimated 40 per- cent of the ingestions. "Signs include painful swal- lowing, inability to swallow and the feeling that an object is stuck there," Sears said. If a child can eat and drink normally and doesn't have any pain, the object has probably passed into the stomach, rendering it harm- less, Sears said. Treatment: "Swallowed objects are an issue if a child is drooling, gagging, or unable to breathe or swal- low," said Brown, the author of the "Baby 411" and "Expecting 411" series. "And certain objects always need to be evaluated by a doc — anything a quarter size or bigger, button batter- ies and sharp objects." Bat- teries can leak acid, and two or more magnets can stick to each other through the walls of the small intestines, possible causing an emer- gency intestinal blockage, said Sears. fitness Healthy fast food not so healthy after all (MCT) — Think you're being healthy and saving some calories by ordering the salad or oatmeal? Don't be so sure, says the non-profit Physi- cians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The group recently tested the nutritional content of some items that fast food establish- ments are promoting as healthy. The group found they were far from it. Some of the items were packed with more fat, sodium, and sugar than anyone should eat in an entire day. The group found the worst offenders were Wendy's Baja Salad with almost twice the rec- ommended amount of sodium for an entire day and McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal with more calories than a hamburger and more sugar than many candy bars. "Your health and your waistline will thank you for saying no to these so-called healthy foods," PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., said in a statement. "Fast-food chains hope to cash in on consumer ignorance with labels like "fat-free" and "low calorie." KFC's grilled chicken, was also singled out. Marketed to health-conscious consumers as a "better-for-you" alternative over the chain's high-fat fried chicken, the group said the chick- en contains a carcinogen called PhIP that has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and other cancers. The five worst "healthy" fast food items are: Wendy's Baja Salad — contains 1,990 mil- ligrams of sodium —more than should be con- sumed in an entire day. McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal — Con- tains more sugar than a Snickers Bar. Subway Fresh Fit 6" Turkey Breast Sub — With standards such as cheese and mayo, this "low-fat" sandwich jumps to 24 grams of fat. Contains processed meat, which is linked to increased cancer risk. Sonic Strawberry Smoothie — Contains more sugar than five Twinkies. Nutrition Quiz: Have a Coke and … VALLEY OAK RACQUET CLUB Summer Clinic All Levels & Ages with Vern Leslie Private or Group Lessons Tennis 933-3668 Swim Lessons with Karen 200-0013 Let's raise a glass in honor of Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary. Uh, wait, on second thought, nutrition experts have been trying to wean us from the sugary concoction for years now. Take our quiz, based on a pointed anti-Coke screed from Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, published last week on the blog "MomsRising." 1. Jacobson calls Coke "Liquid Candy" because its main ingredient is what? a) high-fructose corn syrup b) sucrose No. 5 c) cocaine 2. Coke's next most prominent ingredient is caramel coloring, which Jacobson says is produced with ammonia and sulfites, including 4-methylimida- zole and 2-methylimida- zole, which can cause what? a) type 2 diabetes b) cancer c) gout 3. The next ingredient listed is phosphoric acid, which Jacobson says can do what? a) cause tongue lesions b) corrode the bladder c) erode tooth enamel 4. A 12-ounce can of Coke contains 140 calories. According to the CSPI, the average 13- to 18-year-old boy drinks how many cans per day? a) 2 b) 6 c) 11.7 5. Which of the three contains the highest level of caffeine per 12-ounce serv- ing? a) Coca-Cola Classic b) Mountain Dew c) Pepsi ANSWERS: 1: a; 2: b; 3: e: 35 mg;c; 4: a; 5: b (Cok w: 54 mg).Pepsi: 38 mg; De Sources: www.cspinet.org www.momsrising.org.