Peppermint Nose

Last night, well, early this morning really, I dreamt I had one of those little white and red striped hard peppermint candies stuck up my left nostril...

I had been at a party and was sitting down talking to someone and I had just taken a peppermint from their candy dish on the coffee table. Next thing you know, I had fallen dead asleep on the spot. I woke up a while later, still at the party, and resumed talking to people. I still had a peppermint in my mouth, but I couldn't help but notice how strong the scent was. I was breathing just fine, in fact it felt cool and refreshing each time I exhaled. However, my nose did feel somewhat uncomfortable on the left side. I decided to go to the restroom and take a look.

At first I didn't see anything, but then I held my head way back and pushed the tip of my nose up with my finger, the way kids do to make themselves look like pigs, and then I saw way up there, there was a partially bitten peppermint candy lodged in my left nostril. I was trying not to panic, and had to keep reassuring myself that I was breathing just fine and I'd be okay especially since my right nostril was clear. I couldn't image how it got up there much less how I could get it out! Would I have to wait for it to melt? Should I pour water up my nose to help it along? Dare I try to find some tool to pull it out with on my own and risk something worse happening?

All I could figure was that I must have fallen asleep face first in the candy dish and somehow inhaled a peppermint candy! But, how did the candy get unwrapped? Maybe I had fallen asleep with the candy in my mouth and somehow it came up the back way in that tunnel connecting your nose and mouth?...I knew I was a bad snorer, but DAMN!

Anyhow, I was in a panic mode, so I woke myself up. I didn't sleep very well after that and the feeling of a packed nose and the vision of that peppermint lodged in my nostril keeps coming back to me.

I had a similarly strange dream a couple of nights earlier and I was able to brush it off, so I can only believe this dream is reinforcing the points that earlier dream had, but I'm still not quite getting it.
All I know is, I had a doctor's appointment earlier this week, and after addressing the particular issue you're there for, she has this habit of giving you the once-over. In addition to checking your blood pressure, she listens to you breathing, sometimes feels your neck, checks your ears and nose, and grabs your ankles. I hadn't been in a while so I was unprepared for this. I hadn't checked to be sure my nose was clean before I went in. I hadn't shaved my legs and I knew my socks had fallen down around my ankles when she grabbed them. The hair on my legs that I hadn't taken care of in over a week probably stabbed her! Also, I've been in the habit of taping my pedometer to my lower leg every day to track my steps. I quickly had to explain that it was just my pedometer before she concluded I was wearing a bomb! I definitely have to keep that in mind if I visit the airport anytime soon!

After this dream I decided to prepare myself. I researched on removing foreign objects from the nose and here is what I found by the 'Mayo Clinic:

Don't probe at the object with a cotton swab or other tool.

Don't try to inhale the object by forcefully breathing in. Instead, breathe through your mouth until the object is removed.

Blow your nose gently to try to free the object, but don't blow hard or repeatedly. If only one nostril is affected, close the opposite nostril by applying gentle pressure and then blow out gently through the affected nostril.

Gently remove the object if it's visible and you can easily grasp it with tweezers. Don't try to remove an object that isn't visible or easily grasped.

Call for emergency medical assistance or go to your local emergency room if these methods fail.'

Source:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid/FA00054