IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Three-year medical mystery explained: Lego up the nose

Those tiny Lego pieces have a knack for winding up all over the house, in the most unlikely of places. The family of 6-year-old Isaak Lasson has learned the hard way just how far they can travel.KSL.com in Salt Lake City reports that little Isaak had been suffering from sinus problems for three years. Despite numerous trips to the doctor, no one knew what was making it so hard for the poor kid to
You put WHAT up your nose? Doctors couldn't figure out why Isaak Lasson had so many sinus problems -- until they discovered this flexible Lego wheel s...
You put WHAT up your nose? Doctors couldn't figure out why Isaak Lasson had so many sinus problems -- until they discovered this flexible Lego wheel stuffed up the 6-year-old's nose.Stephanie Grimes / Today

Those tiny Lego pieces have a knack for winding up all over the house, in the most unlikely of places. The family of 6-year-old Isaak Lasson has learned the hard way just how far they can travel.

KSL.com in Salt Lake City reports that little Isaak had been suffering from sinus problems for three years. Despite numerous trips to the doctor, no one knew what was making it so hard for the poor kid to breathe. Over the years, Isaak was prescribed multiple rounds of antibiotics.

Then, in late July, one doctor took a good look and noticed something in that little nostril that didn’t belong. When the doctor asked him what it could be, KSL reported, Isaak said, "I put some spaghetti up there, but that was a long time ago." A trip to a specialist finally revealed the culprit – a fairly large Lego piece wrapped in a wad of fungus. Yum.

Luckily, now that his airways are free and clear, Isaak’s not only breathing better, he’s also sleeping and eating better and has more energy. His parents feel bad about the whole thing -- but how could they have known?

"I asked him, ‘Dude, how did that even get in there?'" Craig Lasson, Isaak's dad, told the news station. "We think he bent it in half — it's pretty flexible — and that it opened up once it got into his sinuses."

Meanwhile, "Isaak thinks it's pretty cool," his dad said. "He said, ‘I didn't even know … this is weird.'"

The missing Lego had been living in Isaak's sinuses, gathering mold, for about three years. He's breathing much better now that it's out.
The missing Lego had been living in Isaak's sinuses, gathering mold, for about three years. He's breathing much better now that it's out.Stephanie Grimes / KSL.com / Today

Hopefully Isaak’s learned to stop putting spaghetti, Legos and well, anything else, up his nose.

UPDATED on Aug. 9: On Facebook, we asked for stories of your kids inserting strange objects up their noses and boy, did you deliver. They were all great, but here are some of the funniest, grossest tales out there. And for all you moms out there with a flashlight and a pair of tweezers... good luck!

Amy Benton Bradley-Hole My kid once stuck a bead up his nose at school because he couldn't find a better place to put it. Apparently, his pockets, his desk, and his backpack weren't viable options.

Jessie Logan My daughter used to do this. She had stuck a small piece of string up her nose, a small Barbie shoe and a little lego flower.

Andrea Barry My daughter put a Polly Pocket shoe up her nose. She kept telling me it was lost so we were looking all around for it. When I finally realized it was in her nose, I told her to blow - but she sniffed and pulled it in higher. A trip to the ER later and all was good.

Susie Grindler Heck Jules once shoved an orange Tic Tac up his nose. When I realized what he did I started heading to the nearest drive-thru, thinking sniffing pepper might help him sneeze it out. At 3yrs old he worked it out himself -- and there was that half a second (I could see him in the mirror), where he almost opted to put that now greenish Tic Tac in his mouth. "NOOO! Don't EAT IT!!"

Rita Spruill Unruh My youngest stuck a jelly bean up his nose and as it was dissolving he'd sniff and say "yum... tastes like cherries!" gotta love babies!

Wendi Lea Ehlers When my daughter was about 3, she stuck a McDonald's french fry up her nose. I had no idea. She got nasty smelling breath, nothing I could do would get rid of this odor. So I took her in to the doc, and they saw it but couldn't get it out. Off to ER. Out comes the most disgusting, moldy french fry ever. Doc asks when we were last at McD's - it had been at least 3 weeks! Gross. She's 12 now, and we still don't let her live it down.

Michelle Bissell Gulya When my daughter was about 3 or 4, she stuck a plastic bead up her nose. She used the bead as a ball for her doll house family. When we asked her why she stuck it up her nose, she said that the dolls were playing "hide the ball" and they hid it there. lol!

Dana Macario is a Seattle area mom who is now considering taking a nightly inventory of all those little Lego pieces, just in case….

Take a break from worrying about what's up your child's nose with these TODAY Moms stories:

You can't gross us out. We're moms

Pronounced dead, revived by mom's hug, miracle baby turns 2

Chalk wars: Mom fined for child's drawing