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A foreign body ( FB) is any object originating outside the body of an organism. In machinery, it can mean any unwanted intruding object.
Most references to foreign bodies involve propulsion through natural Body orifice into hollow organs.
Foreign bodies can be inert or irritating. If they irritate they will cause inflammation and . They can bring infection into the body or acquire infectious agents and protect them from the body's immune system. They can obstruct passageways either by their size or by the scarring they cause. Some can be toxicity or generate toxic chemicals from reactions with chemicals produced by the body, as is the case with many examples of ingested metal objects.
With sufficient force (as in firing of ), a foreign body can become lodged into nearly any tissue.
It is possible for foreign bodies to enter the tract from the mouth or rectum.
Both children and adults experience problems caused by foreign objects becoming lodged within their bodies. Young children, in particular, are naturally curious and may intentionally put shiny objects, such as coins or button batteries, into their mouths. They also like to insert objects into their and nostrils. The severity of a foreign body can range from unconcerning to a life-threatening emergency. For example, a coin causes local pressure on the tissue but generally is not a medical emergency to remove. A button battery, which can be a very similar size to a coin, generates at the anode and causes a chemical burn in two hours. An ingested button battery that is stuck in the esophagus is a medical emergency. In 2009, Avolio Luigi and Martucciello Giuseppe showed that although ingested nonmagnetic foreign bodies are likely to be passed spontaneously without consequence, ingested magnets (magnetic toys) may attract each other through children's and cause severe damage, such as pressure necrosis, perforation, intestinal fistulas, volvulus, and obstruction.
