Do you dread getting a headache because it means struggling to swallow an aspirin tablet? Or do you occasionally skip taking your prescription meds to avoid the battle of choking them down?
You’re in good company.
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Thousands, if not millions, of people find it difficult to swallow pills — a problem that can be downright deadly if crucial medication is skipped.
Difficulty swallowing pills — known as pill dysphagia — can happen at any time, but most often, it starts in childhood and persists for decades.
Some cases of dysphagia are medically related. For instance, muscular disorders can affect the muscles in the upper throat (pharynx) that help push food down toward the stomach. Esophageal reflux can also send regurgitated food or medicine back up the esophagus after swallowing.
But for most people, pill-swallowing problems are psychological rather than physical.
Someone who has no trouble putting away a chicken dinner may gag on a pill much smaller than a bite of drumstick.
“I think many people concentrate much harder on swallowing while taking medications than they do when swallowing food,” explains Joel Portnoy, M.D., an otolaryngologist with the Voice and Swallowing Center of ENT and Allergy Associates in New York City.
“Other times, they are too focused on the fact that they are taking medicine, affecting their ability to allow the pills to go down.”
The pills themselves are a factor as well. Some have a bitter taste, while others have a dry or chalky texture that triggers the gag reflex. Large pills or pills with corners may rub against the throat on the way down, adding to the anxiety factor.
Some of the methods pill-takers use to help get their meds down can do more harm than good. Some patients also cut or crush their pills to facilitate swallowing, but this, too, can cause problems. Some medications are formulated as “delayed release,” meaning that the active ingredients are sent into the bloodstream gradually over a number of hours. Cutting a delayed-release pill can send too much of the medication into the body at one time.
“Patients should speak to their pharmacists prior to altering any pill,” Dr. Portnoy tells Newsmax Health.
Dr. Portnoy has some suggestions to help make even the largest pills go down with ease:
· Position properly. It may seem natural to tilt or jerk your head back while taking a pill, but that can actually make the problem worse, making you feel as though the tablet is going down the wrong way. Tuck your chin to your chest as you swallow, which will help the pill float to the back of your throat.
· Relax. If you’re afraid that the pill will go down the wrong way, it may help to realize that during the normal swallowing process, the larynx (windpipe) is naturally closed off by the epiglottis and vocal cords. Take a deep breath before taking the medicine and trust that the pill will go in the right direction.
· Take it slow. If you take more than one medication at one time, don’t try to get all of them down at once: “This can often result in the feeling that one ‘gets stuck,’” explains Dr. Portnoy. Instead, take each pill separately, drinking plenty of water in between.
· Fool your mouth. Putting your pill in a spoonful of applesauce can make it easier to swallow because of the sweet taste and creamy texture. With your doctor’s permission, you may also be able to take pills with juice or flavored water. But hold the soda: “Carbonated drinks can result in the reflux of gas, and possibly result in the pill coming back up,” says Dr. Portnoy.
· Find alternatives. If you find hard tablets difficult to take, ask your doctor or pharmacist if your medicine is available as a capsule. Capsules glide more smoothly down the throat. Some medications also come in liquid or oral-dissolving form, which can be easiest of all. If the size of your pill is an issue, your doctor may be able to prescribe a smaller, lower-dose version taken more often.
The complete version of this article first appeared in Health Radar. To read more, CLICK HERE.
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