‘A tough pill to swallow’ is more than just a metaphor.
Four in ten adults struggle to swallow pills, which can prevent them from getting much-needed medication.
Many patients have trouble swallowing larger pills, but even smaller capsules and tablets can cause people to gag, vomit, or choke.
Now, speech and language pathologist Leanne Goldberg has revealed the ‘correct’ way to swallow pills that she claims is safer than common methods.
She said placing the pill in the center of a spoonful of applesauce, yogurt, or a similar texture, allowing the pill to go down smoothly with the consistency of the puree will doe the trick.
‘To combat the hypersensitive gag, one could take a deep breath, hold it, place the pill in the middle of the tongue, take a sip of liquid and swallow firmly – all while maintaining a breath hold,’ Goldberg said.
Most people who have difficulty swallowing pills do not have the same trouble swallowing liquids or foods, known as pill dysphagia.
The discomfort can be so significant that it keeps a person from taking their prescribed medications.
One survey found that of the 40 percent of people who struggle to swallow pills, 14 percent have delayed taking doses of their medication, 8 percent have skipped a dose, and 4 percent have discontinued using their medication.
Dr Goldberg said that while most patients have difficulty swallowing larger pills, struggling with smaller capsules is also common.
Several factors can contribute to this issue, including a hypersensitive gag reflex, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), anxiety, an aversion to the taste of pills, scleroderma (a condition that causes scar-like tissue to form in the esophagus), and long-lasting issues resulting from radiation therapy after head and neck cancer treatment.
Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany suggest two techniques to help people improve their ability to get medicine down.
One of them is the pop-bottle method. First, fill a plastic water or soda bottle with water, place the tablet on your tongue, and seal your lips tightly around the bottle opening.
Then, take a drink while keeping the bottle pressed to your lips, using a sucking motion to swallow both the water and the pill. Be sure not to let any air into the bottle.
Researchers asked about 140 individuals who had trouble swallowing pills to try this method with their eyes closed while swallowing large and very large pills.
They showed a 60 percent improvement in swallowing compared to the previous method of taking a sip of water from a cup and attempting to swallow.
The lean-forward method for swallowing pills involves placing a capsule on your tongue, taking a sip of water without swallowing, and then tilting your chin toward your chest. While your head is bent, swallow both the capsule and the water.
This technique improved 89 percent over the old method of taking a sip of water from a cup and trying to swallow.
Their report was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
Experts cautioned against crushing medicines into a fine powder to mix with a drink or a viscous food.
Crushing a pill can change its effectiveness by damaging its coating or controlled-release mechanism, which could lead to an overdose or underdose, depending on the medication.
