If you have to take vitamins, medications, or supplements, the last thing you want to do is gag or choke during the process. “Pill dysphagia,” or trouble swallowing pills, is very common. What’s interesting is that people who have this difficulty don’t struggle to swallow solid foods or liquids. If you are one of the many people who have difficulty swallowing pills, you’ll want to learn about the different strategies in this article.
For some people, large “horse” pills are the primary difficulty. For others, swallowing any little pill or capsule can seem like an impossible feat. Swallowing a pill is not as easy as it looks! The nerves in your mouth, throat, and esophagus work in unison to move food, liquids, and pills into the digestive tract. Typically, you don’t have to think about this teamwork when you swallow, but you become aware of all that goes into swallowing when pills or supplements enter the equation. The more you think about it, the more difficult it is. Fortunately, there are alternative strategies that may make swallowing pills a whole lot easier.
Hydrate Your Throat
When your throat is dry, it is much more difficult for a pill to go down smoothly. Ideally, you want to lubricate your throat by drinking a glass of water before attempting to swallow your pill(s). Then, you drink more water when it comes time to actually take your pill/supplement. Some manufacturers make pill swallowing sprays, which are over-the-counter products that make the throat a bit more slippery. These sprays often contain food-based ingredients that are generally safe, according to a July 2018 study. Your average glass of water works just as well, though.
Consider Mixing The Pill With Food
Depending on the supplement, medication, or pill that you need to take, mixing it with food may be your best bet. You can crush a pill into yogurt, applesauce, or pudding, making the medicine go down a lot smoother. If you want to do that with medication or vitamins, you may want to consult your pharmacist or doctor to see if that is a viable option. The reason for this is that crushing up a drug, for example, can alter the way it works, especially in regards to extended-release pills. Additionally, there are certain food-drug interactions that you want to be aware of, as they may affect your meds. If you have a capsule like one of the many herbal supplements from Dherbs, you may be able to open the capsule and empty the contents into a smoothie or juice.
Change Your Posture
It is completely normal to tilt your head back when you have to swallow vitamins or pills. For some people, this strategy helps the pill go down easier, while others increase their risk for gagging or choking by doing so. You can actually get better results when you lean forward, according to the Patient Preference and Adherence review. When you have a pill in your mouth and you lean forward, the pill will float toward the top of your mouth. When you swallow, the pill actually goes down first. Your airway widens when you lean forward, making it easier for the pill to go down the hatch. Stand or sit up straight, place the pill on your tongue, and take a medium sip of water. Bend your head forward a little and, with your chin tilted toward your chest, swallow the water and pill together.
Use A Pop Bottle
Designed by German researchers, the pop bottle method was intended to help people swallow dense tablets. If you want to swallow capsules, this method will not work well because they have air inside them, and air weighs less than water. If you want to swallow pills the “pop bottle” way, you need a full water bottle with a small opening, like a plastic bottle. Place the pill on your tongue and bring the bottle to your mouth, closing your lips around the opening. Use the pressure of the water bottle’s narrow opening to essentially force water down your throat as you swallow. This technique can make it much easier to swallow pills. In fact, a small study found that it eased pill-swallowing for 60% of the participants.
Try A Pill-Swallowing Cup
There are special pill-swallowing cups and straws available at many pharmacies. These cups have a special top that extends toward the back of your throat. Although there isn’t a lot of clinical research published about pill cups, there are a lot of positive anecdotal accounts. They are made for people with dysphagia, as they have an increased risk of choking.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
