If you struggle with swallowing pills, you're not the only one. There's something about knowing you need to swallow a tablet that always makes it even more difficult.
In fact, 40 percent of American adults find it difficult to swallow pills, but don't generally have any issues with swallowing food or drink - something called dysphagia.
Dysphagia is a condition where you have problems swallowing. It can be caused by medications or other conditions, such as acid reflux.
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"As a clinical swallowing specialist, a common complaint I hear from my patients, is that they have difficulty swallowing pills," writes Speech and Language Pathologist, Leanne Goldberg.
"Often times, this is in the absence of any other difficulty swallowing food or liquids. If you are experiencing any difficulty with swallowing liquids and or foods in addition to the difficulty with pills, you should seek guidance from a medical professional who specializes in dysphagia."
Dr Goldberg explains that most patients report issues with swallowing larger pills, but difficulty swallowing small capsules isn't uncommon either and there can be a variety of reasons why this happens.
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Dr Goldberg explains that these include:
- A hypersensitive gag reflex
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Anxiety
- Aversion to the taste of pills
- Scleroderma, which is a scar-like tissue that can accumulate in the oesophagus
- Radiation therapy from previous head and neck cancer treatment, which can result in long-lasting issues
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If you struggle to take pills, there's an easy method you can try and it sounds pretty genius.
Dr Goldberg advises placing the pill in the center of a spoon of apple sauce, yoghurt - or something of a similar consistency - and letting 'the pill slide down with the puree consistency'.
"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," she says.
"One can also inquire if the medicine is available in liquid form and if not, cut a pill in half, or crush it and place it in a teaspoon of applesauce, and take it that way. This must be approved by your doctor, as certain medications cannot be crushed."
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If you often tip your head back to swallow a pill, you might want to try a different method, as it can increase the choking risk.
"This is very dangerous, as it opens up the airway – the anterior tube in the neck – and gives the pill a direct shot to the airway," says Dr Goldberg.
"A neutral head position, or even better, a chin towards chest position (also known as the 'lean forward position') is largely a safer way to swallow pills."
Topics: Health, Food and Drink
Lucy Devine