The fear of swallowing pills is a fairly common one. It is more common in children than adults and is one that can compromise treatment if not addressed in time. Apart from this fear other problems that are associated with pills include bad taste and forgetfulness. These problems are more pronounced in people with chronic illnesses who require constant medication. There are a number of tips on how to swallow pills that have been found to be useful.
The fear of gagging is the biggest challenge to swallowing. While the gag reflex is very vital to the maintenance of a patent airway, it may impede the passage of some substances such as medication. Successful swallowing of some drugs may require that this reflex is suppressed at least momentarily. There are several relaxation techniques that can be used to relax and suppress it.
Positioning is key to the success of any form of swallowing. Ensure that the chin is as close to the chest as possible. This position helps open the esophagus and close the windpipe. This position also helps in stifling the gag reflex. The next thing that you need to do is to take a deep breath which also helps in suppressing the reflex, place the pill in the middle of the tongue and washing it down with some water.
Mixing the pill with a sweetener is one of the commonly used ways of making the process easy. Peanut butter and honey are a popular choice. Mix a little amount of any of these sweeteners with your pill on a spoon and swallow with water. The type of sweetener that is chosen should not interfere with the effectiveness of the drug. Both honey and peanut butter are safe.
Enteric coating is a method that is used to give a better taste to drugs by manufactures. Coating sweetens the tablets and makes them easier to swallow. The process also helps in making the tablets more tolerable to the stomach. Once these tablets are put into the mouth, they stimulate secretion of saliva, a process that aids the process.
Another option is to practice with a piece of candy. Ensure that the candy is just about the same size as the pill. You may need to try this a number of times until your throat relaxes well enough to allow the swallowing of the pill. If you still have trouble getting the pill through, use a sweet liquid such as juice instead of water.
Breaking down pills is yet another option that one may consider. A number of them can even be ground into powder. Breaking down drugs in this manner may, however, interfere with the effectiveness. It is important that you go through the instructions on the drug sheet before you arrive at such a decision. Better still, consult with your pharmacist.
Scheduled medications pose a challenge to many people. Forgetting a dosage is very easy if you have many things to deal with in a day. One of the ways of tackling this is to have an alarm reminder that goes off every time your medication is due. You may also plan your dosages in such a manner that they coincide with meal times.
The fear of gagging is the biggest challenge to swallowing. While the gag reflex is very vital to the maintenance of a patent airway, it may impede the passage of some substances such as medication. Successful swallowing of some drugs may require that this reflex is suppressed at least momentarily. There are several relaxation techniques that can be used to relax and suppress it.
Positioning is key to the success of any form of swallowing. Ensure that the chin is as close to the chest as possible. This position helps open the esophagus and close the windpipe. This position also helps in stifling the gag reflex. The next thing that you need to do is to take a deep breath which also helps in suppressing the reflex, place the pill in the middle of the tongue and washing it down with some water.
Mixing the pill with a sweetener is one of the commonly used ways of making the process easy. Peanut butter and honey are a popular choice. Mix a little amount of any of these sweeteners with your pill on a spoon and swallow with water. The type of sweetener that is chosen should not interfere with the effectiveness of the drug. Both honey and peanut butter are safe.
Enteric coating is a method that is used to give a better taste to drugs by manufactures. Coating sweetens the tablets and makes them easier to swallow. The process also helps in making the tablets more tolerable to the stomach. Once these tablets are put into the mouth, they stimulate secretion of saliva, a process that aids the process.
Another option is to practice with a piece of candy. Ensure that the candy is just about the same size as the pill. You may need to try this a number of times until your throat relaxes well enough to allow the swallowing of the pill. If you still have trouble getting the pill through, use a sweet liquid such as juice instead of water.
Breaking down pills is yet another option that one may consider. A number of them can even be ground into powder. Breaking down drugs in this manner may, however, interfere with the effectiveness. It is important that you go through the instructions on the drug sheet before you arrive at such a decision. Better still, consult with your pharmacist.
Scheduled medications pose a challenge to many people. Forgetting a dosage is very easy if you have many things to deal with in a day. One of the ways of tackling this is to have an alarm reminder that goes off every time your medication is due. You may also plan your dosages in such a manner that they coincide with meal times.
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