Nurses say try these 8 Methods to better swallow pills
Med-Q Digital Pill box with alarms says, “Medication does not work if not taken properly. The problems can range from forgetting, overdosing and just not being able to swallow pills. Modern medical devices, like the Med-Q Pill dispenser will help with the forgetting and overdosing. However, there are some special tricks to actually be able to swallow the pills. Here are some Nurse inspired approaches.
- Drink water: Take your pills while drinking lots of water.
- Use a pop bottle: Put the medication way back of your tongue and swallow with a sip of water from a bottleof liquid
- Lean your head forward: Tilt your head straight forward during the swallowing process
- Hide pills in a kind of in soft food: Put the pill in a teaspoon of pudding , cottage cheese or any kind soft food.
- Use a straw: Put the pill on the very back of your tongue and swallow it while taking a drink through a straw.
- Coat with a gel: Use a gel or lubricant to make the pill slippery.
- lTry a specially designed pill-swallowing cup: These cups are designed to help with swallowing pills.
Start with smaller, easier pills: This will lower the anxiety by taking smaller pills that are easier-to-swallow pills.
Some techniques may help you swallow pills, including using a pop bottle or burying the pill in soft food. Some medical conditions can make it hard to swallow pills.
Lots of people have difficulty swallowing pills. Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and fear of choking can all make the act of taking your prescribed medication feel next to impossible.
Overcoming the problems from swallowing pills
It is no easy task to swallow pills. The bigger they are, the harder they are to swallow. In fact, swallowing isn’t as easy as it looks. When you swallow, you don’t even have to think about it. Actually, the reflexes take over. However, when swallowing pills, people will often become aware of everything that goes into swallowing. To sum up, the more you think about swallowing pills, the more difficult it becomes.
Tips on how to help a child swallow pills
Teaching your child how to swallow a pill is not easy. In a perfect world, the best time to teach is when they are not sick and need to take medication. That takes the pressure off the child. In fact, it will be easier to teach if they’re not sick.
Practice with a small sweet treat
First of all, be sure the child is old enough to swallow small candies without choking. With a candy like Skittles, you can start practicing the best way to swallow different kinds of pills. For most children, age 5 is a good time to begin practising.
Begin by having your child sit straight up in a chair. Then, place a very small candy (such as a sprinkle) on their tongue. Give your child a sip of water, or let them use a straw. Tell them to swallow everything in their mouth in one careful gulp.
You can model this method by doing it yourself once or twice in front of your child before you ask them to attempt it.
Remember to keep it fun. Stick your tongue out with a sprinkle, swallow, then stick your tongue out with no sprinkle — like a magic trick!
Best pill-swallowing strategies
1. Drink water (lots of it!)
Probably the most well-known method for swallowing a pill is to take it with water. You can refine this method for optimum success by tweaking it a little.
Try taking a generous swig of water before placing the pill in your mouth. Visualize yourself successfully swallowing the pill before you try to swallow.
If you gag or feel like you can’t swallow, carefully remove the pill and dry it off with a paper towel so it doesn’t dissolve. Give yourself a few minutes before trying again.
2. Use a pop bottle
The pop bottle method was designed by German researchers with the intention of helping people swallow dense tablets.
However, this method doesn’t work as well with capsules since they have air inside and weigh less than water.
To swallow pills the “pop bottle” way, you’ll need a full water bottle with a narrow opening. Start by placing the pill on your tongue, then bring the water bottle to your mouth and close your lips around the opening.
Use the pressure of the water bottle’s narrow opening to force water down your throat as you swallow. This technique improved the ease of swallowing pills for nearly 60 percent of people in one small study.
3. Lean forward
This technique may also help you swallow pills.
Start with your chin up and your shoulders back as you place the pill in your mouth, then take a medium-sized sip of water. Quickly (but carefully) tilt your head forward as you swallow.
The idea is to move the pill back toward your throat as you tilt your head forward and give you something else to focus on as you swallow.
This method improved swallowing for more than 88 percent of study participants in a small study.
4. Bury in a teaspoon of applesauce, pudding, or other soft food
One way to trick your brain into swallowing pills more easily is to bury it in a spoonful of something you’re used to swallowing.
A major caveat here is that not all pills should be taken with food. Some pills will lose effectiveness if mixed in with soft foods.
If your doctor or pharmacist gives the OK, try putting the pill on the tip of a teaspoon and covering it in a fruit puree or pudding of your choice.
5. Use a straw
You can try to swallow your pill by using a straw to wash it down. The reflex movement of sucking up liquid while you seal the straw off with your lips can distract you while you get your medications down.
You can also try specialized straws manufactured to help you take pills.
Find a specialized medication straw online.
6. Coat with a gel
You may be able to swallow your pills more easily by coating them with a lubricant gel.
In one study, 54 percent of participants who used this kind of pill-swallowing aid found it much easier to get their pills down.
These lubricants improve the taste of your medication. They also limit the discomfort some people feel as it slides down the esophagus and into the stomach.
7. Spray on lubricant
Like a lubricant, pill-swallowing sprays can help your pills glide down your throat more easily. This is especially helpful if you have a health condition that makes swallowing pills difficult, or if a pill has gotten stuck in your esophagus in the past.
One study of young adults and children showed that sprays such as Pill Glide had a significant effect in making pill-based medications easier to swallow. Simply open your mouth wide and apply the spray directly at the opening of your throat.
Get a pill-swallowing spray here.
8. Try a pill-swallowing cup
Special pill-swallowing cups are available for purchase at many pharmacies. These cups have a special top that extends toward the back of your throat.
Pill-swallowing cups have demonstrated positive effects anecdotally, but there isn’t much published clinical research about how effective they are.
Pill-swallowing cups aren’t recommended for people with dysphagia, as there may be some risk of choking.
