Whenever it comes to swallowing an actual pill. A lot of people tend to go through a hard time, while others do it like it is nothing. Many think that the reason for this is some physical incompetence. Those who think that way, don’t worry because we have got you covered. Many medical practitioners believe that your mind has an important role to play when you wonder how to swallow pills rather than any physical problem. However, It is a very common condition and it is curable through certain practices.
But have you wondered why your brain causes hurdles when you are about to swallow a pill? Even though your brain knows that the pills are going to help you but, still it makes you nervous and boils up your stress level. There could be a lot of reasons behind it.
For instance, you might be scared about the pill choking you out or you might have gone through a certain choking incident in your childhood, these types of trauma tend to trigger the feeling that makes you stressed and scared when you are about to swallow a pill. But, what if you never had this type of incident, and you still find it hard to swallow a pill? This is where your brain plays its part. Whenever you are eating your tasty food, you’re swallowing it in a much larger quantity than the pills but, you chew it before swallowing it. Hence, your brain is programmed to tell you that you’re supposed to chew 100 times before swallowing. But, while taking pills, the situation flips completely. You are supposed to swallow it directly and that is why it is hard for some people to swallow pills.
Now, that you know, your pill swallowing problem is more mental than physical, take a look at the following methods and strategies, which you can use while swallowing the pills
1. Lean forward method
The lean-forward method has been found as one of the best pill swallowing methods by medical researchers. We hope that this helps you in the first place with the problem. To apply this method, follow the steps given below.
- Take the pill and place it on the back of your tongue.
- Take a sip of water but do not swallow it.
- Tilt your chin towards your chest.
- Now, swallow the pill while keeping your head in a forward bent position.
Try these 4 simple steps and let us know if they worked for you or not. For those of you who were not able to pull off this method, read the below-mentioned technique.
2. Hiding the pill in applesauce
The second technique that you can use to swallow pills, involves deception to your brain. Here is what you need to do is:
- Take the pill and hide it into applesauce.
- Without thinking anything else, just take a spoonful of applesauce and put it in your mouth.
- By taking full pleasure of the applesauce, take it to the throat.
- Before you know it, the pill will already be on its way to your tummy.
- Now, just take a sip of water and relax.
3. The pop bottle method
Before anything, know that this technique is more suitable for tablets rather than capsules. When following this strategy, you need to:
- Take the tablet in your hand and place it on your tongue’s backside.
- Take a water bottle and firmly, close your lips around its opening.
- Bend your head back, just a little bit.
- Lastly, sip the water from the bottle.
The science behind this technique is simple. The tablet is observed to be denser and of larger size than a capsule, hence the water dissolves it, this is why it slides down along with the water easily.
4. Putting the water first, pill later
For some people, this method works like a charm. As we discussed earlier that having difficulty in swallowing pills is caused due to your brain, not your body. Hence, what you can do is:
- Take a sip of water and hold it in your mouth.
- Next, take the pill and put it in your mouth.
- Your brain will not feel the presence of the pill in your mouth because of the water.
- Lastly, push the water in your throat, it will automatically take the pill along with it.
5. Do some practice with safe and small candies
Another thing that might help you with your pill swallowing problem is practice! First of all, you need to know that this technique is safe. Don’t worry, the candy will not choke the life out of you. If you are opting for this method, you can start your practice with small candies. For instance, try swallowing a Tic Tac or a Jelly Bean. Once you can swallow them easily, try to level up by trying M&Ms or pasted malted milk balls. Practice makes a man/woman perfect. Practice your way to a point where it won’t matter if you are swallowing a candy or a pill.
Conclusion
We hope that one of these techniques and methods will surely work out for you. Don’t be sad if they don’t. If you happen to still find it difficult to swallow a pill, you can always consult your doctor. Your medical specialist will suggest you to an ENT specialist accordingly if one thinks that your problem is physical rather than psychological. But, never be afraid to speak about it. Know that this is not awkward and childish, and asking for help is the best solution.