While it may seem easy, swallowing pills is something that is extremely difficult for both adults and children to do. The fear of choking causes your throat to tighten so that the pill stays in your mouth until you throw it up. Fortunately, there are various ways to deal with this problem so that you can calm down, overcome your fear of choking, and let the pill be swallowed easily.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Swallowing Pills with Food
Step 1. Eat bread
If you're trying to swallow a pill and can't seem to swallow it, try using a slice of bread. Take a piece of bread and chew it until you are ready to swallow it. Before swallowing, take a pill and put it in the bread that is in your mouth. When closing your mouth, swallow the bread with the pill in it. The pills will be swallowed easily.
- You can also use a piece of bagel, cracker, or cookie. The texture is similar enough to help the pill be swallowed when the food is chewed.
- You can also drink water afterward to help swallow the pills more easily.
- Some medications need to be taken on an empty stomach. Check the medicine bottle to see if you need to take the medicine on an empty stomach.
Step 2. Slice the gummy bear
To help swallow the pills, you can put them in a gummy bear. Take a gummy bear and make a small hole in its belly. Put a pill in it. Eat the candy, but don't chew it; chewing the drug will change the duration and start time of the drug. Try to swallow it, then when the pill is in the throat, drink water immediately.
- This method may be difficult if you cannot swallow a gummy bear. This takes practice.
- This method is very helpful for children. Helping to disguise the pill with a gummy bear will make it easier for your child to swallow the medicine.
Step 3. Dip the pill in honey or peanut butter
The pill can be swallowed with honey or peanut butter as it makes it easier for the pill to travel down the throat. Take a spoonful of honey or peanut butter. Place the pill in the center of the food on the spoon. Be sure to push the pill into the food. Next, swallow a spoonful of honey or peanut butter with a pill in it. Then, drink some water.
You must drink water before and after doing this method. Honey and peanut butter are relatively thick and feel slow to flow down the throat. Wetting the throat before and after will help the food to be swallowed faster without choking
Step 4. Try soft foods
If you can't swallow pills with bread, try swallowing them with soft foods such as applesauce, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, or gelatin. This is a method commonly used in hospitals for patients who have difficulty swallowing. Prepare some soft foods. Put the pill in the food. Eat a small amount of the food before taking another bite of the food with the pill in it. Then swallow the food with the pill in it. The pill will be swallowed easily with food when you swallow it.
Make sure you don't chew the pill
Step 5. Practice with small candies first
One of the main reasons why people have difficulty swallowing pills is that their throats resist the entry of pills and tighten. To combat this, you can practice swallowing small pieces of candy to familiarize your throat with swallowing something whole without risking choking or injury. Pick up small candies like mini M&Ms. Put it in your mouth like a pill and swallow it by drinking water. Repeat until you are comfortable with this size.
- Next, move on to larger-sized candies like regular M&Ms or Tic Tacs. Repeat the same procedure with this measure until you are comfortable.
- Practice every day for 10 minutes until you swallow a lozenge that is the same size and shape as the pill you need to swallow.
- This method can help children to practice swallowing medicine. Make sure you explain that swallowing medication is serious and that pills should not be taken as candy.
Step 6. Eat mandarin oranges
Try swallowing a whole mandarin orange. Once you get used to it, put the pill in an orange and swallow it whole. The slimy texture of the mandarin orange will make it easier for the pill to pass so it's easy to swallow.
Drink water afterward to make sure the pill is swallowed as easily as possible
Method 2 of 3: Swallow the Pill with Liquid
Step 1. Sip cold water
When swallowing medicine, you need to make sure your throat is as moist as possible to make it easier for the pill to pass. Drink small amounts of water several times before swallowing the pill. Place the pill behind the tongue, then drink water until the pill is swallowed.
- Take a few more sips of water once the pill is in your throat to help move.
- The water should be cool or room temperature, but not cold or hot.
Step 2. Try the two sips method of water
Take a pill and place it on the tongue. Take a sip of water and swallow it, but not the pill. Next, take another sip of water and swallow it with the pill. Drink the last of the water to help the pill pass.
This method opens the throat wider with the first swallow, allowing the pill to move down the throat, which is not too wide, on the second swallow
Step 3. Use a straw
For some people, using a straw to drink water or drinks helps the pill move better. Place the pill behind the tongue. Drink something through a straw and swallow the liquid with the pill. Continue drinking water with several sips after you swallow the pill to help the pill move down the throat.
Suction is used to draw liquid through a straw making it easier to swallow pills
Step 4. Drink lots of water first
Some people feel that a lot of water helps make the pill easier to pass. Drink water as much as one mouth full. Slightly open the edges of your lips to put the pill in your mouth. Next, swallow the water and the pill.
- If the pill feels stuck in your throat, you can drink more water after swallowing the pill.
- Fill your mouth with about 80 percent water. If your mouth is too full, you won't be able to swallow all the water at once and this method may not be as effective.
- You can feel the water or pills in your throat. This usually does not trigger the gag reflex and is not dangerous at all.
- You can use this method with other drinks besides water.
Step 5. Help the child to swallow the pill
Children as young as 3 years old may have to swallow pills. At this age, your child may have a hard time understanding why he should swallow a pill or may be afraid of choking. If this is the case, help them understand what's going on. An easy way to help your child swallow pills is to give him water to drink and ask him to hold the water in his mouth while looking at the ceiling. Put the pill in the side of his mouth and wait for the pill to come to the back of his throat. After a while, ask the child to swallow it, and the pill will move down the throat along with the water.
You can try other ways with food or drink for children unless there is a way that recommends otherwise
Method 3 of 3: Trying Alternative Ways
Step 1. Try drinking from a bottle
Fill a plastic bottle with water. Put the pill on the tongue. Next, close the lips tightly around the mouth of the water bottle. Tilt your head and drink some water. Position your lips around the mouth of the bottle and use suction to draw water into the mouth. The water and pills will move down the throat.
- Do not let air into the bottle when you drink.
- This method is best used with large tablets.
- The act of sucking in water will open your throat wider and help you swallow pills better.
- This method is not intended for children. Only adults should try this method.
Step 2. Use the forward lean method
For this method, place the pill on the tongue. Drink water but don't swallow it. Tilt your head down with your chin toward your chest. Let the capsule float to the back of the mouth and then swallow the pill.
- This method is best used for pills in capsule form.
- You can also try this method for children. After drinking a small amount of water, ask the child to stare at the floor while you slide the capsule to the side of his mouth. The pill will float and he can swallow pills and water.
Step 3. Be calm
Anxiety can be a significant factor preventing a person from swallowing pills. Relaxation is important. If you are anxious, your body will tense up and it will be more difficult for you to swallow pills. To prevent this, you need to be calm. Sit down with a glass of water and do what you can to relieve anxiety. Find a quiet place, listen to soothing music, or meditate.
- This will help calm your nerves and get rid of the stressful connotation of swallowing pills, making you less likely to choke.
- If you are having trouble, you can consult a psychologist to help stop the anxiety of swallowing pills.
- If you're trying to help a young child swallow pills, help them feel comfortable by clearing the thought of swallowing pills before asking them to do so. Read a story, play a game, or find an activity that helps her relax before asking her to swallow a pill. The calmer the child is, the more likely he is to swallow the pill.
Step 4. Allay your fears
You may be concerned that the pill won't go down your throat, especially if the pill is large. To help overcome this fear, stand in front of a mirror. Open your mouth and say "ahhhhh." This will show how wide the throat is and will see if a pill can fit into it.
- You can also use a mirror to place the pill on your tongue. The further away you place the pill, the shorter the path to go before you swallow it.
- You can also do this for children who are afraid of choking. Do it with him to show that you understand his fears, but reassure him that there is nothing to be afraid of.
Step 5. Look for alternatives to pills
There are various drugs available in various forms. You can get the medication in liquid form, a patch, a cream, an inhaled form, a suppository, or a soluble form, which is a pill that dissolves in water. Talk to your doctor about these options, especially if you have trouble swallowing the pill, no matter what method you try.
Do not swallow the pill and try to use it in other ways unless your doctor allows it. Don't crush pills to dissolve or try to use pills as suppositories you shouldn't. Always consult your doctor before changing the way you take your medication
Tips
- Try buying coated pills. Pills like these are easier to swallow and may taste better if they stay on the tongue longer than they should.
- Try taking a pill with iced soda or something flavored. This method can mask the taste of the pill. However, some pills cannot be swallowed with soft drinks or juices. Ask your doctor if you have any concerns.
- All of these methods can be used to help your child swallow the pill unless otherwise stated. Make sure that you are more aware of the size of the food your child eats.
- Minimize the time the pill is on the tongue. Get in the habit of putting the pill on your tongue and drinking the water in one quick, smooth motion.
- A banana that is chewed in the mouth, can be used instead of water.
- Use liquid pills or gel pills for easy swallowing.
- Do not crush the pill unless your doctor or pharmacist allows it. Some pills may lose their effectiveness if crushed or dissolved too early.
Warning
- Do not use real pills to practice swallowing pills or have fun.
- Keep pills out of reach of children. Many special flavors have been created to make pills taste better. Children often seek out pills with this taste and accidentally overdo it. Never tell children that pills are candy.
- Always ask your doctor or pharmacist about swallowing the pill with food or drink other than water. Many drugs lose their effectiveness or even produce unpleasant side effects, when mixed with certain drinks or foods. For example, some antibiotics should not be mixed with dairy products.
- If it's still very difficult to swallow pills, you may have dysphagia, which is a swallowing disorder. Ask your doctor about this disorder. However, it is important to remember, people with dysphagia also have difficulty swallowing food, not just pills.
- Do not swallow pills while lying down. Sit or stand.
