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The Secret to Swallowing Any Pill—Easily

http://blog.drdavidwilliams.com/blog/digestive-health-guidance/the-secret-to-swallowing-pills

If you have trouble swallowing pills, you’re not the only one. This is a problem that plagues many people, young and old. The good news is there are a lot of ways to make swallowing pills far easier--tips that definitely bear repeating. I only I wish I would have known all of this when I was a kid and my mother was trying to make me swallow a pill or a capsule.

* Try tilting your head forward. Capsules can sometimes be tricky to swallow because they have a tendency to float. Most of us tilt our head back when trying to swallow one, causing the capsule to float to the front of the mouth. Instead, place the capsule in your mouth and taking a small sip of water while tilting your head slightly forward. The capsule should float right down your throat.

* Use a water bottle. If you have an over-sensitive gag reflex, you can fool that reflex by drinking out of a water bottle. Keep your lips in contact with the bottle use a sucking action to drink, triggering your swallowing reflex. Tap or distilled water works fine, but carbonated water works even better.

* Purchase a pill crusher. If your health food store doesn’t carry them, check with your local pharmacists. After grinding, you can easily mix the powder with juice. Oil or liquid filled capsules may have to be punctured and squeezed directly on the tongue. I don’t recommend grinding or mixing oil soluble vitamins since exposing them to air causes them to break down and quickly become rancid.

Now for those pesky pills that get caught in your throat. Normally a stuck pill is only a minor inconvenience; however, certain medications or digestive enzymes can ulcerate throat tissue or cause chest pain and vomiting. If you get a pill stuck, eat a banana. Bananas have just the right mushy, smooth, consistency to dislodge a pill and carry it into the stomach.

Now it’s your turn: Do you have a trick that makes pill swallowing easier?

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