No more nearly choking on larger size pills!
If you have to take medication on a regular basis, you might be more experienced when it comes to swallowing pills. But some people are just not able to get that pill down their throat without a bottle of water and gagging. With this trick, swallowing pills will be a lot easier!
Method
The method you should use is called the ‘lean-forward’ method. Bindiya Gandhi, MD, told Well + Good: “It allows people to safely swallow supplements or medications without gagging. The premise is to put the pill in the middle of your tongue, take a swig of water, and lean your head forward so you can easily swallow.” It’s as simple as that! Just lean forward while you swallow. But why does that work?
Explanation
When you lean forward, you keep your throat from closing up. And you want your throat to be open when you’re trying to swallow one (or multiple) pill(s). Dr. Ghandi explains: “Tilting your head forward allows the capsules to move back to your throat, which allows you to swallow easier. When you tilt your head backward, it opens up your airway, and essentially could block it off, which could be problematic.”
But the lean-forward method doesn’t guarantee success. It is always good to be cautious when swallowing pills because there is always a risk of choking. That is why Dr. Ghandi advises people to only take one or two pills at a time, never more than that. And always drink water to help the pill go down. Do you still have issues swallowing even with the lean-forward method? Then talk to your doctor. You might be able to figure something out together in order to make swallowing pills less of a hassle.
Read more: This is why you shouldn’t use tap water in home medical devices
Source: Well + Good | Image: Unsplash, Towfiqu barbhuiya