Do you feel a problem swallowing a pill?
There is a high chance that you will have a gag reflex while you swallow a pills. Many of us find it extremely difficult to swallow a pill or anything alien. This swallowing problem, if found in a four-year kid, is fair enough.
But if you too have some problem, you need to get treated. The good news is that there are treatments for gag reflex if you are sincere enough.
Therefore let’s try to discuss some of the tricks with the help of which you avoid the gag reflex while pill swallowing. So let’s get started.
Gagging And Its Symptoms
- Are you aware of what gagging is?
Gagging is just the opposite of swallowing. While you swallow something, the thing will easily pass through your throat. But with the gagging reflex, it appears that a pill or some other food is stuck in your throat. During a gag reflex, the muscles that are at the back of your mouth work to stop the foreign object… the pharynx shrinks, and the larynx goes up.
This is a problem that is normally perceived with small children. As they grow up, they easily swallow alien food or, say, tablets.
There are certain symptoms of the gagging reflex. This means while gagging; the person may experience certain symptoms like:
- Watery eyes.
- Drooling.
- Raised Heartbeat.
- Sweating.
- Panic Attack.
- Loss of Consciousness.
Therefore one can infer from the study that gagging can be psychological to quite an extent (for some people).
Tricks To Avoid Gag Reflex While Swallowing Pills
Knowing there are a number of sensitive places at the back of your mouth, that leads to gagging with stimulation. These sensitive places include the back of your pharyngeal wall, uvula, fauces, tongue base, and palette. When some pill passes through your throat, these mentioned places get stimulated.
Now let’s discuss some of the tricks to avoid the gag reflex while swallowing the pill. Let’s discuss them in this section.
1. Psychological Therapy
For some people gagging is completely psychological. Therefore, you need to undergo mental treatment so that you can avoid this. There are certain ways that you can incorporate psychological treatment.
They include hypnotizing techniques, deviating the mind completely, relaxation techniques, cognitive behavior therapy, and relaxation techniques. People gave their opinion that they have benefited from this treatment methodology.
2. Try Lubrication
When you are having diffiultulty to swallow, sometimes using swallowing agents can help you ease the job. Plus, you have a mental reassurance that something is there to make swallioig easier and you are not going to gag on it.
Pill swallowing gels are a specialized lubricant which you can coat around your pill. It can help you glide the pill down the easophagus easily. An excellent solution for individuals who have a fear of swallowing due to choking.
3. Anesthesia
The use of anesthesia can also be effective in treating or giving relief from the gag reflex. Nitrous oxide is another agent that must be used during this procedure. This methodology has been extremely effective, as discussed by certain people.
So if you want to avoid gag reflex, this can be a good treatment methodology, that’s for sure.
4. Acupuncture Or Acupressure
Acupuncture is a Chinese medication that involves the use of needles in some parts of your body. This ancient medication is deemed effective in managing the gag reflex. With needle injections, you can get the required treatment to fix the issue here.
But this methodology has one prime disadvantage, that is, not all are comfortable with needles as a method of treatment. With acupuncture, you are supposed to bring in the right balance in your body to resolve the issues.
5. Changing The Way Of Swallowing
For certain people swallowing pills in one particular way might be problematic. For example, do you think that swallowing pills with the help of one glass of water creates a problem?
In that case, you could try to change how the food is swallowed. In that case, you can take the help of a bottle with a small neck. This might work for you. So you can do it without following some other methodology, that’s for sure.
6. Topical Medication
There are a handful of ways to manage the gag reflex. Topical ointment is one of the ways to manage it. With medication, you can control nausea and vomiting. People have given positive views on this treatment methodology to avoid any gag reflex.
Wrapping It Up
The gag reflex is a common problem for kids, but they are not common for adults. If an individual faces problems like this, they need to follow the aforementioned tips and tricks or visit a physician to get advice. This one is manageable, that’s for sure.
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