If You Have Difficulty Swallowing, Maybe the Chiropractor Can Help

Lots of people can't swallow pills, no matter how small they are. If you're one of those people who has a tough time choking down pills, there are tricks that can really help. These tricks do not include disguising pills in peanut butter, cottage cheese, pudding or apple sauce. Some of these tips and tricks may even inspire you to start taking a few health supplements you've put off taking because you couldn't find a liquid or chewable version. After using the following tips, and finding yourself finally able to able to swallow pills, your local chiropractor may be able to help as well.

Sometimes even the smallest pills can be difficult to swallow. It doesn't seem to be related to the ability to swallow food either. Most healthy people don't have too much trouble swallowing food. However, pills and medication seem to be a different matter.

If you like orange juice and your medication can be taken with orange juice, try buying the type of juice with high pulp or lots of pulp. Before drinking the orange juice, shake the container so that the pulp is distributed evenly throughout the juice. The texture and quantity of the pulp can really help to disguise pills to the point where you may not even be able to feel that there's a pill in your mouth.

If you don't like orange juice or orange juice with lots of pulp, carbonated beverages also disguise the presence of pills really well. There are lots of carbonated waters and carbonated flavored waters on the market from which to choose. Some of them even use organic flavors and essences and have no artificial sweeteners or calories. If you're concerned about leaching calcium away from your bones, make sure to limit the amount of carbonated beverages you drink. Apparently, the phosphates used to carbonate the water can bind with the calcium that routinely circulates throughout your body via your bloodstream.

Because the bubbles from the carbonation are bursting in your mouth, the pill you're trying to swallow gets lost in the chaos and you won't be able to feel the pill. When you can't feel the pill in your mouth, you start losing some of the anxiety associated with having a difficult time swallowing pills. You're less likely to feel like your throat is constricting.

Finally, even though these tricks can work to help you swallow pills, you might still check with your chiropractor to see if your cervical vertebrae, the bones in your neck, have lost their natural curve over time or as the result of an accident or a fall for instance. Apparently, the loss of this natural curve can cause a portion of your cervical spine to push forward against your trachea, the rigid tube that forms your throat, and your esophagus, the flexible tube down which food, liquid and pills travel. Your chiropractor can help release tension and tightness in your neck and hopefully let some of that natural curve come back.