Pill Anxiety!
Aug 18 '06
The Bottom Line Pill anxiety is a huge problem and this is how to fix it.
Has your child ever been prescribed a medication or vitamin but they refuse to take it? The fear of swallowing pills is a very common phobia, especially in children, and one whose root is in the fear of choking on the capsule.
Forty percent of the population of the United States has reported having difficulty swallowing pills, even though they’ve never had a problem swallowing food or drinks before. This may seem harmless, however when children don’t swallow their pills it can be very dangerous. The medication that children take is critical for their development and health and need to be taken as prescribed.
However, pill anxiety can be made less of an issue for your little ones. With these simple techniques you can kiss pill fear goodbye.
A Little Background
When you fear swallowing a pill, the body uses its fight-or-flight survival mechanism and begins to tense up. This tensing goes throughout the body, especially in the throat, neck and chest. This tensing of these muscles may make you feel like you’re having trouble breathing which may, in itself, cause further anxiety.
This muscle tensing, while it may feel uncomfortable, is not going to kill you. Swallowing a pill is not going to cause you to choke. The whole entire situation is completely harmless. Reassure your child that it is impossible to choke on their pill and that by being relaxed they will be able to swallow the pill so much easier.
Divide & Conquer
The first and perhaps simplest technique is a baby step to swallowing whole pills. You can divide or crush the pills which will make them much easier to swallow. If you crush the pills you can put them in soft foods like pudding or yogurt or in flavorful drink. By dividing the pills in half or quarters, it will make the size more manageable to swallow.
However, make sure that you talk with your child’s doctor before you crush or divide your pills. Some pills are time-released which means that the medication is released into your body over time so taking it without the protective capsule would destroy its effectiveness.
Swallowing Techniques
This is the most crucial and positive step. Learning to swallow effectively will cut down significantly on pill anxiety.
The technique that is most often used to swallow medication is to throw the pills towards the back of their throat which actually makes swallowing more difficult. Try teaching your child to place the pill on their tongue which is a more natural and simpler way of swallow.
Here is the no-fail pill swallowing technique for your children.
First have them take a medium sip of water to moisten their throat. Then, have them the pill onto the tip of their tongue and take a small sip of water. Then, instead of having them tilt their head backwards, as they will naturally do, instruct them to tilt their chin downwards towards their chest. This will cause the pill to float towards the back of their mouth, making swallowing feel more natural as gravity will do most of the work.
With these strategies your child will be able to conquer their fear of swallowing pills. Being able to swallow prescribed medication is critical to not only curing common bacterial infections but to their long-term health and development. Just have your little one stay relaxed and have a positive attitude and be being afraid of swallowing pills will be a thing of the past.
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Member: Liz Cauley
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