Do you find tablets hard to swallow?

On average people swallow nearly 600 times a day (Dorner 2002), but many - young, old and in-between - have difficulties with swallowing, particularly when it comes to taking medication.

Swallowing difficulties may also be referred to as 'dysphagia' by your doctor or nurse. It can feel like something sticking in your throat or chest whilst trying to swallow or immediately after having swallowed something. This might put you off eating or taking medicine because of the discomfort caused.

Any swallowing difficulty should be taken seriously and discussed with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Large tablets may stick in the back of your throat and capsules can be hard to swallow. A lot of tablets and capsules are also available as liquids and your doctor or pharmacist will be able to advise if a liquid might be more suitable.

Some of the problems caused by dysphagia:

• Skipping medication because it is difficult or unpleasant to swallow
• Crushing tablets or opening capsules to make them easier to take
• Chewing medication before swallowing it
• Mixing tablets with food or drink so they can be taken more easily.

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