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Journalism of Courage
Zeenat Aman, in a recent social media post, shared a harrowing tale of trying to dislodge a tablet stuck in her throat late at night–alone at home, except for her dog and five cats.
“My very last task before I could surrender to sleep was to take my blood pressure medication. I popped the pill into my mouth, took a sip of water, and then felt my breath catch. There it was, this little pill lodged in my throat. Too far down to regurgitate and too far up to swallow. I could still breathe, but it was restricted. I took another drink of water, and then another and another, until the glass was empty but the pill remained stuck,” the Don actor narrated in the caption of her Instagram post.
Taking a cue, we turned to experts to understand what to do in such a situation. Here’s what we learned.
Dr Ragitha Binu Krishnan, consultant, department of laryngology, KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum, said that pill dysphagia is a condition where an individual faces difficulty swallowing tablets or pills, even though they may not have trouble swallowing regular food. “It is not always related to age. Other underlying conditions include neurological disorders causing muscle weakness, swallowing difficulties, or laryngeal and pharyngeal muscle weakness or paralysis,” she said.
Dr Kapil Adwani, clinical pharmacist, drug information centre, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, said that the problem isn’t always the pill itself but might lie in the oesophagus – the tube that connects the mouth to our stomach. If this tube is narrow or has trouble moving food down, swallowing becomes difficult.
“If a pill stays stuck in your esophagus for too long, it can irritate the lining and even cause sores, especially some medicines like certain antibiotics and for weak bones (osteoporosis). There’s also a risk of the pill going down the wrong way, into your windpipe instead of your food pipe. This can lead to choking or a serious lung infection called aspiration pneumonia,” he said. A bad experience swallowing pills can make some people anxious about taking medicine in the future.
Dr Basavaraj S Kumbar, consultant, internal medicine, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, said that the first thing to do in these situations is not to panic, regardless of how hard that might be. “There will be some discomfort and pain since something is stuck in the throat, and you’ll feel a choking sensation. The body will react by salivating and coughing to trigger the cough reflex- its natural response whenever it experiences any obstruction, to dislodge the capsule.”
Besides calming down and not panicking or becoming anxious, Dr Basavraj suggested increasing movement. “Start by sipping water, and try coughing to dislodge the stuck tablet or the pill inside the throat. Also, keep an eye on your breathing,” he said. Always call for help in such situations. If there’s a medically trained person in the room, they can perform the Heimlich manual in case it gets to a point where you cannot breathe or speak.
Dr Basavraj suggested staying sufficiently hydrated. There are also devices called pill aids, gels, or pill glides, which help dissolve them properly. Dr Adwani forbade from lying down right after taking a pill.
“Pills can be broken into smaller pieces, crushed, mixed with honey or swallowed with a small piece of mashed banana or blended food. to make swallowing easier. Another effective technique is tucking your chin down (flexing your head so your chin touches your chest) while swallowing, which can make the process easier,” added Dr Krishnan.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
