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May
23
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Many individuals have difficulties swallowing medication when it is presented to them in the form of tablets or capsules. Dysphagia or swallowing difficulties can impact people of all ages including young children although it is most common in older people as they are more susceptible to the causative diseases as well as age related changes in the functions of the saliva glands. Up to 1/3 of residents in care homes experience Dysphagia which makes taking care of their health and well-being a much more challenging task.
Dysphagia consequences can be very serious as it can certainly interfere with treatments proscribed by medical professionals if the affected person is unwilling or not able to take treatments in capsule form. Furthermore there is a risk that tablets ingested orally could potentially cause choking or a blockage of the airway and there is also a risk that pills could become stuck in the throat which may result in the incorrect dispersal of the medicine to the body as well as possible injury to the oesophagus.
The most popular and common method of dealing with Dysphagia is tablet crushing to ensure they are more palatable and less difficult to swallow. However there are a number of issues related to crushing tablets that can have severe implications and may have an effect on the effectiveness of the medicine. Some pills are sugar covered to make them taste better and while crushing them may not alter the way the pill works it will make them taste very unpleasant. Pills that have an enteric coating should really never be crushed before they are taken since the coating is made to keep the tablet together in the stomach to either; protect the stomach from the medication, protect the medicine from the stomach or to release the medicine soon after it’s left the stomach.
Fortunately help is available for people with Dysphagia and the people who take care of them. There is currently a broader range than ever before of liquid medicines that may be used orally and have exactly the same effect as pills or capsules. Oral liquid medicine is produced to deal with an array of illnesses and diseases such as those affecting the cardio-vascular system and endocrine system and more liquid medicines are being developed all the time. Liquid medicines are effortless to swallow for those with Dysphagia and are available in a variety of pleasant flavours.