Did you know that about 40% of Americans have difficulty swallowing pills? For these people, swallowing pills is a task that causes a great deal of anxiety and embarrassment. They would rather not take their medication than to tell their doctor or family members that they have this problem. This is where this simple task may become life threatening. People who need medication to treat a medical condition like diabetes, or high blood pressure to stay alive, simply avoid the issue. Consider what happens when a person needs an antibiotic, but can’t swallow the pill or is running a high fever and Tylenol can’t be given. These situations could have very serious outcomes.
There are many reasons why people have trouble swallowing pills. For some people, it is a physical illness or condition like stroke, cancer, cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease that causes the dysphagia or swallowing disorder. For others, it is “pill anxiety” that causes that nauseous feeling and gag response every time a pill touches the back of the throat.
Oralflow Pill Swallowing Cup
Pill Swallowing Cup Cutout View
Treatment for this problem needs to start with a visit to a doctor who can determine whether the problem is physical or mental. A speech pathologists may be consulted if a physical cause exists. If severe anxiety exists, a behavioral therapist may offer some help. For less severe cases, there exists a special pill swallowing cup called OralFlo which may be the answer for these people. This cup has a special design which features a drinking spout that has a compartment where the pill is placed. As the person drinks from the cup, the spout forces the throat to open wider than it would during regular drinking. As the water flows down the throat, it takes the pill along. This cup eliminates the need to split or crush pills which is important since time-released and coated pills cannot be cut or crushed. This cup can be used by children or adults and works with all sizes of pills. It is currently being used with much success in many hospital and medical settings. This cup alleviates pill anxiety and embarrassment for so many people. It also saves time for caregivers who now don’t have to struggle to give medication to children, the elderly, or those who are physically challenged. The OralFlo Pill Swallowing Cup is a simple solution to a widespread problem.
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