Help with Swallowing Pills

by Life Solutions Plus Editor on October 28, 2009

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. 

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Oralflow Pill Swallowing Cup

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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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Dizzy?

by Life Solutions Plus Editor on October 28, 2009

Did you know that 50% of all dizziness in older people is due to a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).  You need to contact your doctor to confirm your condition, but if you get very dizzy when you change positions like lying down from a sitting position or getting up after waking in the morning, you could have BPPV.  Experiencing dizziness when turning your head from side to side or up and down is also a symptom.  To diagnose vertigo, your doctor will look for jumping movements in the eyes as he asks you to change positions.  People with vertigo describe their condition as the feeling of being stationary and having the room and objects spinning around them.  Other symptoms of BPPV include lightheadedness, imbalance, nausea and vomiting.

Doctors believe the cause of BPPV has to do with small crystals of calcium found in a small sac in the ear called the utricle.  Either due to head trauma or advanced age, these crystals escape from their sac and migrate into the ear canal system where they send incorrect positioning signals to the brain.

BPPV can be treated using a positioning maneuver called the Epley Maneuver.  In this maneuver, the doctor or physical therapist has the person lie down from a sitting position and then turns the head from side to side is a specific timed way.  This maneuver attempts to move the crystals in the ear back into the ear sac.  After the maneuver, the person should avoid any fast or tilting movements with the head and must stay almost upright while sleeping for two days afterwards.  A recliner or bed wedge comes in handy when trying to sleep in an upright position.  The maneuver may need to be repeated several times over a period of weeks or months before the condition is completely resolved.  Once resolved, the condition can also

Bed Wedge

Bed Wedge

return without warning.  At this point, the person can resume treatment with their doctor or physical therapist or can try to perform the Epley Maneuver by themselves at home. 

If a  person knows that he is prone to vertigo there are some head positions that they should Some movements that are believed to trigger BPPV are shampooing at the beauty salon, Yoga or Pilates positions, men shaving under their chins and application of eye drops.

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Stroke Information

by Life Solutions Plus Editor May 18, 2009 General Care

Since May is American Stroke Month, it is a good time to review important information concerning this serious health issue. Strokes are caused by either a blockage or bursting of blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain. Most strokes are caused by clot or blockage in a blood vessel.
Most strokes can be prevented by [...]

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How to boost your energy and say goodbye to depression!

by inetbiz April 14, 2009 General Care

Young people, today, are inundated with caffein ingredients. From everything to soda pop to energy bars, read our energy boosting article.

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Kote Glow No Rinse Dog and Puppy Shampoo – Rabbits in the yard-

by Life Solutions Plus Editor April 2, 2009 Pet Products

Kote Glow No Rinse Dog and Puppy Shampoo. Let me say that this shampoo really does the trick to cleanse and Jack is not bothered by any harsh shampoo oders.

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Spring Gift Ideas for Seniors from LifeSolutionsPlus, Inc.

by inetbiz March 14, 2009 Independent Living

One of the hardest things I find to do is shop at the mall or online for that perfect gift that expresses my love and know it will be something useful and not apart of next month’s yard sale! Sping is comming! Flowers are blooming, everyone is having a cookout BBQ, mending their gardens and cleaning out the house. So here are some ideas that I thought I would share with you to give that perfect gift this spring season.

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Social Security implements new procedures for the severely disabled applicant

by inetbiz March 12, 2009 Independent Living

At the end of 2007, The Social Security Administration began a new nationwide program called Compassionate Allowances. An initiative to expedite the approval processess for applicants suffering from the most severe illnesses and disabilities. The normal process for applying for social security disablity can take months! This initiative completes the application, within days! The list of classified rare diseases and illnesses includes 25 rare diseases and 25 forms of cancer. The Social Security Administration ensures that they will continue to research and study this list and include much more, to it. Already, hearings are being conducted to include brain injuries and strokes.

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Independent Living for Diabetes, Arthritis, Poor Vision

by Life Solutions Plus Editor March 12, 2009 Independent Living

LifeSolutionsPlus Inc. grew out of a need to provide quality self-help products to members of our family and friends who needed products to help with diabetes, arthritis, poor vision and a host of other common conditions. We checked with local businesses in our community and none of them carried the type of products that we needed. What our family was looking for were simple products that could make everyday tasks easier to accomplish. Our experiences led us to establish a website from which folks like ourselves could locate helpful products quickly and easily.

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