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May
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More and more individuals have difficulties swallowing medicine when it’s presented to them as tablets or pills. Dysphagia or swallowing difficulties can impact men and women of all ages including children although it is most frequent in older people since they are more prone to the causative diseases as well as age related changes in the functions of the saliva glands. Dysphagia is a particularly serious issue in care homes for the elderly where about 1/3 of residents may suffer from it which makes looking after them a far more complicated and time consuming process.
Dysphagia consequences can be very serious as it can certainly interfere with treatments proscribed by doctors if the affected person is reluctant or not able to take medication in capsule form. Furthermore there is a risk that pills ingested orally may cause choking or a blockage of the airway and there’s also a risk that pills may become lodged in the throat which may lead to the incorrect dispersal of the drug to the body as well as possible injury to the oesophagus.
The most widespread and common way of dealing with Dysphagia has been tablet crushing to make them more palatable and a lot easier to swallow. However there are a lot of issues associated with crushing tablets that can have severe implications and may have an effect on the efficacy of the medicine. Some tablets are sugar coated to make them taste better and while crushing them may not change the way the pill works it will make them taste very unpleasant. Tablets with an enteric coating should never be crushed before they’re taken as the coating is made to keep the tablet together in the stomach to either; guard the stomach from the medicine, protect the medicine from the stomach or to release the medicine after it’s left the stomach.
Fortunately there is now an alternative solution for people who are afflicted by Dysphagia and also the people that care for them. There is currently a broader range than ever before of liquid medicines that may be used orally and have the exact same effect as pills or tablets. Oral liquid medicine is created to deal with a wide range 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 easy to swallow for those with Dysphagia and come in a variety of enjoyable flavours.