But in a study funded by Schwarz Pharmaceuticals and conducted by Harris Interactive, it was discovered that 40 percent of American adults reported difficulty swallowing pills. This resulted in delayed doses, skipped doses, and, in 4 percent of cases, discontinuing the medication.
Difficulty swallowing is clinically known as dysphagia, a condition in which swallowing takes more time and effort than normal. This problem may be accompanied by pain, and in some cases, swallowing anything is impossible for the sufferer.
Occasional difficulty swallowing is relatively common and may be related to eating too fast, not chewing food, or a gag reflex for things that must be swallowed whole, like pills. However, if dysphagia persists, it can be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition.
What Problems Swallowing Could Mean
Here are several categories of dysphagia that seem to crop up most frequently, along with the probable causes of the issue.
1) Esophageal dysphagia – This is the sensation of food sticking in the esophagus while starting to swallow. This can be caused by achalasia, a situation where the lower esophageal muscle (sphincter) doesn’t relax to allow food to enter the stomach, or weak stomach muscles may cause the condition.
2) Diffuse spasm – This is a series of poorly coordinated contractions of the esophagus, usually after swallowing. These multiple, high-pressure spasms usually attack the involuntary muscles in the walls of the lower esophagus.