Eli5: when you swallow a big pill, why does it feel stuck in your throat for a while after?
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because sometimes it is stuck in your throat for a while after.
That’s why they tell you to drink it with a full glass of water. One mouthful of water doesn’t always work.
Peristalsis works best with liquid or wet, pulverized material, which is why chewing our food makes it easier to swallow. Muscular contractions have a harder time moving small solid objects, made even more difficult when the object’s surface becomes sticky as it absorbs water (like some pills do).
Water gives your esophagus enough of what it moves best, and will drag the pill along with it.
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It can get stuck in your esophagus. Wash it down with plenty of water. It can get nasty if it’s a capsule with something irritating inside and the capsule dissolves after a while and the irritating contents get out before they get to your stomach. Especially if you cough.
The pills that cause this problem are typically very porous. They have tiny spaces between kinda powdery stuff. These tiny spaces act like they would for soil or stone,and draw in any liquids that touch them (capillary action).
Since in this case, that liquid is the thin layer of moisture on your throat, drawing it in essentially creates a minor suction at each tiny space, which sticks the pill in your throat.
So often, it literally *does* stick.
Beyond that, though, the pill can also irritate the throat, especially after a while, which may mimic the feeling even after it starts to dissolve.
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