What is in our Vitamins? Featuring Avenleigh (5 yo)
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Avenleigh wants to know what is in our vitamins and why do we take them, so she asks the pharmacist!
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Episode 117 - Voice Troubles
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Laryngitis, known as inflammation of the larynx, is the most common cause of hoarseness and voice loss. It is very common in viral infections, such as a cold, flu, or adenovirus. Acute laryngitis is caused by an illness, while chronic laryngitis may be a secondary symptom of another problem.
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Episode 116 - Voice
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Notes coming soon!
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Episode 115 - Gag Reflex
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
The gag reflex, as well as other pharyngeal reflexes, protect you from choking and ingesting improper things. If it does not follow the proper swallowing procedure, rarely does it get permission to enter.
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Episode 114 - Bad Breath
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Halitosis, aka bad breath, can have many causes. Some bad breath you can prevent with the choices you make, but some bad breath can be a sign of a more serious issue or disease.
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Episode 113 - Dysphagia
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
While dysphagia can be very uncomfortable and lead to some unwanted side effects, the biggest concern is with the risk of aspiration, or breathing food or drink into the lungs, that leads to pneumonia.
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Episode 112 - Swallowing
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
You never think to swallow until you start talking about swallowing. The voluntary swallowing process must be initiated before the involuntary swallowing reflexes take over. This includes when you go to the dentist and while you are sleeping!
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Episode 111 - Tonsillectomy
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
The what, why, and how of a tonsillectomy. While a tonsillectomy is a frequent surgery for kids and adults, it is still surgery and requires preparation and care before during and after.
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Episode 110 - Tonsils
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Your tonsils are in the back of your throat. You can see them, you can feel them. They help protect you but can be a big pain while they do it.
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Episode 109 - Metallic Taste
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Over 250 medications can causes changes in taste. A metallic taste is the most common. Some are secreted in the saliva, others disrupt receptors or signals.
info_outlineGag Reflex Basics
The official name of your gag reflex is the pharyngeal reflex or laryngeal spasm. Trigger points for the gag reflex can be found on the roof of the mouth, back of the tongue, in the tonsil area, the uvula, and the back of the throat. The purpose of this reflex is to prevent objects from entering the throat that did not first progress through the normal swallowing process. It also helps prevent choking.
Gag Reflex Progress
When the reflex is triggered, the soft palate raises to close off the nasal passage. Then the pharyngeal muscles contract on both sides to try and force whatever made it too far down back up into the mouth. If the input is strong enough, it can also trigger vomiting (this is how vomiting is induced in eating disorders such a bulimia).
Do you Gag?
One in three people lacks a gag reflex, which means rather large things can enter their throats without triggering a reflex. This is possibly how sword-swallowing got its start.
The other side of this coin is someone with a hypersensitive gag. They can have trouble swallowing large pills and large bites of food. Dentist visits and even neckties can trigger this unpleasant reflex. It can be a part of a larger issue, such as Sensory Processing Disorder or Autism. Or it can be a preconditioned issue due to a previous experience. In either case, speech or occupational therapy can be done and will include desensitizing areas of the mouth to touch.
Other Protective Reflexes
- The Reflexive Pharyngeal Swallow is a triggered swallow that clears the pharynx of residue. The glottis will close and allow the pharynx to move stuff to the digestive tract. This is a protective mechanism to keep stuff out of the airways.
- Phayngoglottal Closure Reflex happens when the glottis closes inside the larynx without the continuation of a swallow.
- Phango-Upper Esophageal Sphincter Contractile Reflex occurs during any type of reflux from the stomach. While some stomach contents may make it past the lower esophageal sphincter, so the upper one prevents it reaching into the throat and mouth.
Bottom Line
All of these reflexes are protective to prevent choking or improper ingesting of things. They can be damaged to different degrees during head trauma or stroke. But surprisingly, smoking causes the most damage to the protective reflexes on the pharynx.
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