Evaluation of Suprahyoid Muscle Thickness, Swallowing Anxiety, and Water-Swallowing Performance in Healthy People with Pill Dysphagia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Pill dysphagia (PD) is a serious problem affecting healthy individuals, leading to poor medication adherence and potential health risks. The relationship between suprahyoid muscle thickness and swallowing performance remains underexplored in PD. This study aimed to evaluate swallowing anxiety, water-swallowing performance with pills, and the thickness of the suprahyoid muscles of healthy individuals with PD. Methods: Swallowing anxiety, water-swallowing performance with pills, muscle thickness on B-ultrasound, and the level of difficulty felt during pill swallowing were evaluated in healthy individuals with and without PD. Results: The study included 20 subjects with PD (PD group) and 20 subjects without PD (control group), comprising 27 males and 13 females with a mean age of 23.98 ± 2.97 years (18–32 years). The thickness values of the anterior venter of the digastric muscle, the mylohyoid, and geniohyoid muscles were greater in the control group than in the PD group (p < 0.000, p < 0.000, p:0.007, respectively). The severity of swallowing difficulty, swallowing anxiety, and the degree of difficulty experienced when swallowing pills were determined to be higher in the PD group (p:0.001, p:0.001, p < 0.000, respectively). Water-swallowing speed and capacity with/without pills were better in the control group (p < 0.000; p < 0.000; p:0.005; p < 0.000, respectively). No difference was observed between the groups in the volume of water swallowed with and without pills (p:0.468, p:0.162, respectively). Conclusions: In healthy individuals with pill dysphagia, a reduction in the thickness of the suprahyoid (SH) muscles may be associated with pill dysphagia. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of SH muscle exercises in healthy individuals with dysphagia are needed.