Q: I often gag when I take my pills and struggle to swallow them. Is there any way to make taking pills easier?

A: Swallowing pills isn’t actually intuitive: You need to overcome your gag reflex each time. Nearly 40 percent of people struggle with this, but a few simple solutions might help, including swallowing techniques.

A: 2014 study found two techniques — one for tablets and another for capsules — to be effective in helping otherwise healthy people swallow their pills.

If you’re taking a tablet, try the pop-bottle method. Fill a plastic water or soda bottle with water and put the tablet on your tongue. Close your mouth entirely around the circular opening of the bottle and take a drink. While sucking in the water, you shouldn’t let any air in (the bottle should squeeze in on itself). Using that method substantially helped nearly three out of five people swallow their tablets.

For capsules, the method may feel a little unnatural: Instead of tipping your head backward — as many of us do when taking pills — you’re actually going to lean forward. Place the capsule on your tongue and take a medium sip of water. Don’t immediately swallow. Instead, tilt your chin slightly toward your chest, then swallow. It might seem awkward, but the lean-forward method improved swallowing in about 89 percent of people.

If those techniques don’t work, try these other options.