Cannabidiol [CBD] is among the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. It was discovered in the mid 20th century, but it was only in the 21st century that people truly began appreciating its usefulness. There are lots of CBD products in the market at the moment, and one of the most popular is CBD oil.
To get CBD oil, CBD is extracted from the plant then later diluted with a carrier oil. Since CBD is not psychoactive, CBD oil can be used for medical purposes.
CBD continues to become popular across the world primarily because experts believe that it will be the future of medicine. Its non-psychoactive nature makes it a more appealing option for people who are looking to manage pain and other conditions. CBD oil can be used to reduce anxiety and depression; It can also be used to reduce cancer-related symptoms and deal with acne.
Research also suggests that CBD oil can help people dealing with asthma, and that’s what we’ll be looking at today. However, before we get into CBD oil and asthma, let’s learn a little about asthma.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a common respiratory disease. It is a chronic disease that affects one’s airwaves hence making it very difficult for a person to breathe. According to the Global Asthma report, about 340 million people have asthma across the world, and about 1000 people die from asthma every day. This makes asthma a very deadly disease. Asthma affects individuals of all ages; however, minors and seniors are the most susceptible group.
Symptoms of Asthma
People with asthma usually experience symptoms when the airwaves tighten or inflame. The following are some of the common symptoms of asthma.
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty speaking
It is important to note that not every person with asthma experiences these symptoms in a similar way. They may experience some symptoms at different times, or they may not have all of the above symptoms. Moreover, the symptoms may also vary from one attack to another. The sign may be mild during one attack and severe in the next attack.
Conventional Asthma Treatment
No cure is currently available for asthma. When it comes to asthma treatment, physicians take a long-term approach with the primary goal of stopping asthma attacks before they start. Usually, the first step is to avoid a common trigger, such as tobacco products, household allergens, and exposure to cold.
Apart from avoiding the common triggers, there are also long-term medications that a patient can take daily to reduce irritation and inflammation. Overall, asthma attacks are prevented from happening. Such medicines include:
Long-acting beta-agonists [LABA]
Inhaled long-acting beta-agonists can keep the breathing passages open for more than 12 hours. They also relax the muscles of the breathing passages, expounding the passages and lowering the resistance to exhaled airflow, making it easy for you to breathe. They can also help to reduce inflammation.
Inhaled corticosteroids
The inhaled steroids act by concentrating their effects within the breathing passages. Examples of inhaled corticosteroids include budesonide, fluticasone, beclomethasone, and triamcinolone.
Leukotriene inhibitors
These are another group of controller medications. Leukotriene is a powerful substance that enhances the inflammatory response during a severe asthma attack. Leukotriene inhibitors block these chemicals hence reducing inflammation.
Oral steroids
Oral steroids are used if you are at risk of an acute attack, or you have had a severe attack. These steroids are delivered intravenously in a hospital setting. They are administered in oral form if your symptoms are severe but don’t require hospitalization.
Mast cell stabilizers
Nedocromil and cromolyn sodium are mast cell stabilizers used for people with mild persistent asthma. These drugs prevent mast cells- a type of white blood cell, from secreting an inflammatory substance into the airways.
CBD Oil and Asthma
While some people can successfully use any of the above medications to manage their asthma, some struggle to find a successful management plan. Other people struggle to deal with the effects of conventional medicines.
For the last few years, scientists have been studying Cannabidiol [CBD] as an alternative or an additional option for people who have asthma. CBD relieves asthma symptoms by making the receptors in the endocannabinoid system active. By activating the receptors, CBD oil produces its therapeutic properties.
Let’s look at some of the properties that make CBD oil such a popular alternative for conventional asthma medication.
CBD oil functions as an anti-inflammatory compound
A Brazilian study showed that CBD might reduce inflammation when an attack occurs. T-helper cells may get their way into the respiratory system and may release cytokines when responding to an asthmatic attack, like an allergen. The cytokines then produce inflammation which then makes it challenging for someone to breathe.
CBD is anti-inflammatory since it can suppress the responses of T-helper cells, therefore, reducing cytokines levels and inflammation. This allows a patient to breathe easily. CBD can also mitigate the pain that comes with inflammation.
Tumor necrosis factor [TNF] plays a role when it comes to inflammation, and it can worsen the asthma attack. TNF is a cytokine that causes inflammation, and it can influence other cells to cause inflammation. CBD oil has shown the potential of lowering TNF levels, and it can reduce inflammation.
Even though most studies on its anti-inflammatory for asthma have been done on animals, they indicate a promising potential for treatments in also humans.
CBD Can Prevent Airway obstruction
The airway in asthma patients is a bit hyperactive and contract easily. This hyperactivity can lead to obstructed airways. The Institute for the clinical Pharmacology in Germany carried out a study which showed that anandamide [an endocannabinoid neurotransmitter] could reduce the obstruction. When a trigger activates asthma, anandamide is increased in a fluid created by the bronchi.
CBD oil can increase anandamide levels. It achieves this by hindering the enzymes that break down anandamide. This results in a higher quantity of anandamide being available to prevent obstruction of the bronchi.
CBD Reduces Mucus Production
Excessive mucus production can obstruct your bronchial tubes. The introduction of cytokines causes excessive mucus production. Scientists have proven that Cytokines protein IL-13 is responsible for mucus hypersecretion. The good news is that CBD has shown a great potential to reduce IL-13 levels in the lungs. Using CBD oil could significantly reduce the amount of mucus produced, thus reducing the severity of a patient’s asthma.
Deciding On Whether to Use CBD to Manage Asthma
After reading this article, you might be tempted to switch from your regular asthma medication to CBD oil. However, before you make such a massive decision, you must talk to your doctor. If your doctor gives you the go-ahead to use CBD oil, then you can try it.
Getting your doctor’s go-ahead is the easy part. The hard part is choosing a CBD oil product and deciding on the dosage. When selecting a CBD oil, make sure that it has undergone third-party testing to ensure that the product is genuine. You should also try to learn as much as possible about the company you are purchasing from. When deciding on a dosage, start small and work your way up.
CBD oil for asthma is administered in two methods, namely the sublingual method and vaping. The sublingual method is the most common method.
Asthma is a deadly illness, and it can complicate the lives of those suffering from it. With millions of people who have asthma each year, it is important to offer the patients hope. CBD oil provides asthma patients with a lot of confidence.
Thank you for reading with us today! Be sure to check out similar articles to enhance your medical knowledge like “How Long Until Your CBD Oil Goes Bad” or “ADHD Treatment With CBD (Research And Facts)“.
Join the conversation on Facebook to share your story and see how else CBD Oil is helping people from around the world.
