Asthma is a breathing condition where the small airways or bronchi go into spasm causing coughing wheezing and shortness of breath to occur. There are many different causes for asthma and people in nearly every country in the world suffer from it. Some people grow out of it, others get an adult onset version in their 40s. It even kills a small percentage of people a year if not treated.
Causes of Asthma
- Viral infections such as a cold ( mainly in children)
- Exposure to pollutants and smoke.
- Physical activities and sports.
- Weather change, cold air
- Pollens in spring and summer.
What is Asthma ?
Airways become sensitized due to inflammation, and the inflammation makes the airways sensitive to
triggers. Once the triggers are activated they can cause severe asthma attacks. We don’t know how to stop
asthma from developing, and in the child population it effects about 1 in 5 . At the moment asthma is the
most common chronic medical condition in children. Many will still have it when they become adults.
Some people find that certain times of the year are worse for asthma than others, and often it is Spring and early Summer, so if you think that you have asthma it is better to see a Doctor and get diagnosed, as there are certain medications that will help you.
CBD Oil and Asthma
Smoked Cannabis is a bronchodilator and can be useful in opening up the airways during an asthma attack.
There is also anxiety associated with asthma as it is frightening not being able to breath. CBD oil seems to
be a reasonable treatment to try, as smoking is counterproductive in asthma.
For years people with asthma have been treated with Ventolin to open the airways, followed by an inhaled
preventer, with mixed results.
A few drops of CBD oil taken sublingually were given to a patient with asthma, the patients peak flow level( measured by blowing into a peak flow meter), following the dose nearly doubled. This would appear to be a good result, as smoking cannabis is not appropriate to asthmatics the smoke should be avoided. For many, asthma is an extremely debilitating condition, and any way it can be helped is beneficial to the sufferer.
Asthma Treatment CBD Oil
CBD Oil is a non-psychotropic medicine ( which means that it does not make you high). It contains two substances, one is CBD Cannabidiol and THC- delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the product found in the black market sales, so THC will make you high. So it is important to distinguish between the two ingredients and to avoid the THC. From the beginning of next year people in Australia will be able to buy CBD oil over the counter for medicinal purposes. Currently it is classified as a schedule 4 drug, which means that you require a Doctors prescription in order to buy it.
CBD oil has many uses for a lot of different problems, including anti-inflammatory conditions, depression
and anxiety, and sporting injuries. If you are taking CBD oil for joint pain you can either have the full dose
at once or break it up into smaller doses, it takes a little while to work.
Now you can take CBD oil for Asthma as the effects appear to be quite dramatic and brings relief to people. Because there is no one conventional cure for asthma this is a welcome development as many people have Asthma for their whole lives. The market for CBD oil is growing rapidly and the effects have been measured and the treatment is evidence based in what it does, research shows it reduces inflammation in two ways:
- Reduces the activity of immune cells.
- Reduces levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, molecules produced by immune cells that increase
inflammation.
CBD Oil versus Prescription Medication
CBD oil appears to be a good holistic alternative to prescription medications, as sometimes the prescription medications either do not work or do not continue to work. CBD oil is a natural product that does not cause side effects. At the moment there is not enough evidence on doses required for respiratory diseases. It would be advisable to choose a full spectrum CBD hemp oil.
Frequently asked Questions about CBD Oil
- How many drops should I take a day?
- Should I take Oil or Vape?
- How long does Oil take to work?
Seasonal Asthma
Asthma is more common in Spring, and it can be very debilitating resulting in time away from school and
work, and for a person with this disease smoking cannabis is not a good idea, as smoke is damaging to lungs
and exacerbates symptoms. What we aim to do is treat the symptoms with as few as possible side effects.
Therefore CBD Oil is more effective in managing this condition as it has a strong ant-inflammatory effect
and may play an important role in balancing immunity.
Most people learn to manage their condition over time , and some people say that they control it with diet and exercise. Others say that the sublingual dose of CBD Oil has been hugely beneficial to their symptoms. Many experts say that the reduction in anxiety produced by the oil is extremely beneficial to asthma sufferers and may give them a better outcome. We still need a lot more studies, but the evidence is already looking extremely positive.
Bronchodilation and CBD Oil
CBD oil is a bronchodilator, and this was proven back in the 1970s. Hearing this evidence makes me wonder
why it has taken so long to get CBD Oil into common use, seeing that about 300 million people in the world
now suffer from asthma. There have been no magic cures for asthma and not much progress on treatments,
and CBD Oil looks like a good solution for many people.
Back in 1973 a study revealed that the TCH found in cannabis can dilate the respiratory airways and inhibits
bronco-constrictions a main problem in asthma. The anti-inflammatory properties are helpful to the airways
as it stops the constriction suffered in asthma attacks, this occurs in an exaggerated response which helps to
reverse the symptoms. It also eases the spasms which start during an attack.
In order to get the CBD Oil working for you it would be best to try it while you were not having an attack of
asthma, to build up a base of CBD in your body. When you felt an attack beginning to occur you can
increase the dose to control the symptoms. The symptoms suffered during an asthma attack are really
debilitating and the patient is sometimes hospitalized, the CBD Oil may prevent this from happening. It is
also costly to have asthma as the inhalers are expensive and you have to have more than one in order to
survive, you keep them in various places, work, home and car, as you always need an inhaler available. I for
one will be trialing CBD Oil for asthma, next year.
People with COPD which is an end stage Respiratory Disease often suffered by smokers get some respite from CBD Oil, as it relaxes the lungs and makes breathing easier for them and reduces inflammation.
How does CBD Oil help Asthma
Main benefits seem to be anti-inflammatory reduction especially in the intercostal joints, ( muscles
surrounding the lungs) also a decrease in mucous production, and swelling to the airways. No serious side
effects as long as it is not overconsumed. It is worth noting that even psychoactive cannabis (marijuana) is
considered to be extremely safe. When asthma progresses, the person with asthma can often end up with a
secondary bronchitis, resulting in a trip to the Doctor and an overuse of antibiotics. This will be avoided if
the CBD Oil reduces the symptoms, and this alone is an important factor as too many people are overusing
antibiotics, and we are at risk of becoming immune to them.
An interesting study published in Phytomedicine (plant medicine) about ten years ago found that CBD
including THC have potential as an anticoagulant, and this could mean that it can be used in many other
conditions. It may also have an application in migraine.
CBD oil once administered sublingually is easily absorbed, however do not administer it to children without
seeking medical advice.
It should be perfectly safe for an adult to use in small doses, but is not recommended when still breastfeeding, so wait until baby is weaned before taking the Oil. CBD Oil is a very old product and has been around for 100s of years and we are still discovering new uses for it which is truly amazing.
