Just as in other chronic diseases, cannabidiol or CBD is providing improvements in the quality of life of those who suffer from these ailments; Working through the endocannabinoid system, this wonderful cannabis compound without psychoactive effects, executes a series of interactions, which promote a highly effective treatment for a wide variety of these diseases.
Asthma is one of them, where apparently the beneficial effects are quite promising, many investigations have put it to the test, obtaining results that promise a improvement in bronchial hyperreactivity caused by asthma. Next, we will delve a little deeper into the credibility of this information and corroborate it with the research that supports this interaction, we will learn both the good and the bad and we will educate ourselves on the role of CBD in this disease.
Asthma and its hyperreactivity
This condition is known to be a hyperreactivity of the bronchi, which causes excessive mucus production and inflammation in the walls of the airways, causing their light to be reduced and causing a partial obstruction, which can sometimes be quite compromising; The symptoms of this disease focus on the respiratory distress.
Wheezing (noise produced by obstruction of the airways in asthma which sounds like a whistle), cough and dyspnea or shortness of breath, are the most characteristic symptoms of this disease, also having others such as chest tightness, however, all of this will depend on the degree of severity that the patient has and in more serious cases these symptoms would be much stronger.
Asthma is caused by different factors, the most important of which are extrinsic, idiopathic or both. This condition has a high percentage of onset in childhood. Some people only see an asthma episode once in their life, then it disappears and Sometimes it reappears years later, on the other hand, there are patients who debut as children and become chronic, so they need controlled treatment.
This disorder is the most common in respiratory diseases, in fact, it is known that It affects more than 300 million people in the world, taking into account that in 2011 he was the culprit of many deaths.
Researchers investigate the use of CBD for Asthma
These are some of the studies that support the action of CBD or cannabidiol in asthma:
We mainly emphasize studies carried out in 2011 in which more research was done on cannabis, discovering that exposure to an allergen activated the response of the endocannabinoid system, which was related to the lungs in patients with asthma disease.
In 1978, some scientists conducted a study in which 5 women with asthma participated, to whom THC was administered as a treatment. The results obtained were that THC produced a bronchodilator, depending on the amount of dose administered and maintaining the patients in fairly stable states.
A 2005 study carried out in animals came to the results that endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonists deprive the activation of C fibers through CB2 and maxi-K+ channels. In the same way, another study was carried out in 2008 where antigens were induced in animals (guinea pigs) to cause bronchial hyperreactivity, but apparently these had already been dosed with cannabis components, which was in favor of obtaining a prevention in the reaction of the airways.
An activation of CB1 receptors in bronchial nerve endings led to a reduction in respiratory resistance, acting on smooth muscle, which could be beneficial in reducing some asthma symptoms, this was a review carried out in 2012 on cannabinoids.
Inflammation is one of those side effects that some diseases cause and that can be alleviated by the wonderful effects of CBD, which is why in 2015 scientists experienced this reality when, when carrying out a study on mice that were being medicated with CBD, it was shown that the neuroprotective function of this compound on asthma caused the anticipation of inflammation.
Another study published in 2014 was based on taking samples of bronchial lung tissue from 88 patients to whom electric field stimulation was applied to make the muscle tissue contract, then administering THC, synthetic agonists of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, and the endogenous cannabinoid 2-AG, so they obtained a reduction in muscle contractions, based on some CB1 receptor agonists, such as THC. In the case of the cannabinoid 2-AG, no type of result was found.
In 1973, 1974 and 1976, several studies were carried out on the bronchodilator function of CBD in asthma, to which they found that Cannabis, unlike tobacco, had this bronchodilator benefit., as well as they also demonstrated that although its effect was much less than that of another conventional medication, cannabis had a longer effect and finally they found that cannabis was as effective as salbutamol, only that the latter had a faster effect.
Another couple of studies show that CBD reduces TH2 and TP levels, as well as indicating the effect of CBD on the response to the stimulation of mucus hypersecretion.
What is the role of CBD in asthma?
As we have seen, CBD has a great influence on the treatment of asthma, treating this disease in many ways and covering a wide range of its side effects. However, studies have shown that not only CBD has a positive effect on this story. , since THC has turned out to be of great help as well, below we specify the functions of CBD and THC in asthma:
- Decreased inflammation: This is one of the key steps that CBD or cannabidiol covers in this disease, since as we probably know, this cannabis compound has anti-inflammatory properties, so its role as an anti-inflammatory in this disease is quite beneficial. The inflammation of the airways during an asthma attack collaborates in this process to reduce the correct passage of air to the lungs, therefore, CBD reduces this inflammation, thus avoiding dyspnea or shortness of breath, a characteristic of the disease.
- Mucus hypersecretion: This factor is also directly involved in the harmful effects of this disease, also collaborating in the deprivation of breathing in asthmatic patients. When a patient enters an asthmatic process, accompanied by inflammation, an excessive secretion of mucus begins, which causes the airways to fill with it and obstruct the correct passage of air. Studies have shown an important participation of CBD in this process. of mucus hypersecretion.
- Spasm reducer: Bronchospasms or muscle spasms are effects of asthma that can significantly affect the patient with asthma. However, studies have shown that CBD has the ability to relax the muscle tissue of the lungs, preventing it from contracting, thus ensuring the patient the eradication of a side effect of this disease that is perhaps one of the most worrying and exasperating for him.
- Bronchodilator: Most of the conventional medications are focused on eliminating bronchial constriction, that is, helping to open the bronchi affected by an asthmatic crisis. This allows the patient to get out of respiratory difficulty in an optimal way. Basically, this is the most important point in the treatment of asthma, so according to studies carried out in the 70s, THC acts on the CB1 receptor, helping to reduce this constriction of the bronchus. In short, tetrahydrocannabinol is an excellent bronchodilator in the treatment of asthma attacks.
- Fighting bacteria: At this point, several components of cannabis such as THC, CBD and CBG are highlighted, since in previous studies these have been shown to have excellent performance as broad-spectrum or wide-range bactericides, taking into account that many asthmatic processes can be given. due to previous infections in the lungs during childhood, these effects are of great benefit to these patients.
- Reduces pain: Last but not least, we highlight the function, well recognized in most diseases, of CBD, some patients who have severe asthma symptoms experience severe chest pain, due to the lung effort to breathe better, this is a side effect. that accompanying the patient could cause despair, since not only will the patient experience great shortness of breath but he will also feel an oppressive pain in the chest that forces him to repress himself. This is why the analgesic effect of CBD or cannabidiol plays an important role in the treatment of severe asthma attacks.
Does cannabis negatively affect asthma?
You should not be alarmed! Since this will depend on the way in which you use the benefits of cannabis, it has been proven that smoking cannabis is harmful to the lungs, taking into account that one of the external factors that can cause an asthmatic process is the smoke of the cigarette, this way of consuming cannabis It is not the most appropriate, this is why we recommend not doing it or changing it to inhaling CBD in a vaporizer.
Vaporizer smoke is very different from dense cigarette smoke, in fact it is like a nebulizer that works differently, this is the best option in case you want to inhale the properties of cannabis, in fact it is the most recommended since it regulates Better the dosage and the effects directly attack the condition by traveling to the lungs, however it is good to keep in mind that to obtain excellent results, you must get essences for the vaper of the best quality on the market and with the appropriate CBD content.
This is supported by Dr. Dustin Sulak, who assured that 90% of asthmatic patients can inhale CBD through a vaporizer if done correctly, allowing deep breathing and correct lung expansion. It is ideal to use the vaporizer during an asthma attack. .
Another recommendation for consuming CBD is one of the most used in many conditions, About our CBD oil in drops, this allows easy sublingual administration and rapid absorption of the medication, allowing you to enjoy all the benefits of CBD without interruption, the dosage is a little more specific, but it is not complicated.
In conclusion, CBD does not negatively affect an asthmatic patient as long as they consume it appropriately, avoiding its use as marijuana and avoiding irritative processes that could worsen the condition.
Finally…
Thanks to all this information we can reach a final point where we conclude that CBD provides a number of beneficial effects in the treatment of asthma, even during an asthma attack. Thanks to the amount of properties that this cannabis compound contains, we can considerably reduce the side effects of this respiratory condition.
Although CBD takes most of the benefits, THC and some other cannabis compounds have important roles in this treatment, however, it is good to know the quantities that should be used to prevent unwanted effects, remember that THC is a powerful psychoactive.
The recommendation is that you always consult your doctor, consider the idea of a treatment with CBD and execute it correctly, evaluate including CBD in the conventional treatment or replace one or another medication, but this must be the decision of the treating doctor. It will help with the dosage and correct administration of the compound, as well as keeping track of the evolution of the disease and being able to prevent or treat side effects. It is also important to evaluate with your doctor the interaction of some drugs you are taking with CBD.