How Cannabis Treats Asthma By Rachel Garland 22.11.16
Experiencing coughing, shortness of breath,
and chest tightness?
It is estimated that one out of twelve people
suffer from asthma – a chronic respiratory
disease which typically becomes present
during childhood.
While many people experience minimal
symptoms with treatment, asthma was linked
to over 3,000 deaths in 2010 alone.
Naturally, many asthmatics choose to stay
away from cannabis for fear of exacerbating
their symptoms. But contrary to popular
belief, studies have shown cannabis has little
to no long-term impact on the lungs.
In fact – recent research is showing cannabis
is helpful rather than harmful for asthma
patients.
Cannabis opens rather than restricts the airways
Essentially, cannabis acts a bronchodilator
rather than a Broncho constrictor. A study in
the Journal of Pharmacology and
Experimental Therapeutics showed that
cannabinoids protect the lungs.
Surprisingly, the study reve aled that THC and
THC-V were the only cannabinoids to inhibit
constriction, with THC being the most-
effective.
The results from this study are astonishing
considering that bronchoconstriction is one of
the biggest problem plaguing asthma
sufferers. During an asthma attack, the
bronchioles (air passageways in the nose and
mouth) become constricted.
As a result, the rate of oxygen flow is severely
restricted.
Cannabis helps to open up these airways.
Several studies have shown that cannabis
improves bronchoconstriction while resting
and during an asthma attack.
“THC is actually a very potent
bronchodilator and that’s exactly what we
need when we’re treating asthma,”
“When we are suffering from an asthma
attack, those bronchioles are squeezing on
themselves, making it very hard to breathe.
Well, enter THC. It opens those bronchioles
right up and we can breathe better.”
Cannabis
possesses
powerful
anti-
inflammatory effects.
These mushroom-shaped
crystals
are
the
trichomes, which contain
most of the plant's active
cannabinoids.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease
affecting the lungs’ airways. Essentially, this
inflammation of the air passages causes a
temporary narrowing of the lungs, which
reduces the amount of oxygen carried
throughout the body.
For asthma sufferers, this makes breathing
difficult, to say the least.
In fact, inflammation is not only present
during an asthma attack but also when resting.
Low-level inflammation can also be found in
bronchi and bronchioles of asthma sufferers.
And when an asthma attack does occur,
inflammation increases further.
In severe cases inflammation can even cause
total loss of breath.
Cannabis is a well-known anti-inflammatory,
interacting with cannabinoid receptors
throughout the body, including the lungs.
A study in the journal Mediators of
Inflammation revealed that the cannabinoid
CBD contains potent immunosuppressive and
anti-inflammatory responses.