Let’s start with pneumonia itself. Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that can cause one or both lungs to be inflamed and fill up with fluid. With pneumonia, the air sacs may fill with fluid or pus. The infection can be life-threatening to anyone, but particularly to infants, children, and people over 65. Symptoms may consist of coughing with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. Antibiotics can treat many forms of pneumonia. Some forms of pneumonia can be prevented by vaccines.

But how does CBD tie into this?

CBD is a non-psychoactive product, meaning that it does not give you a high or any of the mind-altering effects of THC (also known as tetrahydrocannabinol). There are different CBD products that work better for different conditions, but they truly do help make a difference for whatever condition that you may have. Along with the different conditions it can help, it also comes in different forms. There are gummies/edibles, oils and tinctures, creams and lotions, capsules/pills, and even vapes! Early studies have found that CBD may be a potential alternative to traditional medications for treating anxiety and depression. CBD is able to help due to being able to sooth irritated lungs. This is due to CBD’s anti- inflammatory properties, it also is able to reduce the pain signals that are sent to your brain, thus helping to reduce overall discomfort. When it comes to inflammation, CBD does wonders internally and externally. There have been many studies done that proved that CBD can help with lung functionality. An example of this is with asthma. CBD oil also acts as a bronchodilator which may benefit those with asthma symptoms by dilating the respiratory airways. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD may also decrease hyperresponsiveness in your respiratory airway by reducing sensitivity to triggers that may cause an asthma attack.

One way CBD appears to reduce the “cytokine storm” that damages the lungs and kills many patients with COVID-19 is by enabling an increase in levels of a natural peptide called apelin. Apelin is known to reduce inflammation. There have been researchers who have reported that CBD’s ability to improve oxygen levels and reduce inflammation as well as physical lung damage in their laboratory model of deadly adult respiratory distress syndrome. Now they have shown that apelin levels go way down with the viral infection, which has killed 1 million people worldwide, and that CBD quickly helps normalize those levels along with lung function. Apelin is a pervasive peptide made by cells in the heart, lung, brain, fat tissue and blood, and is an important regulator in bringing both blood pressure and inflammation down. When our blood pressure gets high, for example, apelin levels should go up in the right place, like endothelial cells that line blood vessels, to help bring it down. Apelin should do the same to help normalize the significant increases in inflammation in the lungs and related breathing difficulties associated with deadly adult respiratory distress syndrome With CBD, it can make your recovery process much easier. Always consult your doctor before trying any new treatments. At AHS, we have specialists and a nurse on staff who can help answer any CBD questions you may have.

When you breathe in one of these triggers, your airways end up becoming more inflamed and swollen. This narrows the space for the air to travel in and out of your lungs. The muscles wrapped around your airway tighten and it makes breathing more difficult. This is referred to as an asthma flare-up, asthma episode, or an asthma “attack.” Asthma can start at any age, sometimes people have asthma from a young age. There are also a few different types of asthma. Exercise-induced asthma, which occurs with physical exertion. Occupational asthma, triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases or dust. Then there’s Allergy-induced asthma, triggered by airborne substances, such as pollen, mold spores, or particles of skin and dried saliva shed by pets (pet dander)

Medicines used for asthma:

The types of medication used to treat asthma are as diverse as the symptoms and include inhaled corticosteroids, short- and long-acting relief medications, oral steroids, leukotriene modifiers, mast cell stabilizers, and immune modulators.

Inhaled Corticosteroids is prescribed for asthmatic patients to help decrease the frequency of asthma attacks. It won’t relieve said attack immediately once it has started, so be careful of that. These steroids can also offer side effects not limited to the entire body. After long term use you can have possible side effects such as “Thrush” a common fungal mouth infection, sore mouth or throat, hoarseness of voice,
and can even have deepening effects such as decreased bone density in adults, or even slight reduction of growth in children.

Oral steroids are another common medication used for asthma patients. If your symptoms are more severe, an oral medication will be recommended if you are more at risk than most patients. but do not require hospitalization. Side effects are similar to those for inhaled steroids, but more common and severe. With oral steroids you could experience weight gain, fluid retention, elevated blood sugar which
can lead to diabetes.

These are just side effects for the most common medications used to help treat asthma patients. We want a medication that will heal, rather than cause future health issues. We should want our medications to solve the issue not give more issues that will eventually need more medications just to stabilize the problem. As most of these medications offer more and more side effects, we are only stabilizing the problem for a moment.

What makes CBD beneficial for asthma?

The inflammation of the air passages causes a temporary narrowing of the lungs, which reduces the amount of oxygen carried throughout the body. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the lungs’ airways, and cannabis happens to be a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. CBD is a well-known anti-inflammatory, interacting with cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, including the lungs.

Muscle Spasticity, or bronchial spasms, are a sudden constriction of the muscles in the lungs. Causing difficulty in breathing. CBD is known to be antispasmodic. The strains found in CBD have muscle spasm relief effect. By Relaxing the muscles in the lungs, the airways expand, allowing for an increase in airflow.

It is well documented that CBD is a very potent bronchodilator and useful in the treatment of asthma. CBD can dilate the respiratory air passages and inhibits bronchoconstriction, which is the main problem of asthma patients. When a patient is undergoing an asthma attack, bronchioles become constricted, and the flow of oxygen is constrained. CBD, when taken orally or inhaled, opens the bronchioles, and
dilates the respiratory passage making it easier to breathe.

CBD reduces inflammation by affecting activity in the body’s endocannabinoid receptors. That goes for both chronic inflammation and acute inflammation. So, whether you are having inflammation in the lungs or anywhere else in the body, CBD can help reduce and condense the response your body is creating. Thus, making it easier to recover from an asthma attack.

How should you use CBD with asthma?

As we are all thinking, “there is no way an asthma patient should be smoking anything!” Well in terms of vaporization, this is beneficial for an asthma patient. Vaporizers open the airways rather than restrict the airways making this a good option for asthma patients. Typical inhalers contain adrenaline-like stimulants, which work well but tend to heighten anxiety. CBD helps balance anxiety not add to it. When
CBD oil is vaporized it provides the maximum amount of concentration. Vaporizing CBD oil also does not have negative effects on a person’s throat or lungs. In some cases, individuals may not be able to use a vaporizer if their symptoms are too severe or would prefer another method of consumption.

During an asthma attack, a CBD vaporizer or tincture is ideal as it will give immediate results without irritating the system. However, if vaporizing CBD leads to coughing or worsening of symptoms then try using an edible form of CBD. Keep in mind edibles are not reliable when facing an attack.

Tinctures are a great way to really help continuously coat the lungs internally. A few drops of oil go under the tongue for 15 seconds as this allows the oil to be absorbed into the blood stream. Swallow and relief is typically found immediately.

Taking CBD by any method shows a result in decreased airway resistance. A daily dosing of CBD necessary to get a starting point of medication in the human system to control asthma more easily. Asthma patients can use CBD to improve their overall functions of the body, more importantly, their lungs.

Does my diet play a role in asthma?

What you eat effects your entire human body system. In a case such as asthma it is important as well to be cautious of certain foods we eat. Eating to maintain a healthy weigh is important as individuals who are overweight, this can increase asthma symptoms. By eating a variety of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, this can help to reduce lung swelling. There’s evidence that people who eat diets higher in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids have lower rates of asthma. Keeping away from processed foods can not only reduce symptoms but also prevent asthma from developing.

If we feed our bodies a whole diet, of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and limit our meat consumption, we can see improvements in the overall wellbeing of our bodies. Eating a healthy diet can help to prevent, treat, and even reverse many healthy concerns.

When using CBD combined with a nutritional diet plan you will see the results come in greater form. Keeping the body healthy helps to aid the function of CBD in the body.

Feel free to speak with one of our CBD specialists to learn more or if you have any additional questions about CBD or how to take it with any medications. We always have specialists available and a nurse on staff to help you with any of your CBD needs.