When it comes to everyday annoyances that we humans have to deal with, allergies are among them. Even though it is one of the easiest illnesses one can overcome with modern medicines of today, it is still a significant annoyance to one’s everyday chores and activities, potentially disrupting those greatly at a considerable cost. Fortunately, modern medicine has created easy-to-access medicine to alleviate the symptoms of the said illness in a given amount of time. See how CBD for allergy works for people who have its symptoms.
However, aside from the said modern, yet boring medicine especially created to fight against allergies, some prefer other methods of medication for this kind of illness, and one of them is the usage of products infused with the cannabidiol (CBD), as a form of natural medication. Therefore, the push for CBD for allergy has gained traction over the years since the usage of cannabis has been either fully or partially legalized in some areas.
Today, we will look into the possible CBD for allergy medications, the common types of allergies that have been medically recorded, a look into allergic rhinitis and its causes, the common treatment for the mentioned disease, and how CBD can be potentially used as a form of treatment for allergic rhinitis.
Allergies: The Most Common Illness of Today
It might not be a piece of common knowledge to the public, but there are many kinds of allergies one can contract over their lifetime. The most known of them all is the common allergy that can be triggered by either dust or the consumption of a specific type of food one has eaten beforehand.
However, some allergies can be triggered due to contact or consumption of certain types of drugs, coming into contact with pets, getting triggered by mold in the air inhaled, and certain types of latex that come into contact with one’s skin.
But, there is one specific type of allergy that has been affecting patients worldwide for some time now, and that is called allergic rhinitis (also known by its different name in other locations as hay fever). This kind of allergy is common among younger adults in the United States, wherein 8% of the people affected over the age of 18 years old are commonly affected by this type of allergy. Allergic rhinitis’s typical symptoms are sneezing and coughing, which is usually common in the summer season.
Do take note that allergic rhinitis can also occur during the spring season, not just only in the summer season. When at home, some known household products like various cleaning materials such as cleaning solutions and laundry detergents can cause and trigger allergic rhinitis.
When one is affected by the said allergy, he or she tends to use specific medicines created to combat it, such as the most used and widely available antihistamines, and the other decongestants that have anti-allergy properties. This is where the question of the usage of cannabidiol (CBD) as medication comes into play.
Before we check into the possibilities and benefits of CBD for allergy treatment, we will first look into what precisely is allergic rhinitis.
Allergic Rhinitis: What Is It?
As mentioned earlier, it is a type of allergy common in younger adults above the age of 18, wherein it produces a number of symptoms in one that has been affected by it. Listed below are the most common symptoms that have been medically recorded throughout history:
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Itchy nose
- Swollen eyes
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Coughing
Many will think of those symptoms as the fault of the said illness, but in truth, it is the side effect produced by the immune system of the infected individual reacting to the allergen. Once the immune system starts to fight off the allergen causing allergic rhinitis, those symptoms will come into effect.
However, it will take some time before one’s body starts to react with the allergy virus, as the antibodies of the immune system will need to identify first the possible threat an allergy virus can bring to its host, mostly from plant pollens, fungal spores, dust mites, and other external foreign matter that enters the body that can be considered as irritants by the immune system.
Fortunately, this disease only affects a minimal number of people per population in most countries globally and isn’t considered a fatal disease. However, this type of disease can severely affect one’s daily life and their accompanying activities, and has a number of risk factors one can potentially develop, which are listed below:
- Having other types of allergies
- Family/relatives having allergies
- In an area with lots of allergens in the air
The complications of allergic rhinitis can bring to one’s life are listed below:
- Severe asthma
- Ear infections
- Poor/lack of sleep
The Commonly Used Conventional Treatments
When it comes to treating this kind of illness, there are two known medications that have been associated with the treatment of this said disease, namely antihistamines and decongestants, respectively.
Antihistamines are usually administered before coming in contact with an irritant to prevent the symptoms from appearing at all. However, it can also be given to a person after he/she has an allergic reaction after coming into contact, but only decreases the symptoms until they naturally go away after a given time.
Decongestants help with the swelling of the blood vessels in the nose and its sinuses that swell due to allergic reactions beforehand. Once the medication has been orally taken, it will mostly target the said blood vessels that became congested after an allergic reaction due to contact with irritants, mostly external. It can also help reduce the swelling on the other parts of the body, such as the hands and fingers, which usually swell up due to an allergic reaction.
It may be a good thing that there are dedicated medications in combating allergic rhinitis and its symptoms; however, those same medications have their side effects. One known side effect of both medicines is that the user will become sleepy after consuming it. Therefore it is highly advised that the medication be taken near a place one can rest or not be traveling outside. Another side effect is the user losing concentration due to the sleepiness mentioned above. It can affect everyday activities and work when taken during those said hours of activity and work.
CBD for Allergy
Due to the various records and studies showing the medical treatment potential of cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative medication to most diseases currently known by humankind throughout its history, many have pointed out the possibility of CBD being used to treat allergic rhinitis and its symptoms more naturally than their specific, factory-made medication counterparts.
Thanks to the various benefits CBD can bring to an infected person that can greatly affect their memory, mood, appetite, and sleep positively. Many medical experts are now focusing their attention to finding ways on how to use CBD as an alternative, in which they have pointed out the main benefits of CBD for allergy including allergic rhinitis and its symptoms, that are listed below:
1. Against general inflammation
Even though there are no proven anti-inflammatory properties found on cannabidiol for humans as of the moment yet, it has been proven that CBD can help reduce swelling brought about by inflammation in animals, showing the future potential of CBD having the same effect on humans in the near future.
2. Against histamine levels
As proven by various studies, CBD has been known to help lower the levels of histamine found in the blood of an infected person, acting as a natural antioxidant.
3. Anti-inflammatory effects on the skin
For the skin, some symptoms can be visually seen on the skin of an affected individual when it comes to allergic rhinitis. Unfortunately, that can result in various types of skin complications/infections, such as eczema and allergic dermatitis. However, thanks to various studies and experiments done by medical experts, they have proven that CBD can provide anti-inflammatory effects on the skin affected with allergic dermatitis. Additional studies and experiments are being done to see if CBD can also be used to combat other skin-related infections due to reacting with allergic rhinitis.
CBD Dosage for Allergic Rhinitis
- Vaping CBD
- Smoking CBD
- Topical CBD application (creams, oils, salves, lotions)
- Consumption of edibles with CBD
- Sublingual CBD application
Overall Conclusion
As seen in this article, it was stated that there are various benefits of CBD for allergy that was used to combat allergic rhinitis and the symptoms it brings to a person with an allergic reaction from irritants.