How Can Cannabis Help Treat Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic condition that afflicts nearly 25 million Americans, and over 300 million people worldwide. And asthma claims roughly 250,000 lives every year.

There is no cure for asthma. And those who suffer from this often debilitating disorder do their best to manage the symptoms with medication.

But a growing body of medical research indicates cannabis may be effective as an alternative to the approach currently prescribed by mainstream medicine.

How exactly does cannabis impact asthma? We were wondering the same thing here at Cannawayz.com. And we discovered to understand how cannabis can help treat asthma, it's necessary to grasp how the disorder impacts the body…

What Causes Asthma?

An insidious ailment, asthma attacks you from the inside out, inflaming your lung’s air passageways, which causes them to constrict and fill with excess mucus. This constriction and excess mucus, in turn, make it difficult to breathe. And if not treated properly, an extreme asthma attack can literally suffocate you to death.

Pollen, ragweed, goldenrod, and similar airborne allergens commonly trigger asthma attacks. Particulates and other pollution in the air can also exacerbate and sometimes instigate asthma.

Smoking cigarettes, inhaling secondhand smoke, and using other tobacco can aggravate asthma. Smoking and vaping cannabis can also worsen asthma.

How is Asthma Typically Treated?

Asthmatics traditionally use an inhaler, which shoots a burst of medicated mist into their lungs, to manage their condition.

Inhalers, however, HEAVY-DUTY contain steroids, like prednisone. These medications can have significant side effects. Prednisone, for example, is also used in chemotherapy to treat cancer.

How Can Cannabis Help Treat Asthma?

Unspringing, many people with moderate to minor asthma often seek to avoid using an inhaler unless absolutely necessary.

This avoidance also fuels a strong interest in alternative asthma treatments, which includes cannabis.

CBD, THC, and other cannabis ingredients are noted anti-inflammatories. And the effects of these ingredients can help ease the inflammation that causes constriction in the lung’s air passageways and makes it difficult for asthmatics to breathe.

Research also shows THC can suppress the immune system. This suppression helpful because asthma is an allergic reaction, which is the body reacting to a benign substance as if it were a harmful contagion. As such, THC is believed to help ward off potential asthma attacks.

For obvious reasons, smoking and vaping cannabis is NOT recommended if you have asthma. Cannabis edibles and capsules, however, are a perfectly safe option if you’re interested in experimenting with cannabis as an alternative asthma treatment.