Atopic diseases, including dermatitis and asthma, which are caused by genetic and environmental risk factors, have become more common in recent decades. Statistics show that they currently affect approximately 20 percent of the population of developed countries regardless of their prosperous health care system. One of the most widespread and serious atopic diseases of our time is asthma.

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system, which is expressed in the appearance of disorders in the respiratory tract. As a result, they contract too much and too easily, both spontaneously and in response to a wide range of exo- and endogenous stimuli. This hyperreactivity of the airways is accompanied by an increase in their sensitivity. They are easily irritable and secrete more mucus than necessary.

The various manifestations of asthma are mainly activated by environmental factors that interact with the airways. Often the end result of this addiction is acute and chronic inflammation. Other factors that may also contribute to this condition are smooth muscle contractions, edema, and airway remodeling. For this reason, the heterogeneous nature of asthma may determine the response to its treatment in each individual case.

Although so common now and known to scientists for decades, asthma is actually an extremely serious disease. It can occur as a result of various factors, and the hypersensitivity of the respiratory tract makes those affected by it extremely vulnerable. In addition, the disease itself manifests itself spontaneously and untreated in time, it can even lead to suffocation and death. For this reason, it is vital to find a remedy that can deal with it permanently and effectively. Since the number of people suffering from asthma is constantly increasing, and the medications for its relief are often ineffective and can even lead to the appearance of side effects, this need is even greater.

But what could be the key to lasting control of asthma?

For centuries, people have used cannabis in their fight against asthma. By smoking it or inhaling it, they took advantage of its bronchodilator properties. Modern studies of this method show that the use of cannabis actually plays the role of a bronchodilator. It reduces the secretion of mucus in the respiratory tract and relieves spasms in the bronchi.

What people did not know in the past, however, is the fact that bronchospasms are largely dependent on anxiety. For example, the fear of suffocation when a spasm occurs further increases the manifestation of an asthma attack. Since cannabis contains the psychoactive THC, it follows that it will induce anxiety in asthma patients. For this reason, while providing minimal improvement, cannabis actually aggravates this condition.

However, this old-fashioned method of dealing with asthma has benefited from modern science. It prompted further research in the field, which found that another product derived from the hemp plant had the potential to effectively affect this disease.

This long-sought after product is precisely the CBD oil well known to modern man. It is an all-pure natural product that scientists believe has the potential to effectively treat asthma. However, before we can learn the details of its mechanism of action in those affected by it, it is necessary to learn more about the condition.

The most common model of asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation and remodeling, hypersensitivity, and an increase in the number of T-helper cell-related cytokines 2. In order to study this response in detail, scientists are investigating several immunomodulatory strategies both in preclinical , as well as in clinical settings. Because CBD oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and analgesic properties, it is also a major subject of research by science.

Scientists have found that by activating CB1 and CB2 receptors located in the central nervous system, the active cannabinoids that make up it have the potential to affect the immune cells directly related to asthma. For example, a recent study proves the relationship between CBD oil and receptors involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response, the expression of genetic transcription, and reflecting on the functional effects in various diseases such as colitis, sepsis-related encephalomyelitis and inflammatory lung diseases.

In addition, hemp oil has been shown to be well absorbed by the body even when administered chronically in humans. All these findings and suggestions for the potential development of a CBD-based treatment in this disease are of extreme importance, because until now the treatment of asthma still remains problematic. It often involves a combination of drugs, including corticosteroids, bronchodilators, leukotriene modifiers, and rather represents the application of targeted therapies involving anticytokines.

Although these methods of treating asthma have their strengths, they also have many limitations such as the occurrence of side effects for example. Furthermore, the chance of influencing patients with uncontrolled or partially controlled asthma remains uncertain despite the possibility of intensive treatment. For this reason, the need to explore new ways to treat this respiratory disease is obvious.

Since cannabidiol has the potential to become a method for the treatment of asthma, it is necessary to learn more about its exact mechanism of action in patients affected by this disease.

The action of CBD oil in asthma sufferers is based on the participation of the active cannabinoids contained in it in the inflammatory process and more precisely in immune and allergic reactions, inflammatory pain and neuroinflammation, as well as in the interaction of endocannabinoid metabolism with prostanoids and nitrogen oxide. A major role in these processes is played by two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, which belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family and are identified and targeted by multiple exo- and endogenous ligands.

Although they are involved in the regulation of the inflammatory process, each of these receptors actually has its own function. For example, the activation of CB2 receptors affects mast cells, has a direct anti-inflammatory effect and leads to the reduced release of pro-inflammatory mediators from these cells. On the other hand, the activation of CB1 receptors affects the bronchial nerve endings and, acting on the smooth muscles of the airways, has the effect of a bronchodilator.

For this reason, it can be of great benefit in cases of airway hyperreactivity and asthma. Combined, however, the role of these two receptors in this condition is even greater. It has been proven that pharmacological intervention in endocannabinoid metabolism leads to antinociceptive activity in the animal model of inflammatory pain, which is mediated precisely by CB1 and CB2 receptors. Moreover, the presence of a large number of endocannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, complemented by the large number of CB1 receptors in them, suggests that the endocannabinoid system is an important modulator of neuroinflammation and may be used as a therapeutic tool in the future.

Since the activation of CB1 receptors in cerebral blood vessels under certain conditions can also have a beneficial anti-ischemic effect, it follows that hemp oil affects not only the cause of asthma, but also the potential complications caused by it. Endocannabinoids can also bind to vanilloid receptors, resulting in the ability to mediate some neurotoxic effects.

What does the research show about the effect of using CBD oil in patients suffering from asthma?

To begin with, the researchers investigated the effect of using hemp oil in the animal model of asthma, with both types of immune cells, TH1 and TH2, being represented in the experimental CBD treatment. Studies have demonstrated the protective effect of cannabidiol on lung inflammation in several different models of asthma. Their results showed that it reduced total lung resistance and airway elasticity in this type of asthma, as well as improved some markers of inflammation in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

However, the study was unable to conclusively prove the medicinal potential of hemp oil for the treatment of asthma, as the inflammation associated with asthma was slightly different from that seen in this model. In this case, rats are sensitized by a large number of antigens that are not normally exposed to the environment. This may induce both TH1 and TH2 responses, which appear to be distinct from lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation, and the study data remains questionable.

Despite the lack of definitive information on the effect of the use of CBD oil in people suffering from asthma, an increasing number of patients trust its medical potential in the field. For example, a case was recently recorded where an asthmatic visited his doctor to share his positive experience of taking hemp oil. Sharing this, the patient wishes his condition to be investigated immediately after taking the CBD oil he used. A test is conducted where he takes three drops of the product.

The data on his state of health are measured before and 15 minutes after the intake, and at the end of the experiment the results are summarized. It turns out that even in such a narrow time interval, the difference in the patient's condition is remarkable. Just 15 minutes after taking cannabidiol, his tidal volume was nearly doubled. His breathing is facilitated and the amount of mucus released from the respiratory tract is significantly reduced. Although the medical team was unable to establish the exact cause of the patient's sudden improvement in the case, the test results inevitably demonstrated the role of CBD oil as a bronchodilator. They also give scientists and the millions of asthma sufferers around the world hope for a brighter future and a fulfilling lifestyle.

What is the conclusion?

Although CBD oil is not yet used as an official method for the treatment of asthma, more and more scientists are convinced of its medical potential in the field. Research has demonstrated its role as a bronchodilator and immunosuppressant, as well as its role in inflammation. Since a number of researchers point out that hemp oil has the potential to fight both the causes of asthma and the potential side effects on the body caused by it, CBD-based treatments for various types of asthma may very soon be developed.

Tags CBD oil, CBD oil and asthma