{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/anti-inflammatory/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_1991-markdown","title":"Marijuana & Asthma: Can it Help?","slug":"marijuana-and-asthma-can-it-help","content":"For most people, the idea of inhaling marijuana to treat the symptoms of\nasthma is simply unheard of. It's common knowledge that smoking\ncigarettes can worsen asthma symptoms, and most people can't imagine how\ninhaling anything (besides the medicine contained in a doctor-prescribed\ninhaler, of course) could have health benefits.\n\nCannabis, however, can have [positive effects on the symptoms of\nasthma](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55c260b465613800060f0000/asthma-patients-may-breathe-easier-with-cannabis) even when inhaled. These new findings are an exciting development for\nthose suffering from the lung disease. It's possible that with further\nstudy, we'll soon be seeing marijuana emerge as a mainstream treatment\nfor this chronic condition.\n\n**What is Asthma?**\n\nAsthma is a dangerous respiratory condition that results in difficulty\nbreathing. Asthma attacks - characterized by coughing, wheezing and\nshortness of breath - are often the result of exercise or allergic\nreactions to environmental pollutants, like pollen or dander. With\nsymptoms that range from mild to severe, asthma is a common disorder\nthat affects more than 25 million Americans. More than 3,000 people in\nthe United States die each year from asthma-related complications.\n\n**How Cannabis Treats Asthma Symptoms**\n\nIt's widely known that cannabis is a powerful\n[anti-inflammatory](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55a3f31338323000062f0000/medical-marijuana-as-an-aid-against-inflammation).\nOne of the main ways cannabis treats asthma symptoms is by discouraging\ninflammation and opening the passages of the respiratory system. This,\nin turn, decreases coughing and shortness of breath. While many people\nmay imagine the effects of smoking marijuana and smoking cigarettes to\nbe similar, the effects of marijuana on the bronchial passages are\nactually the *opposite* of tobacco cigarettes - which constrict the\npassages of the airway, causing asthma symptoms to worsen.\n\nA 2012\n[study](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1104848)\npublished in *The* *Journal of the American Medical Association* found\nthat people who suffered from asthma and smoked marijuana on a moderate\nbasis actually *increased* their lung function, without suffering the\nlung damage associated with tobacco cigarettes.\n\nThese results have surprised almost everyone, from consumers to doctors\nwho specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. It's clear the\neffectiveness of medical marijuana on asthma symptoms has the potential\nto revolutionize how the condition is treated in the future.\n\n**Cannabis Vaporizers vs. Corticosteroids**\n\nOne thing many medical professionals are considering is whether\n[cannabis can replace or decrease the use of\ncorticosteroids](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55c260b465613800060f0000/asthma-patients-may-breathe-easier-with-cannabis)\nfor the treatment of asthma. Inhalers containing corticosteroids are\ncurrently the most-diagnosed treatment for asthma, but unfortunately,\nthe medications contained within prescribed inhalers have been\nassociated with [dangerous side\neffects](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/steroids/),\nincluding depression, anxiety and high blood pressure. Because of this,\nmany asthma sufferers have been looking for steroid-free treatment\nsolutions - and marijuana is currently one of the leading options.\n\nOne of the best ways to deliver cannabis to a person suffering from\nasthma is through vaporization. Modern inhalers work by vaporizing the\nmedicine within, so it stands to reason marijuana vaporizers could\nbecome just as popular in the asthmatic community. In addition to being\nsafer and cleaner than smoking, vaporizers are also highly portable,\nefficient and effective. Because of these characteristics, cannabis\nvaporizers could easily replace vaporized corticosteroids with a safer\nand more effective medicine.\n\n**The Bottom Line**\n\nWhile only time will tell whether marijuana gains popularity as a\ntreatment for asthma, it's clear the compounds contained within\nmarijuana (including THC and CBD) possess powerful anti-inflammatory\nproperties that can help decrease and alleviate the symptoms of asthma.\nAdditionally, the easy availability and proven effectiveness of delivery\nmethods like marijuana vaporization can help asthma sufferers have\naccess to a safe, efficient treatment to manage their symptoms.\n\n[Photo Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/zippidyserendipity/16193758604/in/photolist-qEZffy-9gwra2-67xhV8-nNTqkA-kVXXBe-gjjEXm-9b1cch-7dVvXJ-q2TRtx-pAAFAo-4fMWBk-4pXsd1-am2eL-quA8v1-fv781p-a4zrck-3ekWt9-jir4dy-4CzUjr-7hNRem-6nhmcq-r495gT-8KSU42-ajg5GJ-bziDJQ-6AGFio-kVYSYf-mFKz51-98n3CK-kVXnNV-Bu36d-5PNEYR-pvUqhQ-s2hZ1-N5MoN-c3bLtd-rp7PDC-5DxCLH-nSHZak-4sMFm9-5SY4Xo-6YAAzs-6ACuLg-9rHh21-p5UBJC-6AGETq-aaQcLJ-9kh3bS-8n6c7h-oxTr4v)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4184397163120568,"src":"/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/ee604/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.png","srcSet":"/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/69585/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.png 200w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/497c6/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.png 400w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/ee604/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.png 800w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/6a660/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.png 851w","srcWebp":"/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/58556/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/61e93/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.webp 200w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/1f5c5/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.webp 400w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/58556/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.webp 800w,\n/static/bd08024adfd8d79cdf71886773eeb393/4141f/64ea9feb776d0692902f9a533c78bd8c.webp 851w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":4950,"name":"Anti-inflammatory","slug":"anti-inflammatory","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}