Gastroenteritis and cannabis

Much has been said about CBD's apparent ability to reduce pain, stop inflammation or even treat cancer. CBD for gastroenteritis is an application we see mentioned less often, but recently CBD has emerged as a promising potential treatment for the symptoms of this uncomfortable illness. Learn more about CBD for gastroenteritis and how this cannabinoid could be the natural cure for gastro.

What causes gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis is caused by a variety of different viruses. Gastroenteritis can also be caused by bacteria, but is most often due to food or water contaminated with a dangerous virus.

Some types of gastroenteritis can be contracted by touching surfaces or breathing air with which a sick person has been in contact. The symptoms of gastroenteritis are very similar to those of food poisoning, but «food poisoning» is a general term for any condition caused by eating food contaminated with viruses, bacteria or parasites.

Your susceptibility to gastroenteritis depends on the health of your immune system. When your body can't properly eliminate the viruses or bacteria you consume, the result is gastroenteritis, which often persists for two or three days.

Also known as gastroenteritis, the term has simply been used to refer to viral gastroenteritis for so long that the name has remained in the public lexicon.

Common symptoms of gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is incredibly uncomfortable. The symptoms of this illness are so intense, in fact, that they can totally alter your state of mind and make it impossible to concentrate or even sleep. Fortunately, gastroenteritis symptoms usually disappear within a few days, and most patients experience a gradual decrease in symptoms after the first day or so.

However, when you are in the midst of gastroenteritis, it is common to experience severe symptoms, such as

• watery diarrhea
• stomach cramps
• dizziness
• exhaustion
• brain fog
• loss of appetite
• nausea

In short, viral gastroenteritis can knock you flat, but it doesn't last very long. However, if you were planning to work or go to school as usual, your gastroenteritis may have other plans.

Remember that gastroenteritis can be contagious, so do your best to avoid contact with others while you're sick.

Is CBD oil good for gastroenteritis?

Can you use CBD oil for gastroenteritis? You certainly can. In fact, CBD may provide more relief from your gastro symptoms than other common treatments, with no side effects.

One of the most obvious benefits of CBD for gastroenteritis is that you can administer this cannabinoid in a number of different ways. If the idea of putting CBD-rich oil under your tongue while you're sick makes you feel like you're going to vomit, you can always vape CBD or apply it topically instead.

A significant amount of scientific research has been conducted to determine the benefits of CBD, and some of this research may indicate that CBD is beneficial for gastroenteritis. Here are most of the reported benefits of CBD in relation to each of the main symptoms of gastroenteritis.

CBD and immune health

If you've caught gastroenteritis, it's because a microbe has managed to get past your immune defenses. To protect yourself against gastroenteritis and other types of illness, it's a good idea to get your immune system back in shape, and CBD could help.

First of all, it's important to point out that one of CBD's most important effects seems to be its ability to reduce oxidative stress. A study revealed that CBD is more powerful as an antioxidant than either vitamin C or vitamin E2, meaning that this cannabinoid appears to be one of the most potent natural antioxidants discovered to date.

Why is this important? Because oxidative stress damages your immune system. When the relationship between free radicals and antioxidants in your body is out of balance, you become more vulnerable to disease.

Overall, CBD seems to help balance your immune system. Whether you're currently dealing with a stomach bug or trying to get over the symptoms of gastroenteritis as quickly as possible, CBD can serve as a powerful ally to your immune system to get you back up and running.

CBD against nausea

Nausea can be caused by a variety of different nervous system triggers. For example, the vomiting centers located in the medulla oblongata are among the most common mechanisms for activating nausea symptoms, but the vagus nerves located in the gastrointestinal tract can also cause nausea.

These nerves of the digestive system are covered with 5-HT3 serotonin receptors, which are blocked by common anti-nausea drugs such as ondansetron. For their part, 5-HT1A receptors, also known as serotonin 1A receptors, regulate the activity of all other 5-HT receptors and soothe them when they become overactive.

What does all this have to do with CBD? Well, CBD acts as a 5-HT1A5 receptor agonist, meaning it appears to activate these crucial components of the body's serotonin system. CBD's apparent activation of 5-HT1A receptors seems to be behind a wide variety of different benefits, but gastroenteritis sufferers will be very pleased to learn that this non-intoxicating cannabinoid's interaction with the serotonergic system seems to reduce nausea at its source.

For years, cannabis has been a target of choice for anti-nausea treatments. A 2002 study showed that rats given a nausea-inducing drug showed a reduction in symptoms when treated with CBD, and an increase in nausea. 2013 study followed, showing that CBD appears to reduce the vomiting reflex in shrews. CBD isn't the only cannabinoid showing promise as an anti-nausea drug; research has shown that CBDA, CBG and THC all appear to reduce nausea and prevent vomiting.

Of particular interest are the potential benefits of CBD for NVIC - chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Chemotherapy is a necessary part of contemporary cancer treatment, but nausea is one of the most frequently reported side effects. As CBD appears to reduce nausea by interacting with the serotonergic system, this cannabinoid could be a powerful treatment to help chemotherapy patients overcome intense nausea.

CBD and digestive health

When you have a stomach problem, it's natural to experience severe cramping and other digestive pain that worsens after a bowel movement. In some cases, this discomfort is quite strong, but CBD could help reduce this common symptom of gastroenteritis.

CBD doesn't seem to have any direct digestive benefits; while hemp oil contains certain minerals and omega fatty acids, CBD is nutritionally neutral. However, where CBD seems to shine as a digestive aid and treatment for gastroenteritis symptoms is in its anti-inflammatory benefits.

When you feel pain as a symptom of gastroenteritis, it's because your digestive tract is inflamed. Inflammation is a natural immune response designed to destroy foreign bodies and help you heal. In the case of gastroenteritis, however, this inflammation can become very painful and threaten to drown out all other sensations.

As we mentioned earlier, CBD appears to have profound antioxidant benefits, which means it also appears to reduce inflammation. Oxidative stress and inflammation go hand in hand; inflammation increases oxidative stress, and conversely, reducing oxidative stress reduces inflammation. If CBD reduces oxidative stress, it could therefore also theoretically reduce the gastrointestinal pain associated with gastroenteritis.

The more controlled the immune response to your gastro is, the less intense the gastrointestinal inflammation will be, and the faster your body will recover from gastroenteritis symptoms. Thanks to a variety of mechanisms of action, using CBD for stomach pain could be an excellent tool for overcoming gastroenteritis symptoms with more grace.

CBD against diarrhea

Catching a stomach virus has the effect of sending you to the bathroom more often than you'd like. Not only is getting up to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes annoying, it can also be very painful, and you'd be happy to take advantage of any kind of relief you can get.

While CBD can't completely stop diarrhea, this cannabinoid is able to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with this common symptom of gastroenteritis. By reducing inflammation in your gut, CBD may even increase the strength of your stool.

Ingesting CBD orally may be the most effective way to use CBD for gastroenteritis symptoms. As orally ingested CBD moves through your digestive tract, it delivers its benefits to your stomach, small intestine and large intestine. At each stage, this non-intoxicating cannabinoid could reduce inflammation, decrease the liquidity of your stool and soothe your painful digestive tract to speed up the recovery process.

Other benefits of CBD

So far, we've only touched on CBD's direct effects on gastroenteritis symptoms. However, other beneficial effects of CBD may indirectly improve your mental and physical state as you battle the symptoms of this very uncomfortable condition.

For example, CBD's agonist action on 5-HT1A receptors seems to help fight against depression and anxiety. If you're like most people who suffer from the symptoms of gastroenteritis, you'll feel a significant drop in mood when stomach cramps and diarrhea set in, and CBD could help you look on the bright side between trips to the bathroom.

And what you often need most when you have gastroenteritis, is a good night's sleep. Since 5-HT1A activation seems to stimulate longer REM sleep cycles, taking a little CBD before lying down for a nap might even offer you sweet, mind-altering dreams.

How do I find the right CBD oil for gastroenteritis?

When you have gastroenteritis, it's hard to fight the urge to just lie there and moan. However, prepping ahead with the right CBD products could be just what you need when gastroenteritis symptoms kick in and you're knocked out of commission. And different modes of application can offer different benefits.

Vaping CBD for gastroenteritis

Vaporizing CBD can be a great way to provide instant relief from gastroenteritis symptoms. If you simply can't bear another trip to the bathroom until you've had a rest, a quick shot of vape CBD may be enough to calm your stomach for a few minutes.

Even if you use CBD in other ways, using your CBD vaporizer throughout the day is a great way to get instant results that complement the long-term effects of other CBD administration methods. What's more, CBD vaping doesn't involve swallowing anything, so using a CBD vaporizer could be the perfect way to enjoy the benefits of CBD for gastroenteritis without triggering nausea.

Oral CBD for gastroenteritis

The oral administration of CBD is potentially one of the most effective ways using CBD for gastroenteritis. The CBD you ingest orally provides long-term effects, and when you're suffering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis, it's understandable that you might just want to take medication and lie down for as long as possible.

Depending on the type of oral CBD you try, you may enjoy instant effects in addition to the long-term effects of oral CBD, which unfold within 4-6 hours. Sublingual CBD oils for gastroenteritis, for example, are designed to be held under the tongue before swallowing. These dual-effect CBD products are absorbed by the mucus layer under your tongue before being gradually absorbed by the lining of your digestive tract, which can provide instant relief while you wait for the full benefits of the CBD you've swallowed to take effect.

Topical CBD for gastroenteritis

Topical application of CBD is probably not the most effective way to use this cannabinoid as a treatment for gastroenteritis. However, some of the CBD you apply topically is absorbed into your bloodstream, and applying CBD to your abdominal area can reduce the local inflammation and muscle cramps that make gastroenteritis so intolerable. Plus, enjoying the soothing effects and scent of your favorite CBD cream for gastroenteritis could be the perfect thing to get you in the mood to relax and wait for your problem to go away.

CBD against gastroenteritis : The essentials

No matter what you do, having a stomach bug is never going to be fun. CBD isn't a magic panacea; on the contrary, the benefits of this cannabinoid are rooted in science, meaning that CBD's effects are limited to what can be accomplished in the real world.

That said, CBD appears to be one of the most effective and safest treatments for gastroenteritis yet discovered. Many over-the-counter gastroenteritis medications contain unpleasant ingredients and cause serious side effects, but studies show that CBD is generally well tolerated by human subjects.

At the same time, this cannabinoid's beneficial effects on the immune system, nausea reduction and digestion could be a godsend when you're struggling with gastroenteritis. With so many different ways to take CBD for gastroenteritis, you're able to work around your nausea, and thousands of consumers report that this cannabinoid has calming benefits that will make everything about the illness seem a little better.