Lyme disease is a tough nut to crack. What about CBD?
What is Lyme disease?
In connection with the tick, only negative things come to mind. Just one attachment and a person can have lifelong health complications. Borrelia burgdorferi is a bacteria that infected ticks carry. But there are twelve other subtypes of Borrelia and each species affects a different area of the human body. Some target the nervous system, others the skeletal system, and still others cause skin problems. About a quarter of ticks are infected (larvae or nymphs can also be carriers), but only about five percent of humans develop Lyme disease. This is due to the fact that it is not enough just to attach, but it takes at least thirty-six hours for the bacteria to enter the human body and spread. By examining the body after each time you are outdoors, the risk of infection is greatly reduced.
In rare cases, Lyme disease can also be caused by a midge or a fly. But the risk is minimal. It would have to be a big coincidence, because the bacteria in these insects do not survive long due to unsuitable conditions. It is also true that the disease is infectious, but only in a tick-human relationship. Lyme disease cannot be transmitted to another person. On the other hand, there are known cases of a pregnant woman infecting a foetus.
Underestimated symptoms
The greatest strength of Lyme disease is that it is a multisystem disease that manifests itself differently in each patient. An asymptomatic course is typical especially for the first phase of the disease, when the person does not experience any limitations. Normally, the disease breaks out within one month, but the incubation period can be many times longer. After about five days of infection, a red spot with a white centre, called erythema migrans, appears where the tick has attached itself. In the beginning, the disease can easily be mistaken for the flu with fluctuating temperatures, head and muscle aches, malaise, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.
If Lyme disease is not detected at this stage, treatment is much more complicated and with an uncertain outcome. Gradually, tingling in the limbs, joint damage leading to arthritis, skin erythema (local redness) and whistling in the ears, or sleep, memory and visual disturbances, pericarditis and liver involvement may occur. These are very serious conditions that often require lifelong treatment. One of the tell-tale signs is a Borrelia lymphocytoma, which forms on the tip of the nose or on the earlobes, the chest and scrotum. It is a purple lump several centimetres in diameter.
A tick does not automatically mean Lyme disease
Unfortunately, there is no effective vaccination to prevent the development of infection. So the only way to protect yourself is to prevent it by being outdoors in appropriate clothing and using products to keep ticks away. At the same time, when you return from the outdoors, examine yourself and if a tick attaches, remove it and monitor the wound.
Even doctors take into account the length of time the tick has been on the skin when making a diagnosis. As long as the time does not exceed a minimum of twenty-four hours, the risk of infection is minimal even if the insect was infected.
It is common to treat with antibiotics. But the problem is that in a large number of cases the disease is only suppressed and does not develop, but some of the symptoms of Lyme disease remain and limit the patient in everyday life.
Can CBD be helpful?
Cannabidiol has beneficial effects on the human body. This has been suggested (and in some cases even confirmed) by some research. Its use can relieve chronic pain or improve sleep, reduce inflammation and the course of autoimmune diseases. Its regular use can prevent the development of skin problems and alleviate anxiety.
But the situation is different for Lyme disease. CBD does not treat the disease itself, nor does it target the source of the health complications. In Lyme disease syndrome, a condition where symptoms become chronic and persist after treatment with antibiotics, patients suffer from a range of ailments. It is these that CBD can address. So cannabidiol still works the same way. In the long run, it can improve sleep, relieve muscle and joint pain, strengthen the immune system, prevent depression, and improve skin condition. But it is only a relief from secondary complications and not a treatment for the disease itself.
Multisystemic diseases, which include Lyme disease, "attack" on many fronts and are difficult to treat. Emphasis on the quality of CBD is therefore extremely important. Isolates are not very suitable; full-spectrum oils are ideal, as their below-detection THC content and other cannabinoids will enhance the companion effect and thus multiply the power of cannabis.
Conclusion
Lyme disease is a tricky disease that can be cured, but about half of the patients have persistent health problems that are very limiting for everyday life. CBD can relieve selected symptoms and, with regular use, reduce them.
PHOTO: Shutterstock
"All information provided on this website, as well as the information provided through this website, is for educational purposes only. None of the information contained herein is intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis and such information is not to be considered medical advice or recommended treatment. This website does not promote, endorse or advocate the legal or illegal use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or the commission of any other illegal activity. Please see our Disclaimer for further information."