Can CBD help treat a fever?
Fever is a condition characterized by an increase in the temperature of the human body from the normal range, which is around 36-37 degrees centigrade. It is regarded as a typical medical sign and sometimes referred to as controlled hyperthermia or pyrexia.
The change in the body’s temperature is commonly associated with the brain’s hypothalamus. It acts as the body’s thermostat. When everything inside the body works well, it sets the temperature to normal. The hypothalamus sets the body’s temperature to higher than normal when it is not healthy and thus, a fever occurs(1).
Fever causes a person to feel physical discomfort and become weak. Other symptoms include headache, sweating, irritability, chills, and muscle aches(2).
Contrary to what most people think, a fever is not an illness. It is regarded as one of the body’s ways of fighting infection. Generally, it goes away after a few days, and the body temperature can be lowered down to normal levels by taking over-the-counter medications.
Fever is not considered a serious condition. However, a child with a fever accompanied by irritable movements and repeated vomiting should immediately see a doctor. An adult with a body temperature that reaches 39.4 should also seek medical help immediately.
CBD for Fever: What is known so far
Fever develops when the hypothalamus strategically increases the body’s temperature. This happens when the body is fighting infections, but can also occur in response to medications, immunizations, or diseases such as cancer. Among the most common of these are those caused by bacterias and viruses.
Earlier animal research hinted that fever triggered by a virus could be treated using CBD(3).
Also, the use of CBD oil may be an effective option in the treatment of fever caused by a massive inflammatory reaction. The CBD oil triggers the body’s anti-inflammatory response via the endocannabinoid system(4).
CBD for Other Related Conditions
Is CBD oil going to strengthen or weaken your immune system? The answer is that it can do both.
It depends on the person’s autoimmune condition. One’s immune system may overreact to non-threatening internal or threatening external events, which may lead to an attack against the healthy cells in the body in an attempt to eradicate the threat. Choose the best natural CBD product if you’re living with an autoimmune disease(5).
Another research conducted found out that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties (6). These allow the compound to reduce pains and aches. CBD also relaxes the body and helps some people with insomnia.
Due to the abundance of potential benefits that cannabis and CBD use can provide, many studies were and are being conducted to verify these. The majority of the said studies are well funded and expected to provide significant findings soon.
Among the most significant aspects that CBD-centered studies are focusing on right now is the effect of the compound in strengthening a person’s immune system. This premise is based on the fact that a strong immune system is quite effective in combating infections that typically leads to fever.
Conclusion
Though over-the-counter medicine does what it can to relieve fever, it may not be enough for some users. With cannabidiol (CBD) as a medication making headlines, many people wonder if it can help with common medical conditions such as fever.
Research suggests that CBD may be used to treat fever caused by pathogens.
Thus, when considering the idea of buying CBD oil, it is important for a person to take his or her health goals into account. This technique is beneficial in deciding the best type of CBD oil to have. More importantly, consult with a doctor experienced in CBD use for professional advice before deciding on any particular product.
- Fever, What Is It? By Harvard Health Publishing (2018, October) Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/fever-a-to-z
- Patient Care and Health Information – Fever. (2017, July 21) Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759
- A Novel Role of Cannabinoids: Implication in the Fever Induced by Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17194800
- ibid.
- Nagarkatti, P., Pandey, R., Rieder, S. A., Hegde, V. L., & Nagarkatti, M. (2009). Cannabinoids as novel anti-inflammatory drugs. Future medicinal chemistry, 1(7), 1333–1349. https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.09.93
- The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425755/