CBD For The Common Cold
The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat that can cause various symptoms ranging from coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and a fever. Most people will typically recover naturally from a cold within 10 days. However, CBD may help by reducing symptoms. There are varying research stating CBD’s effectiveness as an anti-viral.
According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy adults should expect to experience a cold two or three times each year. While a cold isn’t typically seen as potentially dangerous as influenza or other viral infections, they can incur secondary infections and be complicated by the underlying medical conditions of the infected person.
With so many treatment options out there for colds, from prescriptions to over-the-counter medications to home remedies, it can be hard to sort the effective from the mythic. One treatment that has received increased attention over the past few years is CBD, the non-psychoactive component of cannabis known for its potential in treating a diverse range of mental and physical conditions.
What Is A Cold?
What is referred to as the common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. There is no specific virus that serves as the source of the cold. That is, it can be caused by many different viruses. Typically, most people will recover from a cold within 10 days, although smokers may have symptoms linger for longer.
What Are The Causes And Symptoms?
The most common virus to cause a cold is a rhinovirus, and it can be spread through the air or physical contact with a contaminated person or object. The most common entry points for the virus to enter the body are the mouth, nose, or eyes.
The symptoms of having a cold shouldn’t be too surprising to anyone:
- Body aches
- Congestion
- Coughing
- Fever
- General malaise
- Headaches
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
In cases of a runny nose or sneezing, you may also notice the nasal discharge is thicker than normal. Often, the color of discharge ranges from yellow or green.
What Are The Advantages To Using CBD?
There appears to be conflicting research into how beneficial CBD may be in treating the common cold. Some research state that CBD can act as an anti-viral agent in some cases but help the virus grow in other situations. Other research has found that CBD may only work well with specific viral infections but not the common cold. These studies conclude that many claims about CBD’s anti-viral capabilities are marketing claims not based on scientific evidence.
While CBD may not be effective in fighting the common cold, it could help reduce the symptoms of the common cold. Studies show that CBD may help reduce body aches, ease inflammation of the airways, and increase relaxation to help you sleep.
Before taking CBD for your cold, reach out to your doctor to discuss your symptoms. They can walk you through the positives and negatives of CBD, as well as help prescribe an effective anti-viral agent.
