Cancer is a complex disease that affects millions of people around the world every year. In the US alone, cancer affects 50% of men and 40% of women. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in America and takes over 600,000 lives annually. It is a terrible disease with many symptoms, like nausea, extreme pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of energy, and depression. This is something no one wants to have or have friends, family, and loved ones experience.
Simply put, cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control and invade nearby tissues. The cells usually form a lump or tumor on or in some part of the body. When cancer starts in one part of the body, it can spread (metastasize) to other parts through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Currently, there are over 100 different types of cancers diagnosed annually in the United States alone.
Cancer-related symptoms can be highly challenging to manage, mainly because these are the most common side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy that cause many patients significant discomfort.
However, CBD has been known to be an effective treatment for all sorts of symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments.
From chemotherapy to radiation, drugs, and surgery, these treatments are often effective, but they have some side effects.
There are many different types of cancer treatments available today, including surgery and radiation therapy. Other treatment options include chemotherapy, which uses drugs to kill cancer cells; immunotherapy ( boosts your immune system); hormone therapy (which alters hormone levels); targeted therapy (which uses medications to attack specific proteins on your tumor cells); palliative care (which focuses on improving quality of life) and complementary medicine (which uses alternative treatments like acupuncture).
Chemotherapy can cause nausea and vomiting, which can be reduced with CBD. It also relieves anxiety, depression, and stress—which are common after cancer treatment. Radiation therapy can cause dry mouth and throat irritation, which can be reduced with CBD. Finally, surgery to remove tumors can lead to pain in the affected area; CBD helps relieve that pain.
These side effects can be very debilitating for patients who are already dealing with the effects of cancer on their bodies. In addition to these symptoms that are common to many cancers, other symptoms can be caused by specific types of cancer or treatments for those cancers.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis CBD has been shown to have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties in numerous studies. It comes from industrial hemp plants (not marijuana), so it won't get you high or make you fail a drug test—and it can help reduce cancer-related symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and pain.
CBD: An overview
This is where CBD comes in. CBD stands for cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive compound found in hemp plants that have been shown to reduce cancer-related symptoms like pain and nausea and improve the quality of life for patients.
This is due to CBD having analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties.
These properties help reduce inflammation caused by chemotherapy and radiation, which improves patient quality of life.
CBD helps people deal with cancer-related symptoms
CBD oil has become a popular method for reducing cancer-related symptoms. It is legal in all 50 states when produced from industrial hemp plants, low in THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) and high in CBD (cannabidiol). Studies have shown that CBD oil can help reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy treatments, as well as help reduce anxiety and depression associated with cancer diagnosis or treatment.
CBD oil has been used for thousands of years by people from all over the world. It was used by ancient civilizations as an herbal remedy for various health conditions. Nowadays, CBD oil is becoming increasingly popular because it offers multiple health benefits without any side effects or risks involved.
The main goal of using CBD oil is to reduce inflammation and pain associated with cancer treatment so you can get back to living life again without feeling tired or depressed all the time.
5 Ways CBD Reduces Cancer-Related Symptoms
The way CBD works is by interacting with your endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for regulating many important functions in your body, including sleep, appetite, mood, and memory. When you take CBD, it interacts with your ECS and helps it to function more efficiently so that it can do its job better.
A part of ECS are receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors that can be found all over your body. When a molecule binds these receptors, it triggers a reaction in your body—for example, when you take a painkiller like aspirin or ibuprofen, it binds to these receptors and stops certain substances from being produced by your body (painkillers block COX enzymes).
1. Reduce Nausea
CBD also has antiemetic properties, which means it helps reduce nausea and vomiting as well as increase appetite in cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. This can be especially helpful because anxiety over feeling nauseated or having a loss of appetite can cause additional stress on your body and make your symptoms worse
2. Reduce Pain
One of the most common symptoms associated with cancer is pain, which can be caused by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. It is estimated that about half of all patients who undergo treatment for cancer experience pain at some point during their treatment.
Prescription painkillers such as opioids can lead to addiction and other unwanted side effects, but there are natural alternatives that will relieve pain without causing these problems. One of those alternatives is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD works by interacting with receptors in our body called CB1 receptors located all over the body, including our brain, spinal cord, and immune system. These receptors regulate many physiological processes such as mood, sleep, appetite, nausea and vomiting, and motor control, among others.
3. Reduce Depression and Anxiety
Many people who have gone through cancer will tell you that it is not just their body that gets affected but their minds as well. Patients with cancer often report feeling anxious, depressed, and even suicidal.
To help patients cope with these symptoms, doctors often prescribe antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. These drugs work by changing the levels of certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. But these medications can come with side effects, including fatigue and drowsiness.
Another option for treating depression and anxiety is using CBD oil as an alternative treatment method. The effects of CBD oil are similar to those produced by prescription medicines, but they are much safer since they do not cause any harmful side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness like prescription drugs do.
4. Reduce Sleep Problems
Sleep disorders are common among people with cancer, as they experience chronic pain and other symptoms that can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. In addition, many treatments for cancer cause fatigue which makes it even harder for patients to sleep well.
Some studies suggest that CBD reduces cancer-related sleep disturbances by increasing the production of adenosine in the brain - a chemical that helps us feel sleepy when our body has had enough restful sleep.
CBD can help with insomnia by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. The serotonin boost makes you feel relaxed and calm, which helps improve your sleeping patterns. This also helps with anxiety, as well as depression symptoms such as low moods or feelings of hopelessness.
5. CBD reduces fatigue
Cancer patients often experience severe fatigue that makes it difficult for them to get out of bed and do everyday tasks. This fatigue is usually caused by inflammation of the body’s immune system and the overproduction of cytokines, which are proteins that signal inflammation.
CBD has been proven to reduce both of these factors, which is why it is so effective in reducing cancer-related symptoms like fatigue.
CBD does this through the ECS. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of cell receptors throughout the body that are responsible for regulating many physiological processes, including mood and sleep cycles—so when CBD interacts with these receptors, it can help regulate these processes as well.
This means that when you take CBD regularly as part of your treatment plan for cancer-related symptoms such as fatigue or insomnia, you'll feel less tired throughout the day because your body will be able to rest better at night when it needs to recharge itself after fighting off tumor cells all day long.
Takeaway: CBD helps by reducing symptoms and helping with the quality of life for cancer patients.
Cancer is horrible. No matter what type you have or what stage, it is by far one of the worst things that can happen to any human being with a conscious mind. People living with cancer could use all the help they can get, and with CBD (cannabidiol) becoming a popular subject in the media, many people are seeking new ways to approach their cancer and its symptoms. It looks like CBD oil may be a safe answer for many cancer patients.
While CBD may not cure cancer, it does show promise for many symptoms related to the disease.