The role of CBD - seizures and epilepsy
According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy. In Portugal, it is estimated that there are around 50,000 people affected by this disease, the vast majority of whom are children.
There are several medications on the market that are indicated for this disease, but most of them have side effects, as they are very strong medications. Cannabis has long been known as an excellent anticonvulsant. And many studies have confirmed this fact, such as the following study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7413719/
CBD, together with a small amount of THC, has proven to be an effective treatment in cases of epilepsy, reducing the number of seizures or eliminating them completely, depending on each case.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that involves the nervous system and manifests itself through seizures. Seizures result from an alteration in the electrical activity of the brain and can result from trauma, a family tendency or have no identifiable cause. This disease usually manifests itself through seizures, but muscle spasms in different areas of the body can also occur. It is a common disease in children and the elderly.
There are several types of epilepsy and seizures or convulsions vary from person to person and according to the severity of each person's illness.
The effect of CBD
In the treatment of epilepsy, CBD oil acts as an anticonvulsant and neuroprotector.
When a person has a seizure, there is an excessive amount of electrical activity in the body, which usually manifests itself in uncoordinated and involuntary movements of the body.
CBD, or cannabidiol, acts as an anticonvulsant directly on the body's endocannabinoid system, i.e., it acts on the receptors responsible for the central nervous system, reducing the electrical activity exerted in the brain, thus calming convulsions. In addition, CBD acts as a neuroprotector, by preventing physical damage to the brain of patients. This is a relatively unique mechanism of action, which is not observed when taking anti-convulsant medications currently on the market.
In addition to reducing seizures, CBD oil has other benefits related to the treatment of epilepsy, such as increased alertness, improved mood and sleep quality.
The amount of CBD oil to take to treat epilepsy varies from person to person and also depending on the number of seizures. It is recommended to take small doses and adjust them according to each person's needs.
In general, people prefer to use oils, but in more serious cases, the use of edibles has proven to be quite useful, whether in treatments for adults or children. It should be noted that this treatment requires a period of adaptation. Whenever possible, the treatment should be carried out under medical supervision.
If you suffer from epilepsy, give this natural treatment a try and tell us about your experience!