Can marijuana help with Tinnitus symptoms

 Tinnitus is a ringing of the ear, and it can be super annoying, even devastating. While current science has looked into managing this, there is no cure out there so it’s important that, if you have this, you look at the different ways to treat this. 

What tinnitus is 

This is basically ringing or bursts of sounds that last a couple of seconds before going away. 

Those who have tinnitus though have the non-stop ringing, and they may feel like they’re going insane because of this. It’s something that may seem like a rare condition, but more and more are dealing with this,, and healthcare professionals are working to create treatment plans for each of these problems. The severity does depend, but usually it’s how strong it is, and how long it goes. 

The cause of this does vary. Sometimes it’s due to a buildup of earwax, sometimes it’s something that is caused by the damage to parts of the ear, which can change. 

Some other theories say that if you have hearing loss, head trauma, neck trauma, a benign tumor in that area, drugs that cause anti-inflammatory symptoms, and even thyroid and other conditions may be the reason for this, but there is no specific cause, since it’s something that is different for everyone, and every situation. 

Can cannabinoids help? 

There are a ton of different treatments for this, including various therapies, earwax removal, and also invasive surgeries to help with this. However, this is not very effective, and some patients don’t get better because of this. Currently, with the legalization of cannabis for a lot of conditions, you may wonder if there  is a chance that this could possibly help with this. 

Well, THC may be used to help with structuring the ECS, which plays a big part in the regulating of the body, so in a way, it does regulate the hearing of the system. 

Right now, current research looks at the ECS in general, but we haven’t really done a ton of research on the auditory system and all of this. While there is some promising research, since it can be caused due to hyperactivity in the cochlear nucleus, which is seen as a type of epilepsy, so scientists are considering cannabis for this, since it does have properties which are antiepileptic. 

But otherwise, there is not much surrounding it. The research is still very early on, and there haven’t been any human trials which are randomized to figure out if cannabis can help with this, so currently though, we’ve gathered a bit of evidence via surveys to help with this. 

The study that’s been published in the Frontiers in Neurology discovered that the CB1 agonists may actually cause more tinnitus, but another study found that the rats who had tinnitus were able to lower the expression of the CB1, so it may help with the processing of the auditory systems, and reducing tinnitus as well. 

Right now, animal studies are not very useful for understanding tinnitus, but some do suggest that it may cause the condition to worsen. While there are other studies which have factored in the CB1 agonists, other studies may look at the agonists, and the inverse agonists as well to see if it’s possible that this might be something worth mentioning. 

Currently, there is still a lot to learn, so whether or not cannabis can help with this or not is still up for debate, since there are indeed a lot of factors you have to consider when looking at using this to help you too. 

How Cannabis Helps to Fight Back Against Opioid Addiction

One of the more serious problems in the United States is related to drug overdose deaths. Did you know that, recently the United States hit a new record high of more than 96,000 deaths related to drug overdose in a 12 month period. You would think that, in a society that continues to expand and advance in the medical and health industry, we would have more success in finding ways to prevent such deaths. 

The truth is that these deaths are preventable, and that makes them all the more sad. One of the most successful and effective alternatives to using opioids and other strong prescription drugs is medical marijuana. In fact, part of the reason that states have gone to such lengths to legalize medical marijuana programs has to do with reducing the amount of opioid deaths in the country.

The more we continue to learn about opioids, the more we realize that they are not that effective for a lot of people, and that they can often lead down dark roads of addiction and other problems. Did you know that prescription opioid medications are one of the leading causes of overdose deaths in the United States? Honestly, we should be doing better as a nation at this point. If you are someone who has relied on opioids to deal with various conditions or chronic pain, you may want to consider using medical marijuana. Today in this article I wanted to take some time to write about using medical marijuana instead of other dangerous prescriptions and why you should be doing that.

So what’s so bad about prescription opioids? Afterall, doctors would not prescribe them to patients if they could be so harmful, right? Well, that’s not really the case. We need to remember that, as an American people, pharmaceutical companies are not going to care about our actual health. They are simply interested in taking our money. One of the reasons that opioids are potentially high risk for patients is because they become less effective for pain relief over time. 

In fact, in some cases, patients reported that opioid medications can actually increase levels of pain if not prescribed properly. This is because the body fights back against the opioids ability to numb pain receptors. It does this by increasing the amount of pain that is sent to those same receptors, meaning that just continues to get worse. Then the patient has to use more and more of the same opioid in order to feel the same level of relief. 

Can you see how this might lead to addiction and overdose? It is pretty clear in my opinion. Marijuana works differently. Cannabis has been used for decades now to treat a variety of conditions, ranging from anxiety to chronic pain. While we do not know all there is to know about how cannabis relieves pain, we do know that it does it quite well. 

Otherwise, why would millions of medical marijuana patients in the United States be using cannabis to treat their health conditions? In fact, as the marijuana industry in our country continues to evolve and become more clinically proven, growers and cultivators will be able to produce strains that are unique for dealing with symptoms of pain. In fact, certain strains of cannabis are already notoriously used for treating pain in specific conditions. So if you are someone that has a condition that causes a lot of pain, I heavily suggest looking into using medical marijuana if it is legal in your state. Even if you end up not choosing to use it in the long run, at least you have another option to try instead of turning straight to something like an opioid.

Can Doctors and Nurses Get Marijuana Cards

Doctors along with nurses are actually gatekeepers for medical marijuana and the usage of this. They do get sick on occasion, and they may use medical cannabis to treat the conditions that they have. They can have these, but there are some risks that are important to factor in mind if you’re a doctor who is using medical cannabis. 

The Rules 

Whether someone is registered with a card ultimately depends on the state that they live in, and the state’s medical board guidelines. It’s a very grey area, as it’s still considered federally legal, and a few states haven’t legalized it for medical use. The NCSBN, which is basically the state board for nursing, has helped with other state boards to provide the guidelines for those who are cardholders that work in the field of medicine. 

RNs that are working and living in states that have legalized the use of cannabis medically are allowed to use the cards. However, you have to make sure that the cannabis won’t interfere with the work that they do. So while they can use medical cannabis, you cannot go to the job while high, as that’s a bad thing, and they’re reprimand you for doing so. 

They also recommend that doctors of cannabis are used as recommendations for physicians.  The physicians have also been given the okay to use marijuana in states where they have it legalized. However, if you’re doing a job, you’re not allowed to use it, as they’re supposed to have a care standard that means they must be free from all impairment, and this includes not only THC, but other substances too, such as alcohol and other drugs. THC metabolites do cling to your fat cells, so it’s important to remember that you can actually test positive even if you’re not high. 

Hospitals do test, and they do offer a zero-tolerance policy for this. While you may not use your nursing or physician’s license to get marijuana, doing so will make you lose your job. Some states don’t have a medical board policy based on the use of cannabis for a doctor or a nurse but if they’re impaired in some way, the actions must be taken to prevent this. 

Most of the states will leave it up to the actual employer to ensure that the workplace is safe and drug-free. If you violate these, you will get terminated, even if the person does have a cannabis card for medical reasons. New Jersey and other states, however, are trying to put together legislation that allows for medical cannabis usage, provided that there is some exception to this. 

Can others Get a Medical Card 

If you’re someone who works in the medical field as a healthcare provider., you can, but do suspect that you may be tested at any time. If you need to utilize cannabis, do it when you’re not going to be working, and make sure it’s out of the system prior to returning to work. 

Most medical schools and nursing programs do require you to have a drug test prior to being admitted, and they do happen throughout the program, to offer a more immersive experience. This is usually urine drug screening, and different testing policies based on the different healthcare agencies affiliated with this. Testing for this means that it may possibly prevent you from participating. 

So a good rule of thumb is, if you’re going to be in medical school in some way, shape or form, you should avoid using medical cannabis, as it can impact your ability to work.