A spirochetal bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi cause Lyme disease. Despite having a composition of about 40% DNA, spirochetes are difficult to trace and kill due to their double-membrane envelopes. In addition, these creatures can hide in deep tissue and disguise their identities by changing shapes.
Certain ticks carry these bacteria. The bacteria are spread by ticks that bite mice or deer with Lyme disease. A tick bite can cause you to contract the disease. However, it is almost impossible to see deer ticks because they are so small. So people with Lyme disease rarely see ticks at all.
Old Lyme, Connecticut, was the first place in the United States to describe the disease in 1975. Since then, it has spread throughout the country. These cases mainly occur in the Northeast, some parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the mid-Atlantic states, and the Pacific coast. Late spring, summer, and early fall are the most common times for Lyme disease.
There Are Three Stages Of Lyme Disease
- Stage 1: is primary Lyme disease.
- Stage 2: is secondary Lyme disease and early disseminated Lyme disease.
- Stage 3: is tertiary Lyme disease and chronic persistent Lyme disease.
Risk Factors For Lyme Disease Include:
- Doing activities that increase tick exposure (for example, gardening, hunting, or hiking)
- Having a pet that may carry ticks home
- Walking in high grasses
Lyme Disease Symptoms
These bacteria do not always cause illness. Symptoms of the flu are similar to those of a person who becomes ill for the first time. Flu-like symptoms include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Lethargy
- Muscle pain
The bite site may appear red or flattened with a “bulls-eye” rash. In most cases, a clear area is present in the center. The clear zone is typically 1-3 inches wide.
Common disease symptoms in people with the later stages of the Lyme borreliosis include:
- Body-wide itching
- Joint pain and inflammation
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Unusual or strange behavior
Diagnosis of Lyme disease can be through a blood test that checks for antibodies against the bacteria responsible. One of the most common tests is an ELISA for Lyme disease. Western blotting can confirm ELISA results. However, patients with advanced Lyme disease may experience joint, heart, or brain problems.
Effects of Cannabis On Lyme Disease
Research has long established that several of the cannabinoids contained in cannabis have antibacterial properties, suggesting they may help resist the bacteria associated with Lyme disease. While research examining cannabis’s effects on the specific bacteria that cause Lyme disease is lacking, cannabinoids have shown efficacy against other bacteria.
One study found that both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) “strongly reduce” the antibacterial activity of staphylococci and streptococci. However, another study found cannabis to have antibacterial effects against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus niger.
A recent study found cannabis extract to exert pronounced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus Faecalis.
Evidence also indicates that cannabis can help relieve the symptoms associated with the later stages of Lyme disease. The major cannabinoids found in cannabis – CBD and THC – have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nausea properties. Cannabinoids can help significantly improve pain that had proven otherwise refractory to traditional treatments.
By interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system, CBD and THC have shown to play an essential role in regulating the immune system and suppressing inflammatory responses. Also, cannabis can help limit or prevent nausea and vomiting from various causes.
Benefits Of Marijuana In Chronic Illness
- In addition to treating Lyme disease, marijuana has antibacterial properties against co-infections. It is composed of cannabidiol, cannabichromene, cannabigerol, tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannabinoid molecules that kill bacteria.
- Anti-parasitic: The whole Marijuana plant contains important molecules that increase its effectiveness against microbial infections. These chemicals are called terpenoids.
- Anti-inflammatory: Marijuana has anti-inflammatory molecules called Cannaflavins that are thirty times as powerful as aspirin!
- In addition to being an anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, anti-depressant, anti-nausea, appetite stimulant, pain-relieving, and reducing blood pressure, THC is also beneficial for glaucoma, glaucoma pain, and cancer.
- Assists in healing and detoxification by reliably inducing sleep.
- Encourages optimism, hope, detachment, and relaxation in the patient.
- Enhances mood and relieves pain by releasing dopamine and serotonin.
- Relieves Lyme encephalitis pain by calming inflammation in the brain.
- It is a powerful antioxidant that can protect against cellular damage and prevent ischemic damage.
- Stimulates serotonin receptors and also improves anxiety and depression.
- Muscle relaxant
- DNA protective
- Anti-arthritic
CBD Dosage For Lyme Disease
Marijuana dosages vary from person to person. To learn how to use cannabis, it is best to start with a smaller dose than recommended and evaluate its effects over two to four hours.
- Smoking inhalation – immediate effects. As its results are quick, you can always tell whether you’ve taken an adequate dose.
- Vapour inhalation – immediate benefit, protective of the lungs, yields a much higher dose of medicine. But due to its direct effects, you can quickly determine if you’ve administered the right amount.
- Oils – hemp oil contains more CBD and little or no THC. Cannabis flower oil contains high levels of THC.
- CBD oil is a highly concentrated flower bud resin high in TCH.
- CBD-infused coconut or olive oil is taken drop by drop to manage symptoms and maintain remission.
- Cannabis flowers and buds are soaked in alcohol and then strained to obtain a tincture. It can be added to food, taken under the tongue, or applied to painful joints as a topical application.
- Marijuana edibles are foods containing marijuana-infused butter or oil.
- Marijuana juice: stemless leaves are blended with one cup of water and strained through cheesecloth or sieve. You can consume portions fresh or freeze them in ice cube trays. The juice made this way contains THC, but since it is never heated, it does not confer any psychoactive effects or a “high.”.
- Marijuana is steeped for at least 30 minutes in boiled water and then added to alcohol or fat to capture fat-soluble molecules into the solution.
- Topicals – lotions and salves contain cannabis tincture for treating pain and muscle spasms.
- CBD oil – extract from the “hemp” stalk or non-drug portion of the Marijuana plant. Legal because it contains no THC. Gently confers multiple benefits.
Several precautions can help protect yourself from blood-sucking pests when you enjoy the outdoors:
- Dress in light-coloured clothing
- Dress in long-sleeved shirts and hats
- Tie the end of your socks to the end of your pants
- Put your pants in your boots.
- Stay in the center of the trail when hiking.
- Do not hike in areas of high grass.
- Once you’ve gone outside, remove your clothing and wash and dry it at a high temperature.
- Make sure you examine your entire body, especially your hairline, belly button, underarm area, behind your knees, and waistline.
- Be sure to check all gear you brought into the house after being outdoors.
- Check pets carefully
BOTTOM LINE
You can prevent Lyme disease can by taking the necessary precautions. CBD can be effective in controlling the tick-borne diseases. However, make sure to talk to your medical professional before consuming CBD.
