CBD for hay fever - finally relief for allergy sufferers

Who knows it too? My nose is itchy, my eyes are running and it's hardly possible to go outside during the peak phase. Hay fever is a common allergic disease that affects millions of people around the world. In the search for alternative therapy options that put an end to the cold madness, CBD has been able to achieve the first enriching successes in recent years. Find out here what the actual effect of CBD is on hay fever and what important findings science and medicine have already been able to achieve.

A challenge for millions of allergy sufferers

Hay fever describes an allergic reaction to pollen, i.e. the pollen of plants. So-called cereal pollen, but also grasses and herbs, which spread their pollen unnoticed in the ambient air during the flowering period, are particularly common. Blossoming trees are also a major problem that those affected have to contend with. Birches in particular, but also hazel or alder, can impede your breathing and cause typical symptoms.

As with other allergies, hay fever is triggered by an overreaction of the immune system. If the first contact with the plants does not cause you any problems, an allergic reaction can occur after repeated encounters. The allergens are perceived by the body as a foreign substance and, in a further step, trigger hypersensitivity to the plant substance. Depending on the advanced stage, you will end up feeling a mild to very strong allergic reaction.

CBD as a promising option for hay fever relief

Symptoms range from simple sneezing, stuffy nose and itchy eyes to difficulty breathing and fatigue. Of course, this can lead to significant limitations in your everyday life, which is why medicine relies on drugs such as antihistamines, chromones or corticosteroids. These are usually in high doses and are similar to a regular drug that makes the body dependent in the long term or intervenes deeply in the body's own regulators. To prevent this, alternative healing methods, such as the miracle cure CBD, are used.

In recent years, CBD has gained increasing popularity as a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. It is valued primarily for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and sedative properties. Because of these properties, CBD is being considered as a potential alternative solution form for hay fever relief.

CBD and the complex relationship with the immune system

The immune system plays a crucial role in allergic reactions, and CBD can interact with it in a number of ways. CBD is said to inhibit the activation of immune cells and thus dampen the excessive reaction to allergic stimuli. This immunomodulatory effect of CBD can also be beneficial in relieving hay fever. A growing number of studies are examining the effects of CBD on various allergic conditions, including hay fever. There it was found that the effect of cannabidiol on the body's own endocannabinoid system also shows a potential benefit in relation to defense reactions from one's own body. It reduces the release of inflammatory substances in the airways and can therefore relieve the symptoms of hay fever. In addition, it controls the overreaction of the immune system to the allergens and thus reduces the intensity of the allergic reaction. According to studies, CBD has a clearly positive effect on the body's immune function [1].

Does CBD act as a natural antihistamine?

CBD is heavily researched for its potential anti-inflammatory properties. It should inhibit inflammatory processes in the body in the long term and thus contribute to significant improvement. If you also suffer from hay fever, your body fights against an excessive defensive reaction of your immune system. Your mast cells release histamines into your body, which are responsible for the inflammatory processes such as constant sneezing or burning eyes. Thanks to CBD, this inflammatory process in the body is inhibited and the release of histamine is curbed, which can also visibly alleviate your allergic reaction [2].

Histamine thus plays a central role in allergic reactions. Antihistamines are used precisely for this relief and are intended to prevent histamine from spreading unnoticed. CBD is said to have an effect similar to that of antihistamines. Research suggests that CB ₁ receptors may contribute to a proven inhibition of histamines as they interact with numerous neurotransmitters in our body [3]. This finding certainly makes CBD a promising option for hay fever sufferers.

Reducing allergy-related stress

In addition to the external symptoms caused by hay fever, an allergy often causes psychological problems. If you are plagued by severe symptoms, it will burn you out and exhaust you in the long run. This can also affect your psyche and general mood. Since CBD is responsible for the release of serotonin and has been shown to promote the production of the happiness hormone andamide, the cannabinoids lower your stress level and promote your body's well-being [4].

CBD shows future-oriented approaches for people suffering from hay fever

Current scientific evidence suggests that CBD may be a promising option in relieving hay fever. Even if further research is required to determine the exact mechanisms of CBD in hay fever, there are already pioneering approaches that may soon make life easier for you as an allergy sufferer.

[1]: Kaplan B, Springs A, Kaminski E (2009). The Profile of Immune Modulation by Cannabidiol (CBD) involves deregulation of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells (NFAT), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18656454/

[2] : Witkamp et al, The endocannabinoid system: an emerging key player in inflammation, 2014, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24419242/

[3] : 10. Grotenhermen F: Cannabinoids. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord 2005; 4:507-30. CrossRef MEDLINE, https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/127598/Das-therapeutic-potential-von-Cannabis-und-Cannabinoiden

[4]: Senst et al, Neuromodulators, Stress and Plasticity: A Role for Endocannabinoid Signalling, 2014, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24353209/