Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids have changed remarkably in the last several decades. THC, cannabinoids, and even marijuana are legal for medical application in the majority of states. A decade ago it would have been unthinkable for pot to be legal for recreational usage but some states have even taken this step.
A group of compounds derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are called cannabinoids. Notwithstanding their recent legalization in some states, we’re still finding out new things about cannabinoids. Although we now are starting to acknowledge the countless medical benefits of these chemical substances, it has been well known for some time that tinnitus could be brought about by cannabinoids.
Many Kinds of Cannabinoids
Today, cannabinoids can be used in many forms. It isn’t just weed (or ganja, or pot…..ok, there are lots of nicknames for marijuana so let’s move on). Pills, oils, vapors and other forms of cannabinoids are currently available.
Every state has different regulations regarding what types of cannabinoids you can buy, and under federal law, many types are still illegal if the amount of THC is over 0.3%. That’s why many people tend to be quite careful about cannabinoids.
We still need more study and experience before we will really comprehend the long term and side effects of cannabinoids. One example is the new insight about how cannabinoids influence your hearing.
New Research Into Cannabinoids And How They Affect Hearing
A large number of illnesses and medical conditions are believed to be improved by cannabinoids, whatever you like to call it. Vertigo, nausea, seizures, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to available anecdotal information. So could cannabinoids help with tinnitus? That’s just what scientists decided to figure out.
Seems as if cannabinoids may actually trigger tinnitus. According to the research, over 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products documented hearing a ringing in their ears. And that’s in people who had never dealt with tinnitus before. Furthermore, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to report having tinnitus symptoms after 24 hours.
Additional research suggested that marijuana use could worsen ear-ringing symptoms in individuals who already suffer from tinnitus. So, it seems rather certain that cannabinoids and tinnitus aren’t really compatible.
How Cannabinoids Make Tinnitus Worse
There are a couple of tangible ways in which cannabinoids can cause your tinnitus to get worse. The first is that your tinnitus can happen more frequently. Cannabinoids can also make those tinnitus episodes more intense. The discomfort from the ringing may get louder or harder to just ignore.
The study also seems to indicate that cannabinoids are capable of causing the development of the initial symptoms of tinnitus. To put it a different way: if you didn’t suffer from tinnitus before, you may develop tinnitus after you use cannabinoids.
The Causes of Tinnitus Are Unclear
We know there is a connection between tinnitus and certain triggers but we’re still uncertain what the actual root causes are. It’s apparent that cannabinoids can have an impact on the middle ear and tinnitus symptoms. But what’s causing that impact is much less clear.
But we recognize that using marijuana, unlike other mood altering substances like alcohol, will cause tinnitus.
Of course, we will continue to do the research. People will be equipped to make a smart choice concerning which of the many kinds of cannabinoid to go with as we gain better insight into their connection to tinnitus.
Beware The Miracle Cure
There has certainly been no lack of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids in recent years. That’s partly because attitudes are transforming about cannabinoids (and, to some extent, is also an indication of a desire to move away from opioids). But cannabinoids can and at times do produce unwanted effects, based upon this new research, and this is especially true concerning hearing.
The marketing about cannabinoids has been extremely assertive and you can’t completely steer clear of all of the enthusiasts.
But tinnitus and cannabinoids are clearly associated based on this research. So if you suffer from tinnitus, or if you’re worried about tinnitus it may be worth steering clear of cannabinoids if possible, no matter how many ads for CBD oil you may encounter. The connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids symptoms has been quite firmly demonstrated by the research, so it’s worth being careful.