The use of marijuana is currently legal in a number of states for medical purposes and in several other states for recreational usage.
So, what are cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are categorized as a group of compounds found in the cannabis or marijuana plant.
Some people strongly believe that cannabinoids have broad healing qualities, but prevailing researches reveal that there may be adverse impacts, including a significant connection between using cannabinoids and experiencing hearing troubles including hearing loss or tinnitus.
What are the different forms of cannabinoids?
Today, cannabinoids can be taken in lots of forms.
It isn’t merely weed (or ganja, or reefer … ok, there are a lot of nicknames for marijuana so let’s move ahead).
Oils, mists, pills, and other forms of cannabinoids are currently obtainable.
The forms of cannabinoids available will differ state to state, and under federal law, many forms are still illegal if the THC concentration is greater than 0.3%.
So it’s still common for individuals to be very cautious about cannabinoids.
The problem is that we don’t yet grasp some of the long-term side effects or consequences of cannabinoid use.
One example is the new data about how cannabinoids affect your hearing.
Exploring the relationship between cannabinoids and hearing loss
A wide variety of health problems and medical conditions are believed to be benefited by cannabinoids.
Some studies suggest that cannabinoids may relieve nausea, vertigo, seizures, and other symptoms.
Scientists then explored whether cannabinoids might also provide reprieve for people suffering from tinnitus.
While studies are ongoing, cannabis use could also potentially impact your hearing:
- High Blood Pressure: Cannabis use can potentially bring about increased blood pressure as one of its side effects.
Prolonged elevated blood pressure has the potential to harm blood vessels in various regions of the body, including those within the inner ear. Consequently, this damage can lead to hearing impairment and the sensation of ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. - Ototoxicity: Some of the chemicals in cannabis may be ototoxic, meaning they are harmful to the inner ear. This can also result in hearing loss and tinnitus.
Cannabinoid use can indeed lead to the progression of tinnitus.
Research has shown that more than one in five people who consumed cannabis-based materials disclosed experiencing tinnitus, identified by a persistent ringing sound in the ears.
Before the study, the participants did not experience any indications of tinnitus. Furthermore, individuals who used marijuana were significantly more prone to documenting tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours.
Additional research showed that marijuana use could aggravate ear-ringing symptoms in individuals who already deal with tinnitus.
Put simply, research indicates that tinnitus and cannabinoids may not be a great combination.
How cannabinoids worsen tinnitus
There are a couple of tangible ways in which cannabinoids can make your tinnitus experience even more difficult.
At first, incidents of tinnitus symptoms might happen more frequently, and the persistent buzzing or ringing sound in your ears may become increasingly obvious.
Additionally, employing cannabinoids may aggravate your tinnitus episodes, resulting in louder and more persistent ringing that can be harder to ignore.
The beginning of tinnitus symptoms has also been connected to cannabinoids.
Basically, starting to employ cannabinoids may result in the onset of tinnitus symptoms, even if you didn’t experience them before.
It’s still not well understood what actually causes tinnitus
While we acknowledge a relationship between tinnitus and certain triggers, we’re still uncertain what the actual root causes are.
Cannabinoids might influence the middle ear and tinnitus symptoms, but it still remains unclear why.
Of course, research will continue to be carried out.
People will be prepared to make a practical decision concerning which of the many types of cannabinoids to pick from as we get deeper insight into their connection to tinnitus.
The treatment that’s too good to be true
There’s been no lack of marketing hype involving cannabinoids in recent years.
A major factor is the changing public opinion regarding cannabinoids, which also echoes an increasing interest in looking into alternatives to opioids.
But this new research makes it evident that cannabinoids can and do give rise to some adverse repercussions, especially if you’re worried about your hearing health.
Research has established a clear connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids.
So no matter how much advertising you see for CBD oils, if you’re concerned about tinnitus, you should probably steer clear of them.
It’s worth being careful when the link between cannabinoids and tinnitus has been so well established.
If you are experiencing tinnitus or hearing loss, don’t wait to schedule a hearing assessment, your hearing health is so essential.