It is thought that at least 1.2 million people in England are battling with long Covid. The Independent reports that the figures from the Office for National Statistics show the numbers are increasing on a weekly basis. As doctors and scientists work to understand this new condition, people are finding their own treatments, including using CBD products.
What are the symptoms of long Covid?
While some people recover within a few days or weeks of a Covid-19 infection, some people still have symptoms even after the infection has gone. According to the NHS, how severe the initial infection was doesn’t seem to have any link to the likelihood of developing long Covid. Patients with a mild illness can still suffer from long Covid.
The list of symptoms people are reporting is long and varied. Some of the most common include excessive tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain, joint pain, and depression and anxiety. Many other examples are listed on the Your Covid Recovery site. If you are still experiencing symptoms after 12 weeks, then you may have post-Covid syndrome.
How is long Covid treated?
Because it is such a new condition, there are no established ways to treat it. The NHS advises people with long Covid symptoms to see their GP. The doctor may take blood tests, check your blood pressure and heart rate, or carry out a chest X-ray. There are also some specialist rehabilitation centres.
However, the Independent recently reported that only 5,000 people a month are being referred to the specialist clinics, despite over a million reported cases. Furthermore, a third of patients are having to wait at least 15 weeks for their first appointment.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, told iNews that she was extremely concerned by the NHS figures, which support other research.
Ms Woolnough said: “We’ve heard first-hand from thousands of people whose lives have been turned upside down by long Covid, who have had to quit their jobs and most-loved hobbies as they battle wide-ranging and disabling symptoms like persistent breathlessness.”
“If that wasn’t tough enough, many people are then forced to deal with the debilitating effects of long Covid on their own, because of a lack of support and huge wait times for specialist care,” she added.
The potential of CBD oil as a treatment
The Mirror reports that people are using medicinal cannabis, in the form of cannabidiol (CBD). This product is made from an extract of the cannabis plant, but it does not contain the toxic element that is used to make psychoactive drugs, known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It was licenced for use in the UK three years ago, and can be bought online.
Patients are reporting the treatment is helping to ease symptoms of depression, fatigue, insomnia, and muscle pain. While it is too early to produce medical evidence, researchers are currently looking into the potential of CBD as a treatment for long Covid.
There are a few different reasons why CBD oil may be an effective remedy. For example, it is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help those who are suffering the effects of severe lung inflammation that can occur with long Covid.
Inflammatory responses are necessary to attack viruses that inflame the body, but an after-effect of Covid can be an overreaction of the immune system. Too many pro-inflammatory molecules, known as cytokines, can cause the white blood cells to start fighting the healthy cells of the body, rather than the virus.
This leads to increased pressure on the lungs, making it more difficult for them to release carbon dioxide and pump oxygen around the body. This causes the shortness of breath that is reported by so many long Covid patients.
There have already been studies on animals which show that CBD therapy lowers levels of inflammation, which is thought to be because it improves levels of apelin, which is a peptide known to reduce inflammation. This is why may people currently use CBD to treat arthritis.
Long Covid symptoms also include anxiety and depression, and many people who suffer from this medicate with CBD. It is thought that CBD compounds increase serotonin activity in the brain and lowers cortisol levels, which helps to promote a sense of happiness and wellbeing. Normal levels of serotonin improve sleep and concentration.
CBD is used by many people without side effects, although occasionally they may cause a dry mouth, drowsiness, or a stomach upset. They can be taken in the form of chewable tablets, drops, or sprays.