If you hear persistent ringing in your ears that is uncaused by external factors, you probably suffer from tinnitus. It is a bothersome condition that can take much joy out of your life.
While hearing phantom sounds can be scary, you are not alone with this problem. According to researchers, about 750 million people have this perplexing condition. And many of them still search for a way to solve the issue.
One of the potential solutions that recently gained a lot of attention is CBD. It is a natural compound found in the cannabis plant that has anti-inflammatory properties, along with numerous other benefits.
But is CBD any good for tinnitus? Join us as we take a closer look at the available evidence to answer this question once and for all.
What Is Tinnitus?
As mentioned above, tinnitus is a condition when you hear phantom sounds that are not caused by external factors. The ringing in your ears can become so loud it can interfere with your daily activities.
The phantom noise varies from person to person. While some people experience only a faint humming, others claim they can even hear their heartbeat. The sound can also be high-pitched or low-pitched, constant or intermittent, and many people describe it as ringing.
The medical term for tinnitus is “tinnitus aurium,” and it happens when the nerve cells in the auditory system fail to process the information they receive from the ear properly. As a result, you hear phantom sounds.
The problem can develop due to various issues, such as hearing loss, exposure to loud noises, head injuries, cardiovascular diseases, stress, allergies, and drug abuse. However, in about 90% of cases, doctors cannot determine the exact cause of tinnitus.
For many people, tinnitus is just a minor nuisance that does not significantly affect their quality of life. But for some people with severe symptoms, it can be very debilitating and may lead to depression and anxiety.
How Does CBD Help with Tinnitus?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural compound found in high amounts in the hemp plant — a close relative of the marijuana plant. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), another active compound in cannabis plants, CBD does not produce any intoxicating effects or make you high.
Instead, CBD offers a wide variety of advantageous properties, from reducing inflammation and pain to relieving stress and anxiety. Here is how this unique substance can help you deal with tinnitus and its symptoms.
CBD Oil and Inflammation
Inflammation is one of the leading causes of tinnitus. It causes the blood vessels in your inner ear to expand and increases the amount of blood that flows through them. This, in turn, causes the cells in your inner ear to become overactive and send signals to your brain that you hear as a ringing sound.
CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and is known to interact with various receptors in our body. One of these receptors is called cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), which is located in the brain’s limbic system — the center of emotion and memory. The other one is called cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), which is present all over our central nervous system.
By interacting with those receptors, CBD can reduce phantom sounds and improve your quality of life.
CBD Oil and Anxiety
Another potential cause of tinnitus is anxiety. Many people with chronic anxiety report experiencing ringing in their ears as a symptom of their condition. If this is the case with you, CBD oil might be able to help.
CBD has shown anti-anxiety properties in several studies. It can help decrease anxiety and stress levels by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system helps regulate various bodily functions, including mood, sleep, and appetite.
At the same time, CBD’s interaction with CB1 receptors plays a vital role in reducing anxiety. Researchers demonstrated this effect in a study involving 24 participants suffering from a social anxiety disorder. After taking 600 mg of CBD before their public speaking test, the participants experienced much lower anxiety levels than those who took a placebo.
Some researchers believe that tinnitus could be related to anxiety disorders. If this is true, CBD could help relieve tinnitus symptoms by reducing anxiety levels. Nevertheless, scientists must do more research on this topic before we can say anything for sure.
CBD Oil and Stress
The ringing in your ears can be extremely annoying and distracting. But the anxiety it causes can be even more than the sound.
CBD has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety effectively. By influencing how your body processes stress, CBD can help keep you calm and relaxed even when you face a stressful situation, e.g., hear ringing in your ears.
On the other hand, stress is a common cause of tinnitus. When we are stressed out, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response. This mechanism is designed to help us deal with threats by preparing our bodies for action.
But when we experience chronic stress, our bodies remain in this state for extended periods of time. It can lead to inflammation and other health problems, including tinnitus.
CBD oil can help reduce stress levels by interacting with the body’s ECS. It can also help improve sleep quality, which is often disturbed in people with chronic stress.
Final Thoughts
So, can CBD oil treat tinnitus?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD oil may help with this problem. And the fact that cannabinoids have anti-inflammatory properties leads us to believe that they can help alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus.
However, at this point, no scientific evidence can confirm these beliefs. While some studies have shown promising results, most of them are still in their preliminary stages.
It will take some time before we know whether CBD can offer a real solution to tinnitus. But for now, there is no harm in trying out CBD oil for this condition.
