Both epilepsy and seizures are very common conditions, with one in every 26 people having a seizure at least once in their lives. However, a seizure is not always the same as epilepsy, and only about 1 in 100 persons in the US will be diagnosed with epilepsy after having a seizure or fit.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which aberrant electrical currents in the brain create a variety of symptoms, the most frequent of which are seizures and epileptic fits. Some individuals will develop light sensitivity or the sensitivity to flashing colors, while others develop a sensitivity to loud noises. The exact cause of epilepsy is still unknown or the origin in 65 percent of instances is not known, and it is not responsive to pharmacological treatment in 30 percent of cases.
Scientific study into epilepsy is always ongoing, and medication therapies are becoming increasingly popular, but none have sparked as much attention as CBD Oil, cannabis oil, and medicinal marijuana.
CBD For Epilepsy
Along with the psychoactive component, THC, CBD is the non-intoxicating cannabinoid that has been found as having great medical potential. While some cannabis oils include both THC and CBD, pure CBD Oil that contains 0.3 percent THC or less is completely legal in the United States. CBD is one of 113 compounds found in the cannabis plant, but it contributes to 40% of the plant’s extracts.
Many of the studies on CBD epilepsy therapy were anecdotal, meaning that some epilepsy sufferers showed clear symptoms of relief after consuming CBD for their seizures. Hard clinical research regarding CBD and seizures has now revealed a slew of benefits for epileptic patients as well as those suffering from other seizure and fit disorders.
Lennox Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome are two rarer kinds of severe epilepsy. Both of these types of epilepsy hit at a young age, last a lifetime, and have proven to be resistant to traditional pharmacological therapy, making them ideal candidates for CBD research. CBD Oil was demonstrated to lower the severity and frequency of epileptic seizures in children suffering from Dravet Syndrome in a trial of 120 children with the condition. Seizure frequency decreased by up to 43% in the CBD group in a study on Lennox Gastaut syndrome.
Final Thoughts
Because of the CBD’s intricacy and multiple associations with our bodies, studies specifically on how CBD produces its anticonvulsant effects are still ongoing. However, it’s worth noting that CBD research has been overwhelmingly positive in terms of its safety as a chemical, with the most common adverse effects, being dry mouth and slight nausea that normally go away with time.