Over the years, there has been much debate over the benefits of using weed for increased health. Many health practitioners have said before that when people smoke weed, they should tread lightly if they have previously undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions. Sometimes people experience symptoms like chest pain from smoking weed, and this can be a frightening thing to experience.
In addition to cardiovascular symptoms, there are also claims of other negative issues occurring after consuming cannabis such as psychosis and schizophrenia. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is true and what isn’t because there haven’t been enough concrete studies done on what cannabis does to the body, including the heart.
Cardiovascular Health And Marijuana
If your lungs hurt after smoking weed, you’re not alone. There hasn’t been much proof that cannabis can have a huge negative impact on heart health. A heart specialist from the Ottawa Heart Institute stated that the correlation between cannabis and heart attacks is very confusing.
In 2014, there was an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine that stated that cannabis can elevate the chances of having a heart attack or even a stroke. It also said how cannabis was able to do that wasn’t exactly clear. The article went on to say that these negative issues usually happen pretty quickly after using cannabis instead of having a cumulative effect on the heart over a number of years.
Many times, cannabis is consumed at the same time as other substances. People like to consume alcohol and cannabis at the same time. Tobacco is another thing that’s thrown into the mix a lot of the time. Another thing to consider is the correlation between depression and heart disease, so it’s hard to decipher what exactly is causing the heart problems.
Chest Pain From Smoking Weed
Health practitioners have stated that smoking is the unhealthiest way to go about consuming cannabis (at least for the heart). Smoking cannabis is also the most popular way to consume cannabis. When you smoke it, you’re also inhaling carbon monoxide at the same time.
As a result of inhaling the carbon monoxide, your heart will be working harder to account for the oxygen that’s not being inhaled. This stresses out the heart and can cause heart pain and heart palpitations.
Why Chest Pain From Smoking Weed is Not a Reason to Panic
When people experience these symptoms in their hearts, the first thing they think of is usually the worst things, like a heart attack. In most cases, it’s just that they aren’t getting enough oxygen. Smoking dry cannabis or cannabis that creates a lot of smoke can cause the heart to work more, and this can increase anxiety and paranoia, which doesn’t help when you’re already experiencing heart palpitations.
To cut a long story short, if you get chest pain from smoking weed — there’s nothing good about it. However, it does not mean that weed will inevitably cause chest pain or any heart issues. It’s way, way more complicated than that. In fact, weed can be beneficial for your health as well.
What Are Some Positive Benefits Of Cannabis On The Heart?
On the flip side, cannabis has also been mentioned to have some positive benefits on the heart.
There was a study conducted in 2017 at a medical center in New Jersey that revealed that people who consume cannabis have a lower chance of atrial fibrillation and an irregular heartbeat. These two factors can lead to heart failure. Another surprising finding from the study was that people who smoke cannabis had a lower chance of dying in the hospital after they’ve experienced heart failure.
Some of these things had researchers scratching their heads. Many of them said that the findings were just early on in the study and that there needs to be more evidence to back these claims.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits Of Cannabis
Cannabis has been known to have anti-inflammatory benefits, as well. The body contains many cannabinoid receptors all throughout it, including in the heart. Because of this, consuming cannabis can, in a sense, stimulate the heart.
It’s difficult for people with heart conditions to refrain from smoking cannabis if they are effectively using it to deal with other symptoms. A lot of people use cannabis to help with pain due to arthritis, and if they are getting a lot of help with pain reduction from that, they most likely won’t want that pain relief to stop.
Using Edibles Or Vaping Cannabis
If you want to give your heart a little bit of a break, try ingesting cannabis edibles instead. A vaporizer is also known to be a healthier method of cannabis consumption in comparison to smoking a joint.
You’ll also want to be aware of the effects of edibles on the body. Cannabis edibles have an effect on your blood’s ability to regulate oxygen and blood pressure. You’ll also need to be aware of the dosing you use. Edibles take a longer time to affect you in comparison to smoking. Sometimes people don’t think the edible is working after 20 minutes and decide to take another one. Two hours later they could be overwhelmed with paranoia and anxiety because they took too much. It’s best to start low and go slow until you realize the dosing that works for you. Consuming too much at a time can cause undue stress on your heart.
Many people say their lungs hurt after smoking weed. Others say they have a sore throat after smoking weed. With edibles, you don’t get either of these symptoms, so people can really benefit from this method of consumption.
