Dementia is a collective term that describes an overall loss of cognitive function, including thinking, reasoning, and remembering. Memory loss is perhaps its most prominent symptom, although the disease can also affect behavior and communication. Recent years have seen increased research investigating the relationship between cannabinoids and dementia symptoms.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, making up around 70% of cases. Other types of dementia include vascular and Lewy body dementia. About one-third of all people above the age of 84 have some form of dementia, although it’s not a natural part of aging.
Dementia symptoms range in severity from being mild and affecting a person’s functioning minimally to very severe, where the person is completely dependent on others to live normally. There are no known treatment options to cure dementia, and its symptoms are chronic. That’s why cannabinoids and dementia are thought to be an effective combination as opposed to conventional medication.
Although the symptoms can vary from patient to patient, dementia’s main warning signs include the following:
Dementia symptoms start out mild and get progressively worse over time. While the condition cannot be reversed, some of its symptoms can be mitigated to improve quality of life.
Research indicates that medical cannabis could help with a number of the behavioral symptoms associated with dementia, including agitation, anxiety, irritability, depression, and aggression.
Cannabidiol (CBD) in particular is shown to have benefits such as potentially reducing anxiety and depression and inducing better sleep. People with advanced dementia also tend to suffer from pain and weight loss. This is another reason cannabinoids and dementia are thought to be a promising combination since cannabis has been associated with improvements in appetite and pain relief.
Conventional treatment options for dementia, such as pharmaceuticals, often cause undesirable side effects such as nausea.
Texas 420 Doctors is proud to provide affordable access to medical cannabis for eligible Texans. If you or your loved ones suffer from a form of dementia or any other qualifying condition, you can book an appointment with one of our doctors. Each of them is board-certified and registered with CURT. You can order medical cannabis from a dispensary as quickly as 24 hours from the time of your initial evaluation.
Browse through all our yearly medical cannabis services. Reach out to us for more information on cannabinoids and dementia treatment options.
