Cellulitis: How Cannabis Can Treat This Skin Infection

Cellulitis: How Cannabis Can Treat it

marijuana for cellulitis

When we think of cellulitis, the first image coming to our mind most likely is skin looking like an orange peel. But that refers to cellulite. Both terms are commonly confused, and both are a skin condition. Cellulite is a skin condition caused by fatty deposits that look like orange peel. Cellulitis, on the other hand, is caused by either Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus bacteria.

Our skin is the biggest organ we have. It is also the most exposed to all sorts of injuries and scratches. One of its main purposes is to protect us against viral or bacterial infection entering through anything like an insect bite or a minor cut. Something like cellulitis can be very harmful to us if left untreated as it affects the skin and tissue. Any infection left untreated could be life-threatening if your immune system is not strong enough.

Interesting enough, cellulitis is more common under men or women between 45 and 65 years old and affects yearly 2.5 percent of people. If the cellulitis is caused by a Staph infection, it is sometimes very tricky to deal with. Staph bacteria are quite resistant to many antibiotics. The good news is, that even the World Health Organization supports the research of medical cannabis for treating something as stubborn as bacteria.

What exactly is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is more common than you think. It is a bacterial infection that first manifests as a swollen, red area that hurts when you touch it. Sometimes the swelling spread fast. Most of the time it is painful. Most often, it affects the bottom part of the leg, but it could happen on any part of the body. It can also impact the underlying tissue and in severe cases enter the bloodstream and end up in the lymph nodes.

People with a weaker immune system, like HIV patients, intravenous drug users, and patients on medical care are more prone to cellulitis. Chronic cellulitis most definitely has to do with a poor functioning immune system. This could be because of a lack of vitamin D and a deficiency of magnesium, zinc, selenium, boron, vitamin B 12, and antioxidants. A diet high on refined sugar and the use of antibiotics could also contribute to it. Other factors like stress, also have an effect on the immune system.

The Cause of Cellulitis

When any of the above-mentioned bacteria enter the skin through anything from a cut, ulcer, surgery, punctured wound, dermatitis, or even an athlete´s foot, you are at risk to develop cellulitis. Even something as insignificant as an insect bite could be the cause. In fact, any break in the skin could lead to cellulitis.

Different Kinds of Cellulitis

There are a few different types of cellulitis. They are:

Cellulitis of the extremities- it occurs on the hands, feet, legs, and arms
Periorbital cellulitis – this cellulitis is pre-septal. It affects the skin around the eye due to a scratch or injury. Sometimes it is caused by sinusitis

Facial cellulitis- Any unexplained swelling or redness on the face and surrounded areas could be facial cellulitis
Breast cellulitis- Some people are prone to breast cellulitis, especially those suffering from breast cancer.

There are even more forms, but we will suffice with this.

Symptoms

It is not always immediately possible to identify cellulitis. Before you actually know you have it, you might experience the following symptoms:

Flu-like symptoms – fever, chills, and tiredness
Skin infections- painful swollen areas
Skin texture – the skin texture is uneven to the touch, like little bumps underneath
Swollen lymph nodes- infection causes the lymph nodes to swell.
Red streaks – when the infection starts to spread, it will form red streaks.
Puss of fluid-filled blisters

In severe cases cellulitis could spread to the blood where it could lead to a blood infection like septicemia or sepsis. It could also spread to the bone in the form of osteomyelitis. Lymphangitis is also a probable cause where the lymph vessels are inflamed. A final probable cause is gangrene, where the tissue dies because of lack of oxygen. This could lead to amputation and sometimes death, if untreated.

The role Cannabis Plays in the Treatment of Cellulitis

Cellulitis, being a skin condition, is successfully treatable by a cannabis topical ointment. When the infection is deeper, taking CBD oil orally is a very good idea as it can attack the problem where it is. Cannabis topical treatment will help with the following:

Inflammation – Inflammation will be treated effectively with a cannabis topical because of the cannabinoids THC and CBD both address inflammation. Both also reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the body.

Pain – while cellulitis cause pain in the infected area, marijuana with its painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties will act fast to relieve pain. The topical treatment binds with the CB2 receptors on the skin and is fast-acting.

Infections – cannabinoids have anti-bacterial properties and are therefore very effective against cellulitis. It does not lead to antibiotic resistance as other antibiotics do. In fact, it is very good to fight bacteria that prove to be resistant to antibiotics. Apart from being a natural antibiotic, it is also anti-microbial and treats the inflammation caused by the bacteria.

Final Thoughts

To treat cellulitis, a cannabis topical is good, but not the only way. If you prefer to smoke or vape your cannabis, it will also work. Finally, edibles will also do the trick. Most importantly, cannabis works for cellulitis.