Smoking weed puts you at greater risk during the coronavirus crisis

[Chris Smith]

• Weed consumption can be a risk factor for COVID-19, even if marijuana use is moderate and infrequent, doctors warn.
• Marijuana, like tobacco, causes an inflammatory reaction in the lung even before the novel coronavirus can settle in and produce its own inflammatory response.
• Users are advised not to smoke during the health crisis, and inform their doctors of their marijuana behavior if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Visit BGR's homepage for more stories.

If you think smoking a joint here and there to alleviate stress and anxiety during these troubled times is a good idea, you might want to reconsider. Even casual marijuana consumption is a risk factor for COVID-19 patients, doctors warn. Research already shows that the novel coronavirus is worse for smokers, and weed might be just as dangerous. The problem with smoking any substances is that they can cause inflammation in the lungs before the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can result in the COVID-19 disease.

"What happens to your airways when you smoke cannabis is that it causes some degree of inflammation, very similar to bronchitis, very similar to the type of inflammation that cigarette smoking can cause," chief medical officer for the American Lung Association Dr. Albert Rizzo told CNN. "Now you have some airway inflammation, and you get an infection on top of it. So, yes, your chance of getting more complications is there."

Continue reading...

Today's Top Deals

1. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: AirPods Pro, $5 wireless charger, $20 AirPods rivals, Echo blowout, more
2. Today’s best deals: Huge Echo speaker blowout, $11 waterproof speaker, $20 headphones, DIY face mask supplies, more
3. The 5 best-selling electronics devices on Amazon’s entire site

Trending Right Now:

1. Coronavirus spreads through the air outside with shocking ease, study says
2. First ‘Avengers 5’ details might’ve just leaked
3. All of Apple’s iPhone 12 models will arrive in September, with one big exception

Smoking weed puts you at greater risk during the coronavirus crisis originally appeared on BGR.com on Sat, 11 Apr 2020 at 12:55:12 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Via BRG - Boy Genius Report