Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory process ongoing in the human eye. Outer layer of the eyeball and inner layer of the lids are typically affected. If the eye shows redness, swelling, itching or irritation, conjunctivitis would be the most certain diagnosis. There are several known causes to this condition: virus, bacteria, allergy, chemical and autoimmune. Viral conjunctivitis is the most common form, accounting for more than 90% of cases. Although not considered a clinical condition (usually there is no need for hospitalization), conjunctivitis is known to be highly contagious. A drop of fluid from the eye is enough to infect another person. Another unpleasant fact about this disease is the irresistible itch and pain in the affected eye(s), which may seriously alter the daily routine of the patient. Pain is fairly moderate, but very persistent, and may last from 2-3 days to several weeks. Swelling can also vary in severity, sometimes rendering the eye unable to fully open.
Conjunctivitis is not known to do serious damage to the eyes, and does not last for too long, usually. But the experience can be hard to bear – constant itch, which gets even worse after itching, ache, swelling and obstructed vision due to inability to open the eyes properly. Medical marijuana appears to possess all necessary qualities to help ease the course of the disease, and speed up recovery. Firstly, it can treat inflammation, regardless of the cause; in fact, it is often prescribed for inflammation with reasons unclear. This effect has been proven clinically in multiple cases. Secondly, cannabis can act as pain reliever – not for severe pain, of course, but studies show that moderate pain is successfully alleviated with medical marijuana. And finally, there has been some research for itch relieving properties of marijuana. Itching is reported to be the major stress for conjunctivitis patients, and experiments related to eczema treatments suggest that cannabis-based ointments are easing itch effectively by 38%. If marijuana treatment is to be prescribed, however, one must carefully choose the means of ingestion, since one of the side effects commonly associated with cannabis smoking is eye redness and irritation. With all positive effects it can provide for conjunctivitis symptoms, medical marijuana has to be taken cautiously and in right dosage.