How to Heal a Wound with Honey
89
Ancient Remedies Accepted by Medical Science
The USA has been looking into the possibility of using honey more frequently for the treatment of wounds. However, New Zealand has used certain honeys as a traditional treatment for some time. The Waikato University Honey Research Unit in New Zealand has made a large and comprehensive study of the medical advantages of honey, an ancient food and medicinal item since at least the late 1980s The University of Bonn (Germany) has added evidence for honey in wound healing in 2006.
My own experience tells me that honey is extremely important in these two areas. This experience comes from once knowing a farmer that was hurt in the barn far from his farmhouse at the time that he cut his forearm deeply with a sickle. He poured several pounds of sugar into the wound (he was out of honey) and doused it with kerosene, thus saving his own life. He claimed to have not needed stitched to close the wound and that if he had had honey in the barn, the healing would have been quicker, since honey fights off "germs." He kept turpentine, kerosene, honey, and sugar in the barn for first aide purposes as well as for fuel of the machine and human kind.
Why Honey?
Several reports of honey in successful wound management include controlled studies showing quick clearance of infection by the antibacterial effects of the honey. Honey examined has to slow-release hydrogen peroxide to fight infections (additional actions of honey operate toward this end as well).
The researchers at Waikato and elsewhere ahve learned that in ancient times, physicians recognized the different types of honey had specialty treatment properties, some being best suited for wound treatment. These include types for eye salves, skin ointments, and burn treatments. It turns out that sugar does, in fact, clear away infections, but sugar dressings must be changed more frequently than do honey dressings. The farmer of old was right and telling the truth, so it seems.
In America, honey is being used to treat chronic wounds of the diabetic, elderly, and other patients. Honey is thick enough to protect wounds while they heal and is antibacterial as well. Honey uses natural body-produced fluids for moisture in the wound for healing. In addition, it does not irate skins as antibiotics are prone so to do.
For wound treatment, unpasteurized honey is best and should be kept in a cool place, protected from light - a cool pantry or even a cool closet or basement is fine.
Mankua Honey is the best honey in New Zealand known for treating and curing wounds, according to Waikato University. It is collected from manuka bushes that grow wild. One additional similar honey was found only in very limited parts of Australia, growing wild.
In New Zealand, "active manuka honey" and the small amount of the related Australian variety available is the only honey on the NZ market that has been tested for antibacterial action. Specifically, it contains an additional antibacterial factor found only in honey produced via Leptospermum plants and this has been named Unique Manuka Factor or UMF. Together, the two antibacterial factors may produce a positive synergistic action (towards healing) greater than either of the two alone.
All this gives hope to the chronic diabetes patient that suffers non-healing wounds and/or large water blisters on the lower extremities. In parts of the USA, the need has arisen for specialized wound-healing treatment centers, and even mobile wound treatment vans, because some of these patients can no longer walk, because of their wounds. Honey may also be effective for treating bed sores, rashes, and perhaps even (and hopefully) the lesions suffered by some AIDS patients.
Manuka Based Products
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Wedderspoon Raw Organic Organic Manuka Honey Active 16+, 17.6-Ounce Jar
Price: $28.85
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Manuka Honey Cream Body Butter 8.45 oz.
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Bio Active 20+ Manuka Honey 1 Lb
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New Zealand Floral Manuka Honey 500g
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100% Pure East Cape Manuka Oil
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Step by Step Application
These are directions I have written for using honey (especially manuka honey) for wound treatment, based on the findings of the Waikato University Honey Research Unit, the Ohio State University, OhioHealth System, and Mt. Carmel Health:
- Wash the wound with sterile water or saline. Spread the honey on a thick or multi-layered cotton-gauze pad, not on the wound itself, because this is more efficient. In New Zealand, you can purchase ready-soaked honey pads - cut them a bit larger than the wound area for complete treatment. The more fluids are oozing from the wound, the more honey you need to use and the more often you must change the dressings. Dilution of the honey kills its effectiveness. In the UK, Activon Tulle pads are available.
- For most wounds, use about 1 ounce of honey on a 4" X 4" gauze dressing pad. If you use a 8" x 8" pad, you will need at least 4 oz. of honey. In this larger a wound, see your doctor as soon as possible. A 4" x 8" pad requires 2 oz. of honey.
- In case of an abscess, a depression, or a hole in the tissue, a) fill that area with honey first and then b) place a honey-prepared pad over top of it. COnsult a doctor as soon as possible in these cases.
Perfect pads for applying honey to wounds.
4. Cover the honeyed pad that is on the wound with a waterproof covering, such as a larger adhesive bandage. Cover this all with a plastic bag if you need protest it while showering or bathing, or if you will be in the rain, washing dishes, etc.
5. Check the wound ever 3-4 hours and changes change dressing daily, up to three times in a day early on. Check the dressings to make sure they are still moist and not too dry. A dressing that sticks to the wound means that you need to change it more often. Discard old dressings in such a manner as children and pets will not have access to them.
6. As the honey works, you should need less frequent dressing changes because of its anti-inflammatory action that reduced the amount of fluids oozed from the wound in infection defense. You may go from 2 dressings daily down to one, then down to one every 2 days, then 1 twice a week, and so on until healing is completed.
Manuka Honey in the Hospital
Tea Tree Oil for Infections & Cleansing
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Olympian Labs Tea Tree Oil, 2-Ounce Bottle
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Tea Tree 100% Pure Essential Oil - 30 ml
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Tea Tree Essential Oil 100% Pure 4oz
Price: $12.50
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Tea Tree Oil 100% Pure Essential Oil Undiluted 8oz
Price: $23.99
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Desert Essence Organic Tea Tree Oil, 0.5-Ounces (Pack of 3)
Price: $15.81
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Watch for Adverse Effects
Allergic reactions to honey can occur because of a specific allergy to a specific pollen in the honey. These pollens are almost always filtered out via filters in wound-treatment honey. Occasionally, a slight stining sensation results from honey used in the eyes as a salve.
Additionally, food-honeys may contain spores. For wound treatment, use gamma-irradiated honey that you can purchase, unless you need to stop a large wound in an emergency and pressure alone is not working. Use your best judgment in this decision.
If the wound victim is allergic to bee stings, consult a physician before attempting to use honey on a wound.
SUMMARY
Manuka is a hand item to keep on hand . Another item from the same sector of the world is Tea Tree Oil. I keep a bottle of this in the hosue at all times. It medicinal properties include in toothpastes and mouth rinses, as well as the relief of aches and pains in topical applications.
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Comments
Huh, and to think that I just thought it was simply tasty...great Hub!
HubMob!
Who would have ever known you could use honey to treat wounds, cuts and abrasions? Thanks for a holistic solution to a common everyday problem.
Michael
This is very very interesting. How much faster is the healing process and the effect of the marks in comparison to something like neosporin? This is a really great hub and is much appreciated. Thanks!
In 1918, my father was stabbed in the back; he was 16. When they brought him to my grandmother in the back of mule drawn wagon. After he was placed on the kitchen table; she packed the wound with spider webs and honey comb. That saved him, and therefore I am. This all happened in the back woods of Alabama in 1918. Accomplished by an old American Indian woman.
Turns out that spider webs contains vitamin K, which promotes blood coagulation and honey comb promotes healing.
A good hub!
Thanks. Really good to know this kwowledge.
Hup! - See what Hub Mob brings out! Yayyyyyyyyyy!!
bonica - THANK YOU for sharing that with us. We're so glad your dad was saved form death and you are here because of it. We have so much to learn form nature...
Michael - Honey is supposed to work faster than neosporin and leave fewer marks. The farmer about whom I speak had no scar whatever and that was fomr sugar and kerosene. Now, sugar seems to work faster than honey in the first couple days and then take longer over all, with honey being the the most healing in the shortest time period. So, the quickness is 1) honey, 2) sugar, 3) stuff like neosporin. :)
Thanks for ALL the comments. This was a lot of fun to write.
What a great hub! I like using honey for many purposes: pure or with lemon juice for a sore throat, calms the pain and stops the infection developing into something bigger. Also applied over Chapped lips protects and brings back moisture only after a few applications.
Now I know a new use for honey, which can be very useful specially with young children around!
Chapped lips! Why didn't I think of this before? Thank you, Princessa!
For the best tasting wound ever . . .
What fun, SpotCoolStuff! :)
Delightful and delicious Hub Patty!!
Thank you for sharing!! I use honey all the time to quickly heal unexpected blemishes!! It's also good for facials!!
I raised honey bees years ago!! They have a soft spot in my heart for all the good they bring into our lives!!
Thanks again for sharing dearest Patty!! You are the BEST!!
Blessings always, Earth Angel!!
Thanks for the testimonial to Honey, EA!
Thanks Patty for all this great info on the different types of honey for treating and curing wounds and their many other uses. Thanks too for info on tea tree oil. And from Princessa's comment I'm as shocked as you, FOR CHAPPED LIPS? WOW! Wouldn't that be a miracle!
This is a really, really interesting hub, Patty! Bravo.
I don't like honey unless it's glazing a croissant. I do however, like using natural healing methods and would definitely try this. Thanks for making me aware of it.
Something I have wondered about for years....why is honey harmful to babies but not adults? Is it because babies don't have fully developed immune systems yet? Also, if it's harmful to them when digested (or potentially so), is it also bad to put on their tender skin?
Thanks for commenting, Dottie1 - I'm going to try it this winter for sure.
Shirley - I suspect that honey to an infant could cause an allergic reaction to bee stings later, but immediately to the spores, impurities, and pollen in it. Gamma-iradiated honey chould be OK, but spores/pollen in commerical honey would be bad for babies. So I think that just as the neurology of an infant is not complete at birth, neither is the entirety of the immune system. Another example is tomatoes crossed with jimsen weed - poison to babies, OK for most adults.
Then there are the exceptions - I had measles SEVEN times between ages 6 and 32 (gradual immunity buildup), but was never allergic to Poison Ivy. There are a lot of us around, though. A few of us off-brands are really allergic to Splenda.
Patti: I knew that honey could be used for this purpose but really never knew all the details or how it worked. Thanks! I hope they figure out where all the honey bees are going. As Einstein said, "As the honey bee goes, so goes mankind," or something like that.
Great hub!
I'm a carrier of measles. My poor younger sister....I would come in contact, then bring them home to her, but I never got them once. Think she had them 2 or 3 times. I can't imagine 7 - you poor thing.
Thanks for answering my question.
Christoph - Thanks for reminding me about the plight of the dying bees. I hope we can save them somehow.
Shirley - You are the 1st measles carrier I have known...After the first 3 times of measles, it was much easier for me - just a low fever and some itching with the rash. The last time, I did not know I had them until I was speaking with a nurse friend and she exclaimed 'You've got measles!'
this is the first time i've heard that honey could be used this way too. thanks so much. my parents n in laws sent me honey from my home country as if we eat a spoon once a day, it's good for us but i don't really like it so it's jus been collecting dust, hehe but now that i know that it can be used for this purpose, my honey is gonna start feeling useful again grins. thanks for sharing. great hub
honey works best on burn I have my personal experience last 4th of july i had a fire cracker burn and used to honey to get great soothing effects much better than any burn relief cream or sprays... I did not even get any blisters..!!! GREAT.
sminut13 - Now you can use all that honey that used to sit around, so that's great! I don't always like the taste of it either, but I use it for dry skin and it works pretty well.
adrainsean - good for you, and you;ve given us another reason to use honey. Amazing, isn't it?
thanks a lot for the wonderful info.... i also use honey for many purposes...
no doubt, its a secret that pharmaceutical companies like to hide. honey is one of the natural herbs provided to us.
How about that! - Discoveries we can share on Hub Pages. Thanks!
I use honey to heal my sour neck in the cold season. Thanks for sharing these other uses of honey.
There is actually a lot of medical research on the antibiotic properties of honey and propolis. If you have access to Ebsocohost (I do as a nursing student through the University of Maine), you can find pages upon pages of peer reviewed journal articles that back this hub up.
Nice Hub. Thanks, for the info. Keep up the good work.
Patty - last winter, our pediatrician said to give our daughter a tablespoon of honey instead of cough syrup to quiet her cough. I can say that it worked fairly well - at least as well as over-the-counter-medications (with no sleepy side effects). This article on treating wounds is very interesting. As a diabetic, I will definitely keep it in mind! Steph
broalexdotinfo - Great testimony to honey - Thanks for telling us about it.
Michelle - I was overwhelmed by the amount of research about Honey via EbscoHost. Will read more closely and add some references from the latest findings. Applause to you for going into Nursing! You are much needed and sure to do well. Every best thought and prayer to you!
Promotion - Thanks for visiting! I'll surely keep at it.
Steph - It awesome that honey can help you - always glad when you visit my Hubs. I have told a couple diabetics about honey and they are using honey now as well. It's a miracle for all of you - and for us with dry skin.
Here's another answer to Shirley's question about infants and honey, from Dr. John Moore of Northern Ireland Public Health Lab:
"One spore-forming contaminant may be Clostridium botulinum. Therefore newborns and young children should avoid ingesting natural honey to avoid getting infant botulism. There may be a temptation for young children to “taste the cure.”
So botulism is one result fomr ingesting the spores I was mentioning.
Here's a good article: Honey dressings in wound care, by Irene Anderson in the journal NURSING TIMES in 2006:
Abstract: Honey can be used as an anti-microbic for treating various wounds like acute, chronic, non-healing wounds, wounds colonized with MRSA, infected wounds or on red, excoriated skin. Honey can prove useful in dressings of these types of wounds, as it is antimicrobial and anti inflammatory in action.
Patty amazing hub! My grandma made a "first aid salve" in which she added calendula, german chamomile and honey and I'm positive that it made all the scatches and cuts heal faster. Even though I follow her recipe to the tee I just never get the texture as perfect as hers was.
great hub regards Zsuzsy
Thanks, Zsuzsy! Another great sharing experience.
Wow Patty, it's a wonder my youngest sister didn't get infant botulism. She was colicky, so her soother was always being dipped in honey and popped into her mouth by mom or grandma.
Now, I'll be able to kid her about what happened to her to make her the crazy woman she is today. :)
Hi Patty Inglish..
This i s very interesting..i had heard that honey is used for its medicinal effects, sweetening additive and also used in alternative medicines and various ayurvedic cosmetics. Its very interesting and useful that we can use honey to heal wounds because of its natural healing effects. Thanks for mentioning step by step how it should be applied to wounds.
My ex had an ulcer and the specialist told him he would probably have to go on ulcer medication. However, he told him to try something first - give up caffeine and eat as much Manuka honey as he could on a daily basis.
When he went back for a checkup, he was cured and never needed the medication.
Marisa - That is an inspiring story, especially that eating the Manuka honey helps as well. What a wonder it is and thanks for telling us more about it.
Shirley - Yes, that will be a good joke, but we're happy she avoided the botulism.
dreenamoore - I di dnot know about the cosmetics, but it sounds like honey can be used for 1000 different things. Thanks!
Thanks, that's a most interesting hub. I've heard that eating manuka honey is great for hay fever and other allergies, and my favourite shampoo of all times is also made from honey. It leaves my hair shiny and soft, and it smells delicious! But I didn't know that honey was so good for healing wounds.
One of my feidfns with diabetes is beginning to use hiney foir wounds and I will post the restuls on this thread. Thanks, Moon Daisy, for letting us know about Manuka's other uses, which I did not realize.
Wow! Very informative! I will most definately have to try it. Does honey have the same effect when injested? Like for a cold or flu?
For some people, one tablespoon of honey mixed into a little apple cider vinegar daily seems to help them avoid colds an dflu and get well faster if they catch them. Other people use bee pollen daily (1/2 tsp.) for the same effects.
It's also handy for catching large quantities of flies. Or so Ive been told.
I'll need to look up a recipe for flies, now.
I just wanted to let everyone know that other than using honey for wound care, that making a paste with granulated sugar and betadine works super fast. especially on bedsores. i put it on the gauze pad AM and PM. The shock to me was that when you change the dressing, the betadine and sugar have been completely absorbed into the wound, and the gauze is white again.
Isn't that amazing? - fast acting on something that needs quick action. Thanks!
I used Manuka honey on my leg ulcers, sadly I had to quit using it because it stung so badly. One thing though...it did clean and took the infection away. One point to make I do not think regular eating honey has the same healing properties as Manuka honey.
tbar56...you mentioned using sugar and betadine on bedsores...would this treatment work on leg ulcers??
gypsydancer55 ... im sure it would, the first patient i used it on had ulcers on his feet from being diabetic. His Dr. told me to try it, and let him know how it worked. I was amazed at how fast they healed. So give it a try.
Great Hub - interesting and informative! This is another example that supports the idea that sometimes the best solutions are the the most natural ones. Thank you for sharing.
Are you kidding me? That is pretty cool. However, I keep reading articles and information about the bee population dying relative fast and the honey supply being reduced greatly every day. We would need to up the supply some how if this catches on as a great way to heal a wound.
I think the zoos should begin a bee breeding program and farmers might be offered grants to raise bees. What do you all think?
Wonderful Hub Patty! I personally have used Honey on my burns year back and can vouch that it works. My Grannie who is a master of all Home Remedies did that and I don't even have a scar of that burn!
That's wonderful news and another great testimony, Anamika S!
WOW! Very informational! Honey, hmmmm. I will always remember this Hub! Thank you Patty!!
I think it brings a lot of hope to diabetics and otehr wound sufferes! Thanks for commenting and encouragement!
Patty, Thats great. I was just looking at the fact that you are a Martial Artist. Then I found this, Wonderful article.. You will see and hear more of me. I'd ask you if you wanted to get married. But I don't think my wife will approve. LoL Just Kiddin.
Peace, Love, Light, Health, Happiness and Massive Success
Hi Joseph! - That semi-proposal is very nice of you. Tell your wife I say Hi! :) Let' stay in touch and be fans on Hub Pages!
Wow, is there anything honey can't do? I will have to pick up some of the gamma-irradiated honey to keep on hand.
It's surprising just how much it can do! Glad you like the info, bradrl.
Very very interesting. I knew honey was helpful to help cure sore throats and the such, but never thought of wounds. I'm going to have to get enough on hand for just such a thing because I am diabetic.
Thanks.
I have several friends coping with diabetes; some are gaining good benefit from the honey for wounds and blister, letting their doctors know about their use of it. I hope it proves useful for you as well. Thanks for visitng, and let me know if you find it beneficial. Best wishes, RGraf!
Very interesting. I read (in Readers Digest, I think) about a doctor who treated injured workers with honey during the building of the Panama Canal. Wounds became infected very quickly and thousands died but this doctor never lost a patient to infection and he claimed it was the honey.
Since I read this, years ago, I have often used honey to treat infections. It seems to draw them right out. I just put honey on a pad and tape it on.
The Panama Canal workers were likely far from a clinic or hospital, so the honey saved their lives, didn't it? We need to use mroe natural products like this. :)
This is an amazing hub Patty. I never knew any of this about honey. My father-in-law used to have bees, and the honey was scrumptous. Now I'll keep it in mind for wounds as well. How incredible! I think more and more people are starting to think about ways to save money these days, and natural remedies like this are on the list for sure. :)
Hi Pam - Nature is full of miracles, I think. When the young daughter of Jack Hanna, Columbus Zoo and TV famous person, contracted cancer, a search for a cure came up with a small blue flower - and it worked. I think it was from Kentucky but am not sure I remember that correctly. At any rate - Ms. Hanna is still a cancer-free adult! How fortunate you were able to see your dad-in-law's hives!
Remember "Medicine Man" with Sean Connery - cancer cures from ants and sugar in South Amerca. Just a story, but you never know, in future...
Thanks for commenting!
amazing article from a all star
very fine. There are many things in kitchen which could be used for medicinal purposes. Like-onion, turmeric, garlic, etc. Honey occupies very important place in Ayurveda-the Indian medicine sysetem .
Let's stop going to doctor and allopathic medicines even for small problems like headache, simple fever, etc. Learn about home medicines and use them.
Thank you, prasadjain - What you are saying makes a lot of sense. Home and natural remedies should be used whenever possible, I agree.
That was so informative, thanks.
We tend to use a lot of honey as medicine in India but I've never used it as a salve or to heal - I will henceforth!
Wow. I work as a microbiologist and am used to seeing many infected wounds. If everyone knew this I might be out of a job. LOL. Great Hub, I am going to try this the next time my daghter gets a cut or abrasion.
Marline! - Thanks for commenting. Honey is certainly a powerful alternative treatment. Have you seen the medical grade honey in pharmacies?
Great hub! My wife will add that to her 'honey-do' list; "Please rub some honey on my cracked feet honey." ;-)
My parents used to use that along with sugar and turpentine. The Aboriginals (forgot how to spell it) of Australia use the ants for healing. They have healling properties in the form of an antibiotic that is on a certain part of their little bodies.
Amazing, C.C. Riter! I'm glad to hear about the sugar and turpentine again. Did you see the film "Medicine Man" with Sean Connery, in which ants played a part in a cancer cure?
I've always liked ants, except the red ants that once bit me.
working
Keny Luger says:
4 months ago
This is a fascinating home remedy that I read about some years ago. Good hub