Honey Therapy for Wounds

Honey has been used as a topical antibiotic to treat wounds for thousands of years, dating back to Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) and Dioscorides (circa 50 A.D.) who mentioned it for treatment of sores and ulcers. The use of honey for medicinal treatment has been mentioned in religious texts, including the Bible, Veda and the Koran. Modern medicine and pharmaceuticals have diminished the practice of using honey to treat wounds, but note the benefits. Placing raw organic honey on a cut, burn, scrape or wound, will serve as an antibiotic and speed healing time.

Why Honey Heals

Honey actually kills the bacteria that create the infection. Honey's high concentration of sugar makes it almost completely void of moisture. This makes honey replicate a dry sponge soaking up fluid from the infected area. A topical application of honey kills the bacteria by absorbing liquid and depleting moisture from the infection. Without moisture, the infecting bacteria cannot flourish and die. In addition, honey naturally produces hydrogen peroxide, which is commonly sold in drugstores and is used to disinfect cuts and wounds. Honey contains a variety of flower compounds (phytochemicals) collected by bees that swallow, digest and regurgitate nectar. Many types of nectar have strong antibacterial properties, making honey a strong natural antibiotic.

Topical Honey

Use Manuka honey, which comes from the Manuka trees indigenous to New Zealand. It has exceptionally high antibacterial properties. Buy this honey at your local health food store. Clean the wound with soap and water to disinfect the area, then dry. Apply honey directly to the clean wound. Judge the proper amount of honey to apply based on how much fluid or oozing is present. The more oozing from the wound, the more honey you will need. As the honey begins to work, the wound fluid will decrease. Cover the wound with sterile gauze to keep the honey in place. Repeat the application and change the bandage twice a day or more if an abundance of fluid is present on the gauze.

Eczema

Eczema (Atopic dermatitis) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by dry, itchy patches on the face, the insides of the elbows, behind the knees and on the hands and feet. Eczema--with its unsightly, itchy, blotchy patches--can be successfully treated with a topical solution of equal parts raw (unprocessed) honey, beeswax and cold-pressed olive oil. Melt the beeswax in a pan, remove from heat, and add honey and olive oil. Stir until thoroughly blended while the mixture is still warm. Store the mixture in a clean plastic cosmetic bottle and keep in the refrigerator for up to three months. Apply the mixture topically to eczema-inflicted areas three times a day.