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Q. I have been using honey as an ointment to prevent and treat skin infections for years. Not only does it work for cuts and scrapes, but it also works on herpes cold sores, cutting down on the length and severity of the outbreak. It's truly a miracle cure! As far as I can tell, any kind of honey is effective. It's great stuff, and it tastes good, too.
A. Your use of honey sounds like an old-fashioned remedy for hard-to-heal wounds. Before antibiotics, doctors and nurses applied sugar to wounds. Dr. Richard Knutson, an orthopedic surgeon in Greenville, MS, has had good experience using sugar on wounds. We have also heard from Dr. Ron Caless, a plastic surgeon in Columbia, SC, that medical grade honey speeds wound healing, provided the wound is clean and not infected. Keep in mind that a serious wound requires medical attention.
I didn't know about honey for cuts and scrapes, but I had used it for years on burns. It is fantastic. I poured some scalding coffee down the front of my sweater. Couldn't take it off right away, but after putting honey on later, it stopped burning and wasn't sore at all. Of course the sooner you put it on the better. The last few years I discovered that Nutribiotic GSE (grapefruit seed extract) works even faster.
If you have a sore that is infected and open you can take honey and flour make a paste put it on it and bandage it up it will work like a drawing salve and suck out the infections. We did this on a spider bite my grandson had and the doctors wanted to cut it open and clean it out . We put it on over night and the next morning it was out. The doctors had been messing with it for 3 months.
I woke up this morning with a horrible cold sore that caused half of my lower lip to swell. After applying honey to the area, in a few hours the swelling was completely gone. And after a several more hours the cold sore is already starting to heal. I felt pretty silly putting honey on my lip at work but it's working like a charm.
After reading about honey being an ancient antibiotic I use honey and warm water to keep my pores clean on my face.
Also 3 yrs ago my mom's skin was breaking down (bedsores) in the nursing home and I put some pure honey on the skin and an aide told a nurse.
I brought the book and she was in awe.
Uses honey on bruises also.
I have had a few really bad burns on my arms from, either steam or hot metal. I have found that pouring honey onto the burn takes away the soreness and heals the burn very fast. I had no blisters and no scarring afterwards. It is quite amazing.
Our vet removed a lipoma from the center of our dog's chest. His first day home he ripped out the stitches going out the doggie door. Re-suturing was not an option. Our vet told us to keep it clean with hydrogen peroxide then to sprinkle sugar on it daily. It took about three weeks but the wound healed completely without further intervention. Wow!
Honey does work! But you should use RAW honey. Most of the honey sold in grcocery stores has been processed at high temperatures which can destroy a lot of its benefits whether you use it for eating or medication.
I have been volunteering in the Endocrine Ward in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda where they routinely use honey (as well as systemic antibiotics when appropriate) on foot ulcers with excellent results.
When I was a kid, I worked for a beekeeper. Stings were a common thing, and the easiest and best treatment was to remove the stinger (of course) and dab honey on the spot. Didn't necessarily do much for the pain, but swelling was almost nonexistent. The irony is almost as thick and sweet as the honey.
After spending $20 for a tiny bottle of Abreva for a cold sore, I read about applying honey - it really works! Took the pain away instantly and healing process is much faster than with contemporary methods. Pass it along!
I did nursing in Mexico for 25 years. We routinely use honey on bed sores and ulcers on legs caused by poor circulation and varicose veins with great results at little expense. It is just as effective for infected wounds also. I have found that bee propolis is more effective on herpes simple and any lesions in the mouth. Propolis is usually sold in an alcohol base so it stings but the results are worth it. Propolis is great for colds and sore throats when taken internally. The dose is indicated on the bottle (usually 10 drops in water for adults) I don´t know why it isn´t used much in the US. I believe it is popular in Germany.
There is medicinal grade honey being sold from New Zealand called manuka honey. It is very expensive but has been used for years for wound care, mrsa staph infections just to name a few. It is said that the darker the honey the higher the antibiotic and antimicrobial properties. If you can not afford the manuka honey I would recommend using and avocado honey or a peppertree honey because they are naturally darker verieties.
It should also be noted that if you are ingesting the honey you should always use raw honey because it has not been processed which can reduce or in some cased eliminate the medicinal properties of the honey.