Treating Acute And Chronic Wounds With Honey Wound Dressings

Historical Significance And Background Of Honey Wound Care

Archaeological findings and early written works indicate that honey has been used to heal wounds in many cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. The historical evidence suggests that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used honey on wounds and honey as a wound dressing for centuries.

While having been used historical for thousands of years, the use of honey on wounds and honey for wound healing, has gained popularity in more recent times as modern science has afforded us with scientific evidence, along with results-based evidence, of its effectiveness for wound healing.

Honey is a natural substance produced by the various honey bee species throughout the world. The product that results from the collection and processing of nectar by the bees from the vegetation around them is honey. While most of us may think of honey as something sweet that we can add to our diet, honey also contains physical properties which help expedite and support the wound healing process within the human body.

Manuka honey, which is a type of honey native to New Zealand and Australia, possesses natural anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and debriding properties which makes the use of this type of honey a particular effective treatment option for certain chronic wounds, such as venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, diabetic toe ulcers, arterial ulcers and pressure ulcers (bed sores).

Benefits Of Honey Wound Dressings

In general honey wound dressings, and especially those with medical-grade honey such as Manuka honey, help maintain a moist wound healing environment while drawing fluid out of the wound site, as well as helping the body’s own autolytic debridement process (softening and removal of dead tissue). The specific benefits of the use of honey as a wound dressing include:

Moist Wound Healing Environment: The use of honey dressings helps maintain a moist wound environment, which is critical for wound healing.
Antimicrobial Properties: Honey wound dressings can help control bacterial growth in the wound, reducing the risk of infection.
Anti-inflammatory Effects: Honey can reduce inflammation at the wound site, which can accelerate healing.
Debriding Action: Honey can help remove dead tissue from the wound (debridement), which promotes the formation of new tissue.
Wound Healing Acceleration: Evidence suggests that honey dressings can shorten the time it takes for chronic and actute wounds to heal.
Cost-Effectiveness: Honey is a relatively inexpensive wound care option.
Odor Control: Honey wound dressings can also help reduce the odor of wounds.

Types Of Wounds That Can Be Treated With Honey Wound Dressings

Honey wound dressings are frequently used in the treatment of chronic wounds, and can be especially beneficial as honey possesses antimicrobial properties to combat infection and can help reduce pain and odor at the wound bed. While honey can be used to treat acute and chronic wounds, they are especially useful in treating:

venous leg ulcers
diabetic foot ulcers
diabetic toe ulcers
pressure ulcers (bed sores)
arterial ulcers
first and second-degree burns
traumatic wounds
surgical wounds
fungating (ulcerating) wounds
superficial wounds
malodorous (odorous) wounds

While honey dressings may be beneficial in helping to treat other types of wounds, you should always consult your healthcare professional or wound care specialist to determine the best course of treatment for your particular wound and health situation.

Important Considerations When Using Honey

There are several important considerations when using a honey wound dressing, which include the following:

It is important to use sterile medical-grade honey for wound care, as it is processed specifically for the purpose of wound treatment.
Some individuals may potentially experience a temporary stinging sensation when using honey wound dressings.
Individuals with allergies to honey or bee-produced products should not use honey dressings as they may cause an allergic reaction.
During treatment with honey dressings, patients with diabetes should closely monitor their blood glucose levels

Treating Chronic Wounds With Honey And Compression

The use of compression therapy is a well-established practice to treat venous-related chronic wounds and involves the use of compression bandages, compression wraps, or compression stockings to apply controlled pressure to the affected wound area. The use of compression to treat a chronic wound helps reduce edema (swelling) and improves blood flow and circulation that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the wound site, which is crucial for wound healing.

While both honey dressings and compression therapy may be used independently in the practice of providing wound care, they can also be used together to effectively promote wound healing, and especially with chronic wounds such as venous leg ulcers. When used together, honey wound dressings and compression therapy can create a synergistic effect, with honey helping to prepare the wound bed and compression improving blood flow and reducing swelling.

Clincial Results of Combining Honey With Compression

Advancis Medical, the manufacturer of the Activon brand of Manuka honey wound dressings has provided clinical reviews outlining the benefits of Manuaka honey and related successes of treating chronic wounds with Manuka honey dressings.

Clinical Review #1

This clinical review involves a patient who is aged 64 years and had bilateral leg ulcers which were found to be venous in origin. The patient was having both legs re-dressed 3 times a week with many dressings but was non-compliant and complained of severe pain and discomfort. The patient was returning to the clinic every day (twice some days) complaining of pain, offensive odor and excessive exudate.

The Activon series of honey wound care products (including Activon Tulle and Activon Tube) were introduced as a last attempt to resolve this patient’s condition. After two applications the odor had decreased, exudates were slightly less and there was no pain on removal of the wound dressing. With improvement the patient began to comply with the treatment regime, began gentle exercise and changed their diet, which improved her condition holistically and they lost weight. The patient was measured for compression stockings and has a much healthier lifestyle.

Click here to open the full clinical review of the effects of manuka honey on a non-compliant patient with chronic leg ulcers.

Clinical Review #2

This clinical review covers a Type 2 diabetic patient who had extensive blistering to the left Hallux (big toe) with cellulitis extending to the mid-foot. Podiatric assessment also revealed the existence of peripheral neuropathy. The toe was sharp debrided and dressed with a non-adherent foam dressing with oral antibiotics being administered. The patient was also made aware of the seriousness of their condition advised to return to the diabetic foot clinic for further assessment and monitoring.

The patient visited the clinic 4 days later and while the infection had responded well to treatment, there was extensive ulceration, with hyper granulation tissue to the lateral aspect of the toe. The wound was sharp debrided and Activon applied with a non-adherent secondary dressing. The patient was issued with the Activon Tube and given instructions on its application. The foot was redressed every 3 days by the patient, and reviewed at the clinic every 10 days. Intial results with the Activon, in combination with good podiatric care have shown a significant improvement in the wound which is now clean and granulating, and is much smaller in size. The patient remained on oral antibiotics for 4 weeks, and since then has not suffered any repeated infections.

Click here to open the full clinical review of the effects of manuka honey on a patient with Type 2 diabetes.