The Efficacy And Safety Of Natural Honey On The Healing Of Foot Ulcers: A Case Series
Abstract: This clinical observation investigated the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability of natural honey on the healing of a variety of chronic foot ulcers at the primary care level. Materials and Methods. A total of 12 patients with foot ulcers utilizing natural honey as an effective alternative to more expensive, advanced wound products were followed. Cases were referred to Umgwailinah Primary Health Care Center, Doha, Qatar from different health centers and from Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar. There were also self-referred cases. After rinsing the site with normal saline, natural honey was applied and the wound was covered by glycerin-impregnated gauze (Adaptic Non-Adhering Dressing, Systagenix, San Antonio, TX) to prevent the absorption of honey into the cotton gauze and away from the wound site. Patients were followed on a daily basis for an average of 4 weeks. Results. All ulcers healed with no contractures or scars with a mean healing time of 3 weeks. There was a 75% reduction in the dressing budget of the health center and a high level of satisfaction among both health professionals and patients. Patients’ pain levels were reduced significantly after using natural honey, as evidenced by the use of the Visual Analog Scale. Conclusion. The use of natural honey in the management of chronic foot ulcers proved to be efficacious, cost-effective, and acceptable by both clinicians and patients. Introduction Natural honey dressings have been used to treat wounds throughout the ages.1 This case series describes the use of natural honey in patients with a variety of chronic foot ulcers. A wound assessment was carried out daily and used to decide upon the continuation of treatment with natural honey. Numerous preparations of honey have been previously st Continue reading >>
Faq On Honey Dressing |shop Wound Care
Can I use Manuka honey in a jar on my wounds? No. Manuka honey that is purchased in a jar is for oral/internal use only. Wounds, cuts and scratches or broken skin should only be treated with sterilized honey. Therefore, it is recommended that medical grade antibacterial Manuka honey should be used for such conditions. If I am allergic to bee stings, can I still use Medihoney products? Yes. Bee sting allergies are a reaction to the bee venom. Honey is a bee product but is very different to bee venom. Honey is a combination of nectar from flowers and enzymes from the bee. If you are unsure or have life-threatening allergies, you should check with your healthcare professional. Can I use Medihoney products if I am allergic to honey or pollen? True, honey allergy is very rare but it is a recognized allergy. The cause of honey allergy is not exactly known but it is thought to be caused by pollen or other minor constituents of honey. If someone suspects they have an allergy to honey we would advise them to consult their healthcare professional before using Medihoney products. Why does honey sometimes cause pain when applied to wounds? Due to the properties of honey some people may experience discomfort such as a stinging or drawing sensation upon application. This will subside over time. If discomfort is of an unacceptable level, remove the dressing and wash the affected area. Honey has a low pH which can be responsible for the stinging sensation. Honey also has a very high sugar and low water content. Excess fluid from the wound is drawn towards the honey which can cause a drawing or slight throbbing sensation. What is the difference between Medihoney Antibacterial Medical Honey and Medihoney Antibacterial Wound Gel? Medihoney Antibacterial Medical Honey is 100% Medical Grad Continue reading >>
Is Medihoney Gel An Effective Wound Treatment Option?
All Articles Long Term Wound Care Is Medihoney Gel an Effective Wound Treatment Option? Is Medihoney Gel an Effective Wound Treatment Option? This tasty salve has been used to treat wounds and speed healing as far back as ancient Egypt. It fell by the wayside in recent history as we discovered a plethora of powerful antibiotics to treat infections. Now it is making a resurgence as more and more bacteria strains develop resistances to overused antibiotics. So far, bacteria have not been able to develop lasting resistance to honey, and it is unlikely that they will do so in the future[13]. Honey has a wide variety of wound healing and antibacterial properties recognized by the medical community. The company Derma Sciences has incorporated honey into a variety of different wound care products that treat diabetic foot ulcers, leg ulcers, pressure sores, 1st and 2nd degree burns, and other cuts and scrapes. One of Medihoneys most attractive attributes as a wound treatment is its ability to fight off Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other resistant strains of bacteria when other antibiotics have failed[2,8,11]. Provides a moist, sterile, nutrient-rich healing environment Decreases wound pH, accelerating healing processes and decreasing wound size Absorbs liquids that exude from the wound Produces antioxidants that absorb free radicals at the wound site Kills antibiotic resistant bacteria including MRSA Although Medihoney comes in a variety of products that include bandages and tapes, I recommend the Medihoney gel because it works on wounds of any size or shape with normal sterile gauze and tape. There are several benefits to using Medihoney gel over wild or store-bought honey. Medihoney gel is medical-grade and is harvested from a specific type of flowe Continue reading >>
How Raw Honey Helped Save My Diabetic Dad’s Foot
I generally try to avoid sensationalist posts with the words “amazing!” and “miracle treatment!” in them; however, this post is going to talk about a (for real) amazing miracle treatment that helped save my diabetic dad’s foot! I’m excited to share it with you today, in the hopes that perhaps it will reach others out there in need of the information. My dad has been a diabetic since he was 15 years old. At the time of his diagnosis, he knew exactly two people alive with diabetes. One had no legs and one was blind. Back then, in the 1950’s, one in five people died within 25 years of the diagnosis, one in four developed kidney failure, and about 90% suffered from diabetic retinopathy. (NIH source.) It was a grave thing for a kid to face, but my dad is tough. He kept going, taught himself several skills, including custom cabinet making from a set of books, and has lived a long and active life. Several years ago, he developed a sore on his foot that wouldn’t heal. In spite of heavy antibiotics and various medical treatments, it grew progressively worse until he ended up having two toes amputated. After the surgery, he had a team of excellent wound care doctors and was eventually able to resume his normal high energy activities. Last year, he developed a sore on the same foot, just like the one that caused him to lose those two toes. For eight months, the standard medical treatments and antibiotics failed to help and it looked like he would need to be referred to a surgeon again. One day, someone told him about their experience with treating a bad wound with raw honey. At that point, he was willing to try most anything. Being the go-to health nut with a ready stash of raw honey in the family, I was asked about it. I did some research and turned up this fascin Continue reading >>
Anyone Use Medihoney?
What results have you seen using medihoney for wounds, especially diabetic heel ulcers? Does it work very well? How long does a wound take to heal with it? We put medihoney on just about every wound I see. Literally. Wound nurses LOVE medihoney. Downside is it's very, very expensive from what I hear. Our infectious disease doctor orders for wounds all the time. I work in acute care so I don't really see any immediate results from it but I hear it does miracles! I've never heard of this but my M-I-L has a non-healing post-surgical wound on one of her ankles from Achilles Tendon surgery. This surgery was a year and a half ago and it just doesn't want to close up completely. I looked at MediHoney's website and ordered some samples, and she's going to see if that's something her doctor might prescribe. They were just about to consider plastic surgery to try and close the wound up, but if she can avoid another surgery by using this product it would be great... Does it really work as well as the company claims? Where are you based? Medihoney is great value, I don't know where or how someone could say it is expensive. And it works! There are various forms of it, from 100% sterile Medihoney in a tube, to anther tube product which is a gel-like product, a little more viscous. But what we find great is the Medihoney Alginate and Medihoney Tulle Wound Dressings, which have something like 90-95% Medihoney in them. They are flat Dressings, which allows for cutting to size and shape for the wound. In the UK, all of them are on the Drug Tariff, so totally affordable. I have spoken to Nurses who have used it and swear by it. There are clear indications for each type of Dressing (I just looked up www.dermasciences.com ), as Medihoney comes in the raw Honey tube and a Gel, but also as v Continue reading >>
Honey Effectiveness, How It Works, And Drug Interactions On Emedicinehealth
Apis mellifera, Buckwheat Honey, Chestnut Honey, Clarified Honey, Honig, Jellybush Honey, Langnese Honey, Madhu, Manuka Honey, Medihoney, Mel, Miel, Miel Blanc, Miel Clarifi, Miel de Chtaignier, Miel de Manuka, Miel de Sarrasin, Miel Filtr, Purified Honey, Strained Honey, Tualang Honey. Honey is a substance produced by bees from the nectar of plants. It is commonly used as a sweetener in food. It may also be used as a medicine. Honey can become contaminated with germs from plants, bees, and dust during production, collection, and processing. Fortunately, there are characteristics of honey that prevent these germs from remaining alive or reproducing. However, some bacteria that reproduce using spores, such as the type that causes botulism, can remain. This explains why botulism has been reported in infants given honey by mouth. To solve this problem, medical-grade honey (Medihoney, for example) is irradiated to inactive the bacterial spores. Medical-grade honey is also standardized to have consistent germ-fighting activity. Some experts also suggest that medical-grade honey should be collected from hives that are free from germs and not treated with antibiotics , and that the nectar should be from plants that have not been treated with pesticides. Honey is used for cough , diabetes , high levels of cholesterol , asthma , and hay fever . It is also used for diarrhea , ulcers in the mouth caused by cancer treatment, and stomach ulcers caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) bacteria. Honey is also used as a source of carbohydrate during vigorous exercise or in people who are malnourished. It may also be used orally for wound healing following the removal of tonsils . Some people apply honey directly to the skin for wound healing, burns , diabetic foot u Continue reading >>
Honey-based Dressings: Can They Have An Impact For Diabetic Foot Ulcers?
Honey-Based Dressings: Can They Have An Impact For Diabetic Foot Ulcers? By Wendy Tyrrell MEd, DPodM, MChS, and Rose A. Cooper, PhD Honey is an ancient wound remedy that is reappearing in clinical practice in developed countries. The availability of licensed wound care products in Europe, New Zealand and Australia is prompting healthcare practitioners in conventional medicine to consider the use of honey within their treatment armamentarium. Ulcer remedies such as honey are necessary as the prevalence of diabetes rises. The American Diabetes Association has estimated that about 7 percent of the population had diabetes.1 It is an increasing problem that has serious implications and a high degree of morbidity. In 2005, 1.5 million new cases in the U.S. were diagnosed in people over 20 years of age. Foot ulcers are a frequent and complex complication in diabetes and researchers have estimated the prevalence of foot ulceration in this population to be approximately 6 percent.2 Diabetic foot ulcers are often present for long periods of time and have poor healing rates.3 These poor healing rates lead to the worst case scenario amputation and diabetes remains the most common cause of lower extremity amputation in the Western world. There are a variety of factors that lead to the development of ulceration in the diabetic foot. In addition to complex sensory, motor and autonomic neuropathy, other contributory factors include the duration of diabetes, circulatory status, blood glucose levels, age, height, limited joint mobility and the high plantar pressures that are often present as a result of structural deformities in the foot.4-6 When these underlying factors are present, relatively minor traumatic incidents, such as ill fitting footwear or knocking a toe against a firm obje Continue reading >>
Medihoney Patient Information/faqs
MEDIHONEY is the global leading brand of wound care dressings made with Active Leptospermum Honey. Researchers have found that the Leptospermum species has unique plant derived components that make it ideal for the management of hard to heal wounds and burns.1-3 It helps the bodys natural wound cleansing processes in three key ways which have been shown to have wound healing benefits: The use of honey for healing goes back thousands of years, to ancient Greece and Egypt . In recent years, a resurgence in the science and use of honey has driven research and clinical testing to understand the healing properties and effectiveness of medical-grade honey in wound healing. Most specifically, the Leptospermum species or Manuka plant has shown to produce a unique honey optimal for wound healing. As a result, clinicians worldwide are championing the use of medical-grade honey across the spectrum of care. The honey available in stores for cooking and eating is often not sterilized and may carry a small risk of infection with bacterial spores. MEDIHONEY dressings are standardized and sterilized by gamma irradiation, ensuring the removal of Clostridium botulinum spores which may be present in unsterilized honey. MEDIHONEY comes from a traceable source, processed under stringent controls to ensure batch to batch consistency. It is produced under hygienic conditions and is free of pesticides and antibiotics. Additionally, only Active Leptospermum honey has been shown in large scale randomized controlled studies to improve wound healing.1 Can I still use honey if I am a diabetic? Yes. You can still use MEDIHONEY. The high sugar content in MEDIHONEY has a beneficial osmotic effect, helping the bodys natural processes to cleanse the wound and remove dead tissue. Your wound should be mo Continue reading >>
What Helps Heal Wounds Faster? Discover Medihoney And It's Benefits Now
For thousands of years, honey has been used as an agent for healing. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks famously used honey as the basis for a wide array of medicines, and that knowledge has been preserved over the ages. While the use of honey in modern medicine dwindled in the earliest years of advanced medical systems, doctors and medical researchers alike are beginning to see the true benefits of honey and why it shouldn't be ignored as a medicine. This changing perspective has led to a huge surge in product research and test trials aimed at refining honey into a medical-grade product that will aide in the healing of burns and other wounds that are typically difficult to heal. Research has come to show that the Manuka plant of the Leptospermum species is the ideal nectar source for honeybees if the objective is to create the optimal quality for medical applications. Now that many researchers have agreed upon this type of medical-grade honey and its benefits, doctors across the globe are incorporating this medicine into a wide range of their practices and treatment plans. MEDIHONEY paste is one of the leading medical-grade honey treatment options in the world, and it is one of a long line of other products that feature the same MEDIHONEY active ingredients. These MEDIHONEY products include the MEDIHONEY hydrocolloid paste, MEDIHONEY ointment in a variety of delivery systems, and even adhesive bandages that help heal wounds faster. Like other medical-grade honeys, MEDIHONEY paste is produced from bees that only have access to the Leptospermum plant species. This rare species is native to New Zealand, but the producers of MEDIHONEY ointment ensure their products are consistent with strict controls over the production process. Since the production environment is entirely Continue reading >>
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To Heal Lower Extremity Diabetic And Venous Leg Ulcers
Watch the latest MEDIHONEY® Power Webinar on lower extremity diabetic and venous ulcers presented by Dr. Ronald Sherman, DPM, FAPWCA. Dr. Sherman is from Johns Hopkins Hospital Multidisciplinary Diabetic Foot and Wound Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Lower extremity ulcers can be challenging to heal. Whether acute or chronic, the fundamental science behind MEIDHONEY® can provide good clinical management. In this educational program, the scientific benefits behind the naturally low pH and high osmotic effect of MEDIHONEY® will be discussed and various cases will be presented. This is a 30-minute educational program on harnessing the unique characteristics of MEDIHONEY® Dressings to promote the healing DFUs and VLUs. Continue reading >>
Is There Anyone Using Honey For The Dressing Of Wounds? Why Aren't The People Convinced About It's Efficacy In Wound Healing?
I do not know why you are saying it is not accepted : it is ! I know at least 3 of them being routinely coomercialised : MEDIHONEY - REVAMIL - MESITRAN .There is even one more that I do not remember the name/ In both health funds in Israel where I am working , honey treatment is in the basket of dressingsin useand we are using them currently on a day to day basis.We have at least published 2 abstracts in EWMA ( european wound association) on the use of honey in burns and in diabetic wounds with sinuses (included my profile) With my best wishes of success in your work Sorry, I did not pay attention to your remark on usual honey. The problems are that any honey has its own characteristics of pH and specificantibacteriologic properties so that you have know which are the ones of that you use. One more remark is that the medical honey gets a treatment by gamma irradiation so that it kills germs that could be present in the honey and could be made it risky for usesuch as clostridium It is no because there is no RCT that it is not valuable.It just proves that RCT should be performed given the valuable results of the good and experience folk that use it/ I may tell you that even not being a RCT our experience of additionnal value of honey against iodine solution alone in sinuses originating from diabetic foot ulcer with more than 80% closure and no side effects just should push us to build a good RCT, If we are condamning new things becuse RCT was not (YET) performed there will never be any progress By the way is there anything that can really be called a gold standard in wound healing: I was taught that wound needs moisture to heal and my dear orthopedic surgeonfriend andcolleague in the team ( Dr Nahum Grinberg )is drying all the diabetic foot ulcers with iodine and you kno Continue reading >>
Your Guide To Hydrocolloid Dressings
December 5, 2014by Advanced Tissue 01 Diabetics with foot wounds should be wary of using hydrocolloid wound dressings. Wound care is a complex process made more efficient by a variety of means, from having proper nutrition to keeping stress levels low. The typeof products you, with the guidance of your clinician, choose to dress the wound has the greatest impact. There are a plethora of traditional and advanced dressings, and one commonly used is the hydrocolloid dressing. Learn more about this advanced wound care category so you and you clinician can make an informed decision about whether a hydrocolloid dressing is right for you. Hydrocolloid dressings have a unique design. They contain gel-forming agents (a gelatin or sodium carboxymethylcellulose) held within an adhesive compound, which is laminated in place on a foam or film, generally made of polyurethane. The end product is an advanced wound dressing that resembles an absorbent, flexible wafer typically both waterproof and self-adhering. The aim of this type of dressing is to provide a moist healing environment and insulation while using the bodys own moisture and enzymes to keep the wound bed hydrated for proper wound healing. The dressing does this by absorbing wound exudate and forming a gel, and the properties of the gel depend on the agents contained within the compound; one may create a cohesive coagulate, while another might produce a less viscous, waterier gel. These products are generally available with or without adhesive borders and in a wide variety of thicknesses. These dressings can be used on many different types of wounds, and they have the best effects on those that are uninfected, ofpartial or full thickness and have low to moderate drainage. Clinicians often suggest hydrocolloid dressings for Continue reading >>
Choice Of Wound Care In Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Practical Approach
Go to: Definition Infection, ulceration or destruction of deep tissues associated with neurological abnormalities and various degrees of peripheral vascular diseases in the lower limb (World Health Organization definition, 1995). Risk factors Diabetic foot ulcers are a consequence of many factors including loss of protective sensation due to peripheral neuropathy where the feet become numb and the injury goes unnoticed. Also, arterial insufficiency complicates the neuropathic ulcer which leads to poor wound healing. Foot deformity and calluses can result in high plantar pressure, which results in additional risk. Mechanical stress at the wound site is hypothesized to affect wound healing[7]. Many other factors contribute to the risk of foot ulceration and its subsequent infection in patients with diabetes. Uncontrolled hyperglycemia, duration of diabetes, trauma, improper footwear, callus, history of prior ulcers/amputations, older age, blindness/impaired vision, chronic renal disease and poor nutrition have also been demonstrated to play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic foot ulceration. Infection further deteriorates the diabetic foot resulting in a non-healing chronic wound. Recently, vitamin D deficiency was proposed as a risk factor for diabetic foot infection[8]. Classification Based on the Red-Yellow-Black[9] wound classification system by Marion Laboratories, wounds can be classified as follows[10]: (1) Necrotic tissue-either dry or infected and usually black or dark green in color as shown in Figure 1A; (2) Sloughy tissue-combination of wound exudate and debris forming a glutinous yellow layer of tissue over the wound which is often mistaken for infection as shown in Figure 1B; (3) Granulating tissue-highly vascularized, red in color and so Continue reading >>
Honey Makes Medical Comeback - Health - Health Care - More Health News | Nbc News
TRENTON, New Jersey Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic honey is making a comeback. More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey company that makes medicated and other advanced wound care products, began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Called Medihoney, it is made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing. Also called Leptospermum honey, manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand. Derma Sciences now sells two Medihoney dressings to hospitals, clinics and doctors in North and South America under a deal with supplier Comvita LP of New Zealand. Derma Sciences hopes to have its dressings in U.S. drug stores in the next six months, followed by adhesive strips. Comvita, which controls about 75 percent of the world's manuka honey supply, sells similar products under its own name in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, where such products have been popular for over a decade. "The reason that Medihoney is so exciting is that antibiotics are becoming ineffective at fighting pathogens," said Derma Sciences CEO Ed Quilty. Another big advantage, he said, is that the dressings' germ-fighting and fluid-absorbing effects last up to a week, making them convenient for patients being cared for at outpatient clinics or by visiting nurses. They also reduce inflammation and can eliminate the foul odors of infected wounds. Since receiving FDA approval, Medihoney has brought in sa Continue reading >>
Medihoney Wound Dressing Review
Wounds that never heal? Bacterial infection? Not any more. Use medical grade honey to treat your wound. Here is a Medihoney wound dressing review, that explains how it functions and what to do. MEDIHONEY is the global leading brand of wound care dressings, made with manuka honey , also known as Active Leptospermum Honey, from the botanical name of the bush, the source of this honey.Manuka honey is different thanthe other honeys , and research confirmed that it is the best for wounds and skin infections. MEDIHONEYis a trademark of Comvita New Zealand Ltd and is used with permission by Derma Sciences, Inc.DERMA SCIENCES INC., a company specialized intissue regeneration, well-known for itsresearch and innovation for the management of acute and chronic wounds, and burns. MEDIHONEY medical-grade honey products for the management of wounds and burns. XTRASORB super-absorbent wound dressings ALGICELL Ag Antimicrobial silver dressings in absorbent/gelling formats have become the leading category of active moist wound dressings worldwide TCC-EZ a one-piece, roll-on, woven design that simplifies the application process while reducing the potential for causing additional tissue damage.Also known asthe Gold Standard of Care for off-loading diabetic foot ulcers. Aids in autolytic debridement due to itshigh osmolarity Promotes a moisture-balanced environmentconducive to wound healing Clean: Clean the wound with saline water. Apply: Directly applythe honey gel to the wound bed.Ensure itis in full contact with the wound bed and has approximately 3mm thickness. It is recommended to pair MEDIHONEYwith XTRASORB, which is a super absorbentcover dressing. Its osmoticgradient pulls exudate to the back of the dressingand converts it into a gel, locking it away evenunder compression! Whatever Continue reading >>
