Honey Dressings

5 Best Honey Dressings For 2023: Using Honey on Wounds

5 Best Honey Dressings For 2023

1. Derma Sciences Medihoney Gel Wound and Burn Dressing
2. Derma Sciences Medihoney Paste Wound and Burn Dressing
3. Derma Sciences Medihoney Hydrocolloid Wound Filler Paste
4. Derma Sciences Medihoney Calcium Alginate Dressing
5. Derma Sciences Medihoney Honeycolloid Dressing - Non-Adhesive

I'm sure you have probably used honey to sweeten tea or added it to a recipe and probably have some stashed away in your kitchen cabinets. But before you apply honey to a wound, it is important to know that medical honey is a very specific type. 

Manuka honey is a product of a New Zealand scrub plant of the same name. This honey has antibacterial properties and a unique pH balance that promotes oxygen and healing compounds for wounds.

The 5 Best Honey Dressings For 2023

Finding the best honey dressings may seem confusing and complicated with all the options available. But before you use what’s in your cupboard, make sure you have medical-grade honey. Here is our list of the 5 best honey wound dressings:

Medicinal honey can be a great way to heal wounds that aren’t healing with typical treatments. Using honey for wound care goes back centuries and has modern-day applications. Work with your doctor or wound care nurse to find the best honey dressing for you.

FAQ About Using Honey On Wounds

We all know that honey can be tasty, but did you know it has been used for its healing properties for centuries? Medical science has made strides in developing effective wound care products (bacitracin, etc.), but honey may still be a great choice for certain wounds. Let's look at some common questions about honey for wound care. 

1. Is Honey Effective For Healing Wounds?

As it turns out, yes. Manuka Honey or Active Leptospermum (medicinal honey) has been shown to have bioactive components that help wounds heal. Some of the benefits of honey wound dressings include:

• Acidic pH Promotes Healing: Honey has a pH between 3.2-4.5, encouraging the blood to release oxygen which is important for wound healing. 
• Osmotic Effect of Sugar: Sugar naturally draws water out of damaged tissues, reducing swelling and encouraging lymph flow for healing while removing bacteria.
• Antibacterial Effect: Manuka honey has an antibacterial component that can deal with bad bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE).

2. What Types of Wounds Are Honey Dressings Good for?

Honey dressings have been proven very effective for wounds such as: 

• Boils
• Burns
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Non-healing wounds/ulcers
• Pilonidal sinus
• Venus ulcers

3. How to Apply Honey Dressings For Wound Care?

Your doctor or wound care nurse can help teach you how to use the best honey dressings properly. Often these steps include:

• If using straight honey, apply to the dressing first to minimize mess, or purchase a dressing already impregnated with medical honey.
• Place clean, dry dressing over honey and wound.
• Replace dressing when saturated with wound exudate. As honey heals the wound, dressing changes will become less frequent.
• Only use medical-grade honey on open wounds. Other forms besides Manuka honey include Gelam, Tualang, and Medihoney, a brand name that offers honey sterilized by gamma irradiation.

 

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