The water activity of honey is less than 0.91 aw, which prevents and controls the growth of bacteria on the wound surface [17,18] and causes fluid flow that flushes slough, debris, and necrotic tissue as well as microorganisms out of the wound.
Honey has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used as a wound dressing to promote rapid and improved healing. These effects are due to honey's anti-bacterial action, secondary to its high acidity, osmotic effect, anti-oxidant content and hydrogen peroxide content.
rinse the wound under running tap water for 5 to 10 minutes. soak a gauze pad or cloth in saline solution or tap water, or use an alcohol-free wipe, and gently dab or wipe the skin with it – don't use antiseptic as this may damage the skin.
Manuka honey as a wound dressing is useful in maintaining a moist wound environment and acts as an autolytic debriding agent in debriding wounds.
When the honey is on a wound, the honey acts like a dry sponge and soaks up any spare water. This is called osmosis. Because of osmosis, the honey draws fluid away from the infected wound. This helps to kill bacteria, which need liquid to be able to grow.
Antibacterial action
Share on Pinterest Honey can help clean wounds and prevent infection. Honey is a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agent . It contains hydrogen peroxide and glucose oxidase and has a low pH level, which means it can kill harmful bacteria and fungi.
Honey can be used on any type of wound at any stage of healing. Research has shown honey to be capable of clearing infection, healing infected surgical wounds, and thwarting the progression of necrotizing fasciitis (eg, Fournier's gangrene).
Honey may also promote autolytic debridement by causing an enzymatic action that activates plasmin, which disintegrates blood clots that bind necrotic tissue to the wound bed (Molan, 2005).
The alkalinity of chronic wounds with slough and necrotic tissue is elevated; MEDIHONEY® Dressings can help lower the pH in the wound environment,1-3 allowing the body's natural processes to take over.
There are several wound cleansing products which can be used for the safe removal of slough, and several different methods of debridement – including autolytic, conservative sharp, surgical, ultrasonic, hydrosurgical and mechanical – as well as several therapies which can be used, including osmotic, biological, ...
There are dressings specifically designed to promote autolytic debridement, which include thin films, honey, alginates, hydrocolloids, and PMDs. Hydrogels and hydrocolloids are additional dressing choices that may be effective in removing slough.
One day after applying manuka honey the base of the wound could be seen to be clearing of slough.
Depending on the amount of exudate, the dressing with medical honey has to be changed up to 2 times a day in acute inflammatory wounds. The most often practised change interval for medical honey dressings is every 24–48 h.
Conclusion: Honey appears to be more effective than sugar in reducing bacterial contamination and promoting wound healing, and slightly less painful than sugar during dressing changes and motion.
The main medical use for Manuka honey is for wound and burn healing. It is generally used for treating minor wounds and burns. Research shows Manuka honey to be effective in treating other conditions, including: Skin care including eczema and dermatitis.
Slough is marked by its color, which can be yellow, tan, gray, green, or brown. It can be stringy and loose or thick and adherent to the wound bed. It is imperative that slough be debrided to kick-start the healing process and allow for the ingrowth of healthy granulation tissue.
In those wounds that contain only slough, high-risk debridement methods are not considered necessary for its removal. The use of mechanical techniques for removing the slough is regarded as posing a much lower risk to the patient and the wound bed.
If any yellow tissue (slough) is noted in the wound bed, no matter how minute, the ulcer cannot be a Stage II. Once there is visible slough in the wound bed, the ulcer is at least a Stage III or greater.
Medihoney contains 80% manuka-honey.
Manuka honey with a high UMF rating is significantly more effective than examples with a low rating, or regular honey, in improving wound healing, new research shows.
What's the difference between honey and Medihoney? Medihoney is a brand of medical grade honey products. These are made for specific medical uses and usually contain some honey along with other ingredients.
The antibacterial property of honey is also derived from the osmotic effect of its high sugar content and low moisture content, along with its acidic properties of gluconic acid and the antiseptic properties of its H2O2[47].