Honey: How It Helps Treat Cuts, Burns, and More!

You probably think of honey’s delicious taste and nutritional qualities when you picture it. However, honey has served humanity in more ways than simply being a sweet addition to tea or toast. Due to its various properties, honey has also served to protect people’s health. While honey may not always be the first thing to grab when you need first aid, it has been known to work well in treating certain conditions. Here’s a breakdown on honey and how it helps treat cuts, burns, and more!

Honey: A Healthy and Healthful Ally

Honey is a bee by-product. They create it after collecting nectar from nearby flowers and processing that nectar into the sweet, golden-brown substance we all know and many of us love in and on our food. Raw honey is bursting with all sorts of nutritional benefits. It contains minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants, so when you use it in tea or other foods or drinks, you’re giving your daily bread a boost. What you might not know is that honey has had a long medical career! Here are a few of the little-known medical benefits of honey and how you can apply them to your life.

Honey’s Sweet Medicinal Benefits

Honey has a unique chemical composition that makes it effective as a medical product. While it’s important not to overstate or misrepresent its healing properties, it does do an impressive number of things.

• Honey is famously anti-bacterial. This property is due to its antimicrobial elements, including a large amount of hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, honey can curb the growth of bacteria and put a stop to infections.
• Honey is also an anti-inflammatory agent. It reduces inflammation and swelling, helping he body’s natural healing process to work better.
• Honey helps retain moisture, which staves off scabs and scars.
• Honey has a high viscosity, forming a protective barrier over wounds and protecting them from contamination.

Many people swear by honey when it comes to treating minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. While it’s usually best to stick with soap and water and common first aid disinfectants, honey can serve as a healing element for minor injuries in a pinch. Below are a few examples. Note: not all honey is the same, so be mindful of its origin and whether it has additional ingredients.

Cuts and Scrapes

Do the following if you cut or scrape yourself and the wound isn’t particularly deep or requiring medical attention.

1. Rinse and clean the wound with clean water to gently free it of dirt, debris, and other matter.
2. Apply the honey. Manuka honey is the best choice for first aid as it’s known for its particularly strong antibacterial qualities.
3. Cover the wound with a sterile bandage or gauze to prevent infection. This step also keeps the honey in place and protects the wound from contaminants.
4. Change the dressing and reapply the honey once a day, especially if the gauze or bandage gets dirty or wet.

See a medical professional if the wound doesn’t seem to be healing.

Healing Burns With Honey

As ever, use common sense when treating burns with honey. Naturally, doctors and other medical professionals must treat more serious second and third-degree burns. However, you can treat minor first-degree burns with honey. Here’s how:

1. Cool the burn by holding it under cold running water for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing so keeps the heat down and minimizes tissue damage.
2. Pat the area dry. Use a clean cloth or tissue to remove the water. Be gentle!
3. Apply the honey. Once again, manuka honey best serves these circumstances. It will soothe the burn and alleviate pain.
4. Cover the area with a clean bandage or gauze. Use a sterile, nonstick bandage as adhesive bandages can cause further discomfort and injury.
5. Watch the affected area. Change the dressing and reapply the honey every day, especially if it gets wet or dirty. See a medical professional immediately if the burn continues to hurt or appears infected.

Beyond Burns and Cuts

Honey has other medical benefits, some well-known and others less so.

• Sore Throat Relief: A classic and tasty way to treat a sore throat from a cold or similar minor issue. Honey soothes sore throats through its antimicrobial properties, fighting off infections and coating the throat. A spoonful of honey sweetens your tea and provides equally sweet relief.
• Aiding Digestion: Honey soothes an upset tummy by promoting good bacteria growth in the stomach and elsewhere, fighting indigestion, diarrhea, and more.
• Skin health: Spas and other places that offer skin care employ honey because of its antibacterial and moisturizing aspects. Honey has been used to treat acne, alleviate dryness, and more.
• Energy boost: Since it contains natural sugars, many often add honey to smoothies and other food to sweeten them and add a bit of extra energy without the crash brought on by processed sugars.
• Neurological disease: While this area requires more research, some studies have shown that honey has antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and anti-anxiety benefits. It may even help treat memory disorders.

Caveats and Warnings

While honey can treat many health issues, some people should never treat themselves with it. Individuals who are allergic to bees and bee products should never expose themselves to honey, which can contain pollen and other trace elements that may cause an allergic reaction. Children one year of age and younger should also avoid honey since it can expose them to clostridium spores and induce a condition known as infant botulism. Finally, use common sense when it comes to wounds, burns, and sickness. While honey might provide palliative care and even a cure for some conditions, your primary care doctor should review your health issues and work with you on your treatment plan.

That was a quick review of honey and how it helps treat cuts, burns, and more! Consult your doctor about whether honey is good for you and your health. Contact us today if you would like to know the best kinds of raw honey to use. We offer everything from honeycomb with honey to manuka and other delicious and helpful types of the sticky sweet stuff!