You’ve got a nasty wound….. it is radiating heat and hurts like hell, you’re concerned it is going to leave you with a permanent reminder of the misadventure.
It needs some special attention.
Creaming up with a bit of sticky
The most cost effective strategy is not going to be one of those proprietary creams, promising the earth, packaged in a tiny sterile tube, on the pharmacy shelf.
The cheapest wound healer is something you’ll find in a bottle, on the local supermarket shelf. The sticky, rather tasty goo, known as honey, is the ultimate wound fixer.
The wound healing powers of honey are not just an old wives tale, science says it’s good for all sorts of abrasions and burns too.
Spread it on thick
Apply the honey to your gash, by allowing a spoonful to trickle down, spread it a little so the wound is completely bathed in the viscous fluid. The sticky goo will envelope your ouch, sealing it off, in a sultery healing environment.
Finally, to sidestep sticking to everything in the neighbourhood and to avoid attracting unwanted loving licks from your pooch or significant other. A piece of dry gauze will be adequate to keep the special bee kiss in place.
The honey healing balm is usually applied twice a day.
What does a bee kiss do ?
The first big thing honey does, is it acts as an anti-bacterial i.e. it kills any bacteria that infiltrate the wound.
But honey seems to be able to go beyond just killing off stray bacteria, it is able to disrupt bacteria that have glued themselves together, to create a slimy impenetrable barrier, known as a biofilm, to hide under.
Biofilms are frequently the problem in wounds that won’t heal. Antibiotics often can’t get across the slimely layer, so they never get a chance to kill the bacteria, causing the problem. The stickiness of honey, allows it to penetrate the bacteria’s defence wall, facilitating the delivery of a death blow, through a combination of anti-bacterial chemicals and physical properties.
The unique nature of honey enables it to work against strains of bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics. At this stage at least, there are no bugs which are honey-resistant. Lol.
Bee kisses also speed up healing
In addition to fighting “bad” guys, honey stimulates tissue growth, it helps the new epithelium layer form and when it forms, the amount of scar tissue which is formed is reduced.
Translated – your wound gets better quicker and looks “GOOD”.
Honey is a “fancy” package
In today’s world, it is easy to think that the “fancy” creams, at “fancy” prices, are the best way to tackle a pretty common medical problem.
But honey is an outstanding package, it official list of features includes
- Causing greater wound contraction
- Promoting the formation of granulation tissue
- Promoting epithelialization of wounds
- Stimulating growth and synthesis of collagen
- Stimulating the development of new blood vessels in the bed of wounds
- Reducing postoperative adhesion
- Reducing edema (swelling)
- Reducing inflammation
- Deodorizing wounds
- Promoting moist wound healing
- Facilitating debridement
- Reducing pain
PLUS, it won’t cost an arm and a leg either, figuratively or literally AND it is readily available.
Go cheap and natural
If you’ve got a BIG OUCH, a bee kiss is going to help it get better….
NOTE : Honey is an especially good option for diabetics struggling with cuts and soars that just won’t heal, just make sure you don’t lick that spoon !
Honey for wound healing, ulcers, and burns; data supporting its use in clinical practice. The Scientific World Journal (2011) 11:766-787. NS Al-Waili, K Salom, AA Al-Ghamdi.Interested in learning more about how food can be used as medicine ?
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Further reading
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