Honey and Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers

Sometimes, the best remedy can be found in nature. Many people have found organic honey to be highly beneficial in the treatment of leg/foot ulcers, infections, and a list of other ailments. While many medical professions are open to the benefits of honey, others are not. So far, my doctors have been.

“RAW HONEY”
This kind of honey has not been heat treated or pasteurized like much of the honey that's sold at most grocery stores. As a result, many of the healing properties found in raw honey, aren't cooked out of it.

ABOUT “MANUKA” or “ACTIVE LEPTOSPERMUM” HONEY
The pollen in the Manuka flower (or Leptospermum scoparium) is what bees in New Zealand use to make their honey. "Manuka Honey” has different enzymes and antibacterial properties that honey cultivated from other regions of the world don't have, making it more effective in healing wounds.

As a way of informing consumers about the quality of the Manuka Honey they are purchasing, two different rating systems are used; the UMF or MGO system. The following web page has good information about the difference between the two systems: http://www.aliveplushoney.com/amh-umf-and-mgo-rating-explained.php. Simply put, “both systems seek to measure the antibacterial strength of Manuka Honey.” When buying Manuka Honey, the higher the rating the better. In either the MGO or UMF system, a rating of +10 or more is most desirable; from what I can tell, the rating system stops at +20.

So, if the honey you are thinking about purchasing states its Mankua Honey is rated: MGO+16, UMF+16, or Activity Level +16, then it’s of good quality. Do your research, there are counterfeits out there who mix in true Manuka Honey with standard honey, thus reducing the quality of the product and the amount of healing potential. If a product says it “contains” Manuak Honey, but fails to provide a rating, that might be a red flag.

“WOUND HONEY”
A tube of "Wound Honey" costs anywhere between $15.99 to $19.99 for 80g (or approximately 2.8oz). The product Wound Honey contains Manuka Honey, Aloe Vera, and Pantheno (a common ingredient in skin care). Wound Honey states that it has a +12 activity level.

Wound Honey differs from MEDIHONEY in that it is very thin and runny. It can be a challenge to apply it to my vertical wounds without it running out of my wound and down my leg before I can apply the gauze. Though similar in price to MEDIHONEY, Wound Honey comes in a slightly larger tube; so it lasts a bit longer.

"MEDIHONEY"
This can also be purchased online, costing anywhere from $15.20 to $20.00 for a 1.5oz tube. A 0.5oz tube can also be purchased. It's also available in dressing form. The dressing is like a medicated patch that you can lay on the wound without worrying about the honey melting on your leg before you get the bandage on it. MEDIHONEY contains, "100% active leptospermum honey;" meaning, it has nothing in it but the Manuka Honey and is rated +15. It contains no Aloe Vera or Pantheno like Wound Honey does.

I recently discovered that MEDIHONEY can be bought in gel or paste form. Unaware of having an option, I've only used the gel. The gel is quite thick. This gives you several seconds to apply it to the wound and cover it with a bandage before the heat of your body starts melting it. The "paste"--though I haven't yet used it and from what I've read--gives you more time to dress the wound because it remains thick for a longer period of time. For vertical wounds, this would seem like the better of the two options.

WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED
When I first learned that honey can help leg/foot ulcers heal, I read that organic honey was best. So that’s is what I first purchased. The first time I used it, I could only keep it on my wound for a few minutes before the burning I experienced was too much. However, when I removed the bandage, in that short time, I was amazed to see how much slough had been removed.

A mild burning sensation for a few minutes is not uncommon in the use of honey on wounds. But what I experienced was...I liken it to pouring lighter-fluid on my foot and setting it on fire; and that intense burning sensation remained present an hour after I removed the honey. What was most likely happening was the honey was doing what it was suppose to, it was removing the bacteria from the wound. Though I tried, I couldn’t endure it.

Next I tried “Wound Honey.” A person suffering from diabetic ulcers told me about it, so I purchased some. I hoped because it contained Aloe Vera, and claimed to have “a soothing effect” on wounds, it wouldn’t burn as bad as the organic honey. Unfortunately, it did burn just as badly. I spoke to a sales representative of "Wound Honey"; she was very surprised at the reaction I had to it. Most customers apparently don't experience the pain reaction I did.

When I told the doctor at my wound clinic that I tried "Wound Honey," he advised me to instead use "MEDIHONEY." Again, I wasn’t able to tolerate the pain. However, since my wounds have improved from the Ultrasonic Mist Therapy, I have been able to use honey on my wounds with little or no burning. At times there will be a mild stinging sensation for a few minutes, but it soon passes; it’s nothing like what I experienced before.