Honey for Burns | Proven Efficient Burn Treatment

Several different types of burns exist. Typical classifications are 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree wounds, epidermal, superficial dermal, and deep dermal burns to name just a few. Treatment obviously depends on the type of burn and is the task of the medical expert.

A few generalizations can be noted about burn dressings. They should be comfortable, non toxic, non adherent, non irritant, allow gaseous exchange and high humidity at the wound.

A clinical trial by Subrahmanyam (1991) in which the efficacy of silver sulfadiazine burn dressings were compared with honey dressings showed some clear benefits regarding honey. One of the conclusions:

"With silver sulfadiazine, the most widely used agent to prevent or clear infection in burns, 7% of the patients had infection in the burns controlled within 7 days, whereas with honey 91% of the wounds were sterile within 7 days

Honey was observed to remove dead tissue and offensive smell from the burns. Healthy granulation tissue was observed to appear nearly twice as fast with honey, and new skin cover developed faster also. There was better relief of pain, less exudation of lymph, and less irritation with honey. Honey also gave a lower incidence of raised scars and contractures." (Source )

This seminar article titled: "The Evidence Supporting the Use of Honey as a Wound Dressing" provides an extensive list of reports showing clinical evidence for the use of honey as a wound
dressing.

Of course it's redundant to say that severe burns should always be examined by a medical practitioner. But in case of a minor burn, medical grade honey wound paste or dressings might be a useful addition to the home medicine cabinet.