How to Cure Leg Ulcers With Bee's Honey
A certain type of bee's honey can heal leg ulcers, other types of skin ulcers, and even some stomach ulcers. This honey is produced by bees gathering nectar from the manuka bush, or Leptospermum scoparium, which grows wild throughout New Zealand and New South Wales. Manuka honey has antibiotic properties and also appears to stimulate wounds to heal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a line of wound dressings called Medihoney in 2007, and many other brands of manuka honey are available from health food stores or online retail shops. It should have a unique manuka factor (UMF) rating of 16 to 18, or 16+.
Things You'll Need
- Manuka honey
- Saline solution
- Non-absorbent gauze pads or other dressing pads
- Spatula
- Adhesive tape
- Bandages
Instructions
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1
Wash your hands and gently clean the leg ulcer with a saline solution.
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2
Spread manuka honey evenly onto a clean, waterproof, non-absorbent gauze pad with a clean spatula. Start with 1 oz. of honey for a 4-inch by 4-inch pad. The gauze pad should be large enough to cover the ulcer and any surrounding inflammation.
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3
Apply honey inside the ulcer, according to directions, if the wound has an abscess or cavity. Apply the gauze pad over the wound.
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4
Tape the pad onto your skin with adhesive tape or bandages.
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5
Change the dressing at least once a day, and up to three times a day if the ulcer is draining noticeably. Gently clean the wound with saline solution each time. As the ulcer heals, the drainage will decrease.
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6
See your doctor if the leg ulcer does not heal during the time frame specified by product directions.
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Tips & Warnings
Pay attention to excessive stinging or burning sensations, particularly if they last more than 15 minutes. This may indicate your skin is extra sensitive to the strong UMF honey. Switch to manuka honey with a UMF of 10+, or mix the 16+ UMF honey with regular manuka honey in equal parts.
Use more honey or change the dressing more often if the pad sticks to the wound when you try to remove it.
See your doctor before using manuka honey if the leg ulcer is seriously infected.
