Honey Effective In Killing Bacteria That Cause Chronic Sinus

As a matter of fact, is looks like this was only tested in lab dishes, not on human beings!

http://www.otojournal.org/article/S0194 ... 4/fulltext

Problem
Biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) have been shown to be an important factor in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Growth in biofilms increases bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which may explain why CRS responds poorly to antibiotic therapy. Honey has been used as an effective topical antimicrobial agent in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial wound infections. To our knowledge, no research has studied the effect of honey on biofilms.

Methods
We used a previously established biofilm model to assess antibacterial activity of Manuka honey from New Zealand and Sidr honey from Yemen. These were tested at a 1 in 2 dilution against 11 isolates of methicillin-susceptible SA (MSSA), 11 methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA), and 11 PA isolates. Honeys were tested against both planktonic (broth) and biofilm-grown bacteria.

Results
Both honeys were effective in killing 100% of the isolates in the planktonic form. Biofilm-grown bacteria were less susceptible to the honeys, but honey still had significant bactericidal activity. The bactericidal rate for the Sidr and Manuka honeys against MSSA, MRSA and PA were 63%, 73%, 91% and 82%, 63% and 91%, respectively. These rates were significantly higher (p<0.001) than those seen with single antibiotics commonly used against MSSA and MRSA (e.g. cloxacillin and vancomycin) in a previous study done on the same bacterial isolates.

Conclusion
Honey, which is a natural, non-toxic and inexpensive product, is effective in killing SA and PA bacterial biofilms.

Significance
This intriguing observation may have important clinical implications and could lead to a new approach for treating refractory CRS.

I wouldn't attempt anything till far more research was done on it.

O.

rooster wrote:Mike,

I am not sure of your exact problem but I had enlarged turbinates and a double deviated septum. Last November I had all six turbinates resectioned (reduced in size) and the septum corrected. Surgery was on a Tuesday and I had the splints removed the same week on Friday morning and then went to lunch and shopping with my wife. The doc sent me home from the surgery with a big bottle of some codeine solution for pain but I never broke the seal. I am very happy about the results!

You will hear nightmare stories about this type of surgery but the techniques have improved tremendously over the last ten years. If you decide to look into it, make sure you get a good surgeon. It is a sensitive area and a mediocre surgeon could probably mess up.

Good luck whatever you decide,

Thanks Rooster. Good to know that it goes well for some people. I do have a deviated septum, but my bigger problem seems that the passages just swell shut at the drop of a hat. I'm talking about the whole airflow area starting from about a half inch up. Regular nose spray was the only thing that helped for MANY MANY years. Unfortunately, I got addicted to the stuff and couldn't live without it. My doc eventually convinced me to wean myself from it and he started me on Flonase. Now I have a huge hole in my septum - which appears to be a lesser known side effect of Flonase. I still don't know what was wrong with using the old stuff...it worked, and flawlessly. The only thing I can do now when my nasal passages swell shut is force them open with some q-tips dipped in nasal moisturizing gel - which seems to cause the swelling to subside for a few hours. All of this is the main reason I use a full face mask - I just can't keep my mouth shut. Of course that's probably another story in itself.

So at any time after your surgery, did either of your nasal passages close? If so, even for an hour, I'd be putting the gun in my mouth.

Mike

RafterRattler wrote:........

So at any time after your surgery, did either of your nasal passages close? If so, even for an hour, I'd be putting the gun in my mouth.

Mike

I left the surgery with plastic splints in both nostrils and a mustache bandage to catch the blood drip. This stayed in for 72 hours and most of the air volume for breathing came through the mouth until the splints were out. I did use cpap even on the first night. I was not able to use my favorite Hybrid mask because of the nasal pillows but a F&P 432 worked fine for about 10 days and then I returned to the Hybrid.

The surgery opened my passages up so much that I felt like my voice was echoing in a canyon for about six months. I finally got used to it.

I recommend two things, one you can do immediately and the other you can consider and find out how much it will cost you. The first is to get a neti pot and begin using it every morning and again in the early evening. The one I like is at http://www.sinucleanse.com/product/neti.htm?link_id=1. Check out the video on how to use it and also see if they have a coupon posted.

If you haven't already done so, then have a nasal endoscopy. It is very quick and easy. I had two and each time only felt a few little tickles. My doc had a display behind me that he observed and there was another display in front of me and I could watch while he pointed out everything. They go from the tip of the nostrils all the way to look at the vocal cords. He showed me my enlarged turbinates and zig-zag septum. This went a long way in convincing me to do the surgery.

Sounds like you need some relief and I hope you can get the proper treatment.

Rooster , I really wish you could talk to my boyfriend so that he could get some sense knocked into him! He also has septum problems and he can't breath at night (or during the day for that matter) AND he's starting to snore so he really needs (1) to get his nose corrected and (2) to go in for a sleep study. Damn men. He's paranoid about (1) because his brother had similar surgery years ago and they totally messed everything up even more. As for (2), well sigh, he think he doesn't have a sleep problem. Never mind the snoring, the headaches, the exhaustion, the memory problems... though he is right, with the way his nose is right now he'd never be able to use the CPAP - nowhere for the air to go.

As for congestion in general - People wake UP! Even though the usual suspects won't admit it, FOODS that you're allergic to or intolerant to can also cause congestion. For years I used to be teased, called the "hor hor faucet" because alternately my nose ran like a faucet and it was always clogged so I had to blow real hard. Finally a "witch doctor" (what my dad calls them!) found that we had a bunch of food intolerances - I avoided wheat and other grains, yeast, sugar, etc and now my nose doesn't run anymore, and my migraines and muscles aches went away. Of course MILK is always the first culprit.

Though my sinuses have gotten worse in the last 6 months, not sure if it's from the CPAP or seasonal allergies or new food interances. I can't use the nasal mask anymore.

Anyhooo, hello to everyone.. I've started working full time so I haven't had much time to come on line... and my 3 hour daily commute is killing me... yup I'm complaining to anyone within earshot! And with this whole financial crisis thing, a job change isn't looking likely.
Hope everyone else is doing OK!

I was hoping the honey thing would be some thing simple like a little honey on toast and BAM! clear nasal passages. As a kid my mom would give us honey with lemon in a small shot of brandy when we were stuffed up. It worked pretty good and we always slept well, too!

Bonnie wrote:I was hoping the honey thing would be some thing simple like a little honey on toast and BAM! clear nasal passages. As a kid my mom would give us honey with lemon in a small shot of brandy when we were stuffed up. It worked pretty good and we always slept well, too!

Actually I find that a teaspoon of Franks Red Hot sauce opens me up nicely...and it tastes good too!

Mike

rooster wrote: I left the surgery with plastic splints in both nostrils and a mustache bandage to catch the blood drip. This stayed in for 72 hours and most of the air volume for breathing came through the mouth until the splints were out. I did use cpap even on the first night. I was not able to use my favorite Hybrid mask because of the nasal pillows but a F&P 432 worked fine for about 10 days and then I returned to the Hybrid.

The surgery opened my passages up so much that I felt like my voice was echoing in a canyon for about six months. I finally got used to it.

I recommend two things, one you can do immediately and the other you can consider and find out how much it will cost you. The first is to get a neti pot and begin using it every morning and again in the early evening. The one I like is at http://www.sinucleanse.com/product/neti.htm?link_id=1. Check out the video on how to use it and also see if they have a coupon posted.

If you haven't already done so, then have a nasal endoscopy. It is very quick and easy. I had two and each time only felt a few little tickles. My doc had a display behind me that he observed and there was another display in front of me and I could watch while he pointed out everything. They go from the tip of the nostrils all the way to look at the vocal cords. He showed me my enlarged turbinates and zig-zag septum. This went a long way in convincing me to do the surgery.

Sounds like you need some relief and I hope you can get the proper treatment.

Thanks Rooster. I have done the neti pot thing - and unfortunately it didn't help at all. I do like the idea of the endoscopy - although I don't know what good it would do. Unfortunately, even your after surgery experience would be too much for me. I've been urged by many folks to just do it....but it ain't happening. I'm surviving. It's not fun, but it's better than suffering through surgery and lining my doctor's pockets in the process.

Mike

I'm not really into sleep apnea, cpap machines, etc. (had a friend that was, with major surgeries to correct by moving his lower jaw forward), but came upon this forum board regarding honey and healing effect on sinus trouble by chance.

Honey has historically been a "wonder" food and therapy all the way back to the biblical characters who survived on diets of honey and locust.

Back in the 1970's, I got acquainted through health food stores with "Bee Propolis", a product derived and concentrated from bee hives and activity; it was considered a "natural antibiotic" and worked for me to naturally combat pathogenic infections.

Perhaps the healing qualities from honey are in fact due to the "Propolis" component still in natural honey; geting the concentrate at a health food store is more potent.

Also an even more excellent natural anti-biotic (anti-bacteria), anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic (yes, all those) is medicinal grade Oregano (such as in a retail product called Oregacillin) which comes from wild Oregano grown in the high moutain regions of the Meditrainian (Greece and Turkey) (don't think grocery store oregano sold for flavor as a spice is equivalent, it isn't). Search the internet for Oregacillin and medicinal oregano for more info. This has been tested at the University of Tennessee Medical School, and found to be as effective or more effective against many germs, such as strep, staff, etc. than the high powered antibiotics pushed by traditional medicine, see search on Oregano and the University of Tennesse Medical School. This is VERY effective against sinus infections, but has worked for me for general infections throughout the body. Plus, no known side effects, or ability of the pathogens to develope resistance like they do to prescription anti-biotics.

Hope some of you sinus sufferers find this info helpful.

Mike, it sounds like your aversion to having the procedure done is psychological.

I can tell you that Valium is routinely prescribed for people who have a serious aversion to certain medical procedures. You might consider experimenting with some Valium. The doc told me all it does is make you NOT CARE what is happening. It doesn't really knock you out or make you loopy. It just takes that paranoia edge off. I suggest talking to your doc about all this, asking if you could take get a little Valium to just test that theory about how it works.

In my case, I took it for all my eye surgeries, and while it doesn't make the procedure PLEASANT, it allowed me to lay there and let it happen, without actively fighting the doctor.

If nothing else is working for you, don't walk away from a surgical procedure that may be the answer you need. There's got to be a way you can get over this fear. There are lots of counselors out there helping folks overcome a host of fears - if Valium doesn't sound like your answer, maybe finding one of those counselors would help.

A life lived in fear is a life not worth living. You've tried the mediocrity of life without the surgery - why not try what life might be like after surgery?

Good luck!
Babs

Babette wrote:Mike, it sounds like your aversion to having the procedure done is psychological.

I can tell you that Valium is routinely prescribed for people who have a serious aversion to certain medical procedures. You might consider experimenting with some Valium. The doc told me all it does is make you NOT CARE what is happening. It doesn't really knock you out or make you loopy. It just takes that paranoia edge off. I suggest talking to your doc about all this, asking if you could take get a little Valium to just test that theory about how it works.

In my case, I took it for all my eye surgeries, and while it doesn't make the procedure PLEASANT, it allowed me to lay there and let it happen, without actively fighting the doctor.

If nothing else is working for you, don't walk away from a surgical procedure that may be the answer you need. There's got to be a way you can get over this fear. There are lots of counselors out there helping folks overcome a host of fears - if Valium doesn't sound like your answer, maybe finding one of those counselors would help.

A life lived in fear is a life not worth living. You've tried the mediocrity of life without the surgery - why not try what life might be like after surgery?

Good luck!
Babs

Thanks Babs - I appreciate the support. I have no doubt that my problem is psychological. I guess maybe I'm not talking to the right doctors. I've talked to two now, and they have both told me the same thing - that I would be blocked up for a while. So you can guess my response. I couldn't have made my issue clearer, and in 4-5 separate appointments, neither of them suggested the possibility of drugs to take the edge off.

The whole thing really bugs me. I really don't like asking for prescription medication. It should be PRESCRIBED. We have drug companies shoving ads in our faces every 10 seconds telling us that we have new diseases that need treating, but our doctors won't even offer us stuff when it makes sense!

Thanks....time for more homework.
Mike

Valium (diazepam) is a benzodiazepine derivative drug. These drugs are know to worsen some cases of obstructive sleep apnea. They can be taken by people with osa, but be careful about the effect on your apneas.