Insights & Discussion
Honey exhibits efficacy in otolaryngology, supported by high-quality evidence, particularly in preventing oral mucositis in cancer patients, alleviating pediatric cough, and managing post-tonsillectomy pain.
The research involved a comprehensive review of 63 studies across diverse otolaryngology subspecialties. A literature search encompassed PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases.
The studies comprised meta-analyses, randomized control trials, case reports, and animal/in vitro models. Notably, Level 1 evidence predominated, affirming honey's effectiveness in areas such as head and neck surgery, pediatrics, and rhinology. Specific applications include oral mucositis prevention, pediatric cough relief, and post-tonsillectomy pain control, supported by robust meta-analyses. The potential scope for honey in otolaryngology extends beyond current validated uses, suggesting avenues for future exploration.
Discover Related Insights
Honey is more effective than usual care alternatives for improving upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, particularly cough frequency and cough severity.
2020 BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J
Systematic Review Antimicrobial Antimicrobial Resistance Cough
We identified 1345 unique records, and 14 studies were included. Overall risk of bias was moderate. Compared with usual care, honey improved combined symptom score, cough frequency. We combined two studies comparing honey with placebo for relieving combined symptoms.
Honey was superior to usual care for the improvement of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. It provides a widely available and cheap alternative to antibiotics. Honey could help efforts to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance, but further high quality, placebo controlled trials are needed.
Honey can be used as an alternative to antibiotics by clinicians who wish to offer treatment for upper respiratory tract infections, which may help to combat antimicrobial resistance.
2020 BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J
Systematic Review Antimicrobial Antimicrobial Resistance Cough
Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescription. Since the majority of URTIs are viral, antibiotic prescription is both ineffective and inappropriate. However, a lack of effective alternatives, as well as a desire to preserve the patient–doctor relationship, both contribute to antibiotic over prescription. Antibiotic overuse is a key driver of antimicrobial resistance, rated by the UK government as one of the top 10 risks facing Britain. Furthermore, drug resistant infections are associated with worse patient outcomes than antibiotic susceptible infections, underlining the impact of antimicrobial resistance on individual patients.
Milk and honey mixture seems to be at least as effective as dextromethorphan and levodropropizine, the most prescribed over-the-counter antitussives in Italy, in non-specific acute cough in children.
2015 Allergologia et Immunopathologia Effect of multiple honey doses on non-specific acute cough in children. An open randomised study and literature review Miceli Sopo S, Greco M, Monaco S, Varrasi G, Di Lorenzo G, Simeone G
Review Article Children's Health Cough Honey
Honey is recommended for non-specific acute paediatric cough by the Australian guidelines. Current available randomised clinical trials evaluated the effects of a single evening dose of honey, but multiple doses outcomes have never been studied.
134 children suffering from non-specific acute cough were randomised to receive for three subsequent evenings a mixture of milk (90 ml) and wildflower honey (10 ml) or a dose of DM or LDP adjusted for the specific age. The effectiveness was evaluated by a cough questionnaire answered by parents. Primary end-point efficacy was therapeutic success. The latter was defined as a decrease in cough questionnaire score greater than 50% after treatment compared with baseline values.
Three children were excluded from the study, as their parents did not complete the questionnaire. Therapeutic success was achieved by 80% in the honey and milk group and 87% in OTC medication group (p = 0.25).
Administering honey postoperatively can significantly lessen pain and foster improved wound healing following tonsillectomy.
2014 European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology The efficacy of honey for ameliorating pain after tonsillectomy: a meta-analysis Hwang SH, Song JN, Jeong YM, Lee YJ, Kang JM
Systematic Review Honey Pain relief Tonsillectomy
The methodology for this research consisted of an in-depth systematic review, complemented by a meta-analysis, focused on the effectiveness of honey used as a treatment for postoperative pain and wound healing following tonsillectomy. Following the independent exploration of database records, including MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases, by two authors, studies that compared postoperative oral administration of honey to placebo were pinpointed, with the outcomes of interest being pain and wound healing on post-operative days. Criteria for data extraction included baseline study characteristics, study quality, patient numbers in honey-treated and control groups, and outcomes of treatment. Across the selected 4 trials, a total of 264 patients provided sufficient data for conducting the meta-analysis.
Discussion of the research findings revealed that the honey-treated group experienced a significant decrease in pain during postoperative day 1, in comparison to the placebo-treated group, as rated by patient-reported pain scores. The analgesic intake for the honey-treated group during the first five days after the operation was also markedly reduced compared to that of the placebo-treated group. Moreover, significantly enhanced wound healing was observed two weeks post-operation for the patients treated with honey compared to those given a placebo.