The Healing Powers of Honey (24 page)

Read The Healing Powers of Honey Online

Authors: Cal Orey

UN-BEE-LIEVABLE HEALING HINTS TO CATCH
There are an infinite number of standout honey companies in the United States and around the world; I selected a handful who offered samples and information that taught me more about the health benefits of honey.
Visiting a local beekeeper or going to a farmer's market to purchase local honey is a worthwhile experience . . .
. . . and finding different honeys from different regions can be done via the Internet with the click of your mouse. Go to
www.honeylocator.com
and enjoy.
CHAPTER 15
Honey Is Not a Buzz for Everyone: The Sting
When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees.
—Joseph Joubert
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—Joseph Joubert
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During my off-school days, one spring afternoon in the mountains, I was sitting outdoors enjoying Mother Nature. A girlfriend and I were surrounded by books, wildflowers, lemonade, and buzzing honey bees. It was a place of sweet comfort to me like when I was a kid. Like happy bees, we were at ease while our two sporting dogs were actively romping around. Her golden retriever and my yellow Labrador were full of energy and quick sprints to catch a ball we'd toss—it appeared like everyone was getting along. Then it happened.
My gal pal's carefree canine dog collapsed. We both shouted, “What happened?” The canine's swollen snout was a sign that a protective honey bee—man's other best friend—was the guilty culprit. One vet visit later: It was confirmed. A bee sting was the diagnosis. Four-leggers and two-leggers can get stung and can have an allergic reaction to bee stings. Most people and pets do survive, as did our dog friend.
The thing is, if provoked, the gentle honey bee—an insect like stinging wasps and biting mosquitoes—can wreak havoc on our furry friends. Once a worker bee uses its stinger in defense its life is over as it once knew it—it expires and goes to bee heaven. A queen bee, however, has a better outcome. She has limitless use of her stinger. So, is the honey bee a friend or foe?
A PEST FOR TWO- AND FOUR-LEGGERS
Swarming in your home? If the honey bee is setting up house in your house it may seem like you're living with the enemy—not man's best friend. Beekeepers will tell you that the honey bee's instinct is to nest—to live and work in a refuge like I did and do. Honey bees will seek a safe haven, too, such as a hole inside or outside a house or building—often creating a nuisance.
Stinging Pets and People
Although honey bees are gentle, if they are provoked their survival instinct to protect their queen will kick in and they might strike. Some pets can have mild to severe symptoms to a sting, just as a human can. If anaphylaxis (a severe allergic response) occurs, this can be life threatening. Contact your doctor or vet ASAP.
Usually, it takes several exposures before a reaction happens, and it can be mild or severe, like what happened to my friend's canine. There is no diagnostic test for types of reactions, but your veterinarian can make the call during a physical exam. Most dogs allergic to insect stings will develop a swollen face and hives—not the end. Also, the good news is, animals that survive the first few minutes usually return to normal health.
COMMON ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO BEE STINGS IN DOGS
Type of Reaction
Symptoms
Treatment
Mild
Fever, sluggishness, loss of appetite.
Your vet may recommend Benadryl
®
; and take your dog in for an exam.
Moderate
Urticaria is a moderate vascular reaction of the skin marked by
A vet visit and exam.
hives, swelling, redness of the lip, around the eyes, and neck. Usually itchy; may progress to anaphylaxis.
Severe
Anaphylaxis, a sudden, severe allergic response that produces breathing difficulties, collapse, and other life-threatening symptoms, such as a drop in blood pressure.
A vet visit ASAP. Your vet will begin ER life support, including administering oxygen and intravenous fluids to increase blood pressure.
There is no way to predict if your pet will have an allergic reaction to a bee sting. If it has happened in the past, make sure your vet knows about it. Since each reaction can become more severe, you should keep epinephrine on hand and know how to use it in case a reaction happens. Ask your vet about an “epi-pen” (a syringe and needle filled with a dose of epinephrine) to keep in your pet's first-aid kit.
(
Source:
Courtesy of PetPlace Veterinarians.)
THUMBS-DOWN ON HONEY FOR INFANTS
From stinging honey bees to infant botulism caused by honey may sound like ideas for an anti-bee sci-film in the works. But in the real world, feeding honey to a human baby is
really
dangerous and should be avoided.
Sweet honey may contain not-so-sweet
Clostridium botulinum
spores. This scientific term means honey can cause infant botulism, because babies less than one year of age do not have the developed gastrointestinal tract of older humans. Honey is safe to eat during pregnancy and lactation. While infants are at risk for infant botulism, adults, including pregnant women, are not.
A Stinging Bee Tale with a Twist
Dr. Tom Potisk, aka the down-to-earth chiropractor, is an advocate of holistic health care. Based in Wisconsin, a beefriendly state, he recalls an unforgettable past encounter with his sibling and a bee. . . .
I was six years old and it was a hot July day as my sister Julie and I walked hand-in-hand. We were both barefoot after swimming at the neighbors' pool. Taking a short-cut across a white clover covered lawn, hurrying to taste the fresh sandwiches my mom had waiting for us, my youthful contentment was about to be disturbed.
Hearing my sister scream and fall to the ground, I panicked and ran a few steps ahead. Looking back, I saw her swiping frantically at her foot as the culprit, a honey bee, buzzed off. My mother used mud to treat the bee sting.
For years, probably decades after that whenever I heard a buzzing sound my heart would race and my muscles would clench as I looked around in terror. Most times it was a false alarm like a mosquito or harmless fly, embarrassing me if someone noticed my frenzy. As I matured and realized my irrational fear, I controlled it. I enrolled in a beekeeping class. Now I'm chuckling as I write about this and sip coffee with honey from my very own two hives.
GETTING RID OF BEES
Okay, so you get that bees don't like to be provoked and honey is a no-go for babies less than one year of age. But what about honey bees buzzing in your home?
To two-leggers (those who are not beekeepers) honey bees can symbolize flying pests for humans and pets. On the upside, it's time to realize that the
My Girl
film's unforgettable scenario when the character Thomas dies from an allergic reaction to bee stings while looking for Vada's mood ring in the woods is something that happens on the big screen—not so much in real life. It's time to let go of our fear or phobia and face the honey bee—man's best friend.
So, why is it so important to have unwanted bees removed safely rather than just terminate them ourselves? “Honey bees provide a very important service and should not be exterminated unless it is a last resort,” says Hidden Valley Honey's beekeeper Chris Foster of Reno. Do not attempt to get rid of bees by yourself. Call a beekeeper to help you safely remove swarms (10,000 to 15,000 bees) or colonies.
Five Eco-Friendly Tips to Prevent Bee Swarms
Local beekeeper Dan Bailey of Sparks, Nevada, dishes out pesticidefree strategies to keep honey bees away from you and your pets.
• Close gaps (i.e., gas line, electrical conduit) on exterior parts of your house.
• Check for improperly installed vents (such as a dryer or hot water heater) on the side of the house, especially on a two-story building.
• Stay on top of maintenance for your chimney. Deterioration (such as failing mortar) provides an opportune home for bees.
• Be aware of outdoor flowers and plants that attract bees.
• Outdoor water dishes for pets are another bee attraction.
CAN BEES CURE ACHES AND PAINS?
While honey bees can cause your home to be held hostage, honey cures are welcomed guests that may move in upon your request. Honey bee guru Joe Traynor recalls that he had resorted to bee venom therapy for his arthritic knee. He received little benefit from the painful therapy. Still, he notes that other people, not excluding beekeepers, believe that bee stings can and do relieve their aches and pains. “The different types of arthritis and the different chemical makeup of individuals could explain why some people react differently than others,” he says. It's similar to the fact that there is a wide variation in allergic reactions to stings among both people and pets.
But note, honey bee venom is powerful stuff, which includes an alleged 40 active substances—including anti-inflammatory substances like melittin and adolapin, which may or may not help lessen pain.
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I do not have arthritis but I do know what it's like to have aches and pains after straining a muscle or overdoing it at work or play. When my aches and pains visit me, I do turn to swimming and a hot tub, which can work wonders to relax the muscles and alleviate the hurt. I'll make a note of bee venom and down the line may consider it in my golden years (but hydrotherapy at a royal resort hotel does seem more suited to my queen bee taste).
ROYAL JELLY MAY NOT BE ROYAL FOR ALL HUMANS
From bee venom to royal jelly is quite a leap but still isn't for everyone. While honey larvae and the royal queen bee can dine on royal jelly, it may not be the ultimate bee product for you. A small number of people may have allergic reactions to royal jelly. “Asthma and anaphylaxis has been noted in some people after consuming the honey bee's crème of the crop,” according to Ray Sahelian, M.D. He adds that royal jelly has a “blood thinning potential” and so those people taking coumadin (prescribed for a variety of health problems) should consult with their doctor before indulging in the honey bee's “caviar.”
Dr. Sahelian adds that bee products—not just royal jelly—may cause an allergic reaction in some people. So, stop use if this happens. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, consult your health-care professional before using any bee products.
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FUNNY HONEY
Tainted honey is no laughing matter. In the news you can find past and present information about foreign firms caught in honey stings. Consumers may be buying honey that is chock-full of chemicals and a mixed bag of contaminants. The bad buzz is, countless honey companies from a variety of countries have been accused of adulterating their honey with cheap additives—not unlike what has happened with chocolate.
Adulterated honey—honey polluted with additives of a foreign or inferior substance, not excluding antibiotics and antibacterial drugs—can cause health problems for people, especially those with chemical sensitivities. Both public health officials and consumers are becoming more aware of this risky business—a honey-laundering game—and measures are in action to put a stop to funny honey landing in your jar.
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HONEY AS MEDICINE IS STICKY
Despite the threat of funny honey, there is enough of the good stuff to go around helping you live a long and healthful life. People living at 80, 90, and 100 are proof. Healthy elderly folks around the world dish out credit to the pure stuff, the good golden nectar, for their good health. Still, the school of thought on honey as medicine in the United States is iffy—at best. And the reputation of honey at home in the U.S. as a medicine for pesky ailments and life-threatening diseases doesn't get the attention it deserves.
While anecdotal evidence and stacks of studies in countries around the world show honey has healing powers, medical doctors in the United States, be it the West Coast, the East Coast, the Midwest or the South are wary about honey as medicine—and aren't quick to prescribe the ancient remedy for heart disease, cancer, or even seasonal allergies.
“Most U.S. doctors are not aware of the benefits of treatment with honey and are not willing to risk the use of this natural substance for legal reasons,” explains Dr. Sahelian. He points out that there is the chance a lawsuit could be filed by a patient claiming that the doctor did not use approved antibiotic medications.
“Honey is not available in hospitals and a doctor does not have the option to request the use,” adds Dr. Sahelian, who knows that manuka honey has been studied but also knows that honey is rarely used by American doctors. “The role of honey appears to be for the use of diabetic foot ulcers and wound healing,” he concludes. And this doesn't surprise me, one who has penned books on subjects from vinegar to earthquake prediction. Nobody wants to rock the world with studies about unconventional theories that don't pan out.
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During my visit to Honeyland I discovered that there is a lack of mega-funded studies because pharmaceutical companies haven't jumped on the honey heals bandwagon.
Honey: The Gourmet Medicine
's author says, “Honey is not a proprietary product—anyone can bottle and sell honey.” He believes creating a medicinal honey could be profitable for a drug company.
Meanwhile, people around the globe are using honey as a folk remedy. In 1998, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration approved honey as medicine. A company in Australia started marketing medical honey as a wound dressing in pharmacies. Also, in the 21st century European countries sell medicinal honey and some South American countries sell honey for medicinal uses. And in the United States we are moving in the right direction. Manuka is available to us via the Internet.
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