Treatment of Recurrent Eczematous External Otitis with Honey Eardrops: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Eczematous external otitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and often difficult to treat. Our objective was to investigate the clinical effect and in vitro antibacterial potential of medical honey eardrops as treatment of eczematous external otitis. In a prospective study, 15 patients diagnosed with recurrent eczematous external otitis were treated with medical honey eardrops for 2 weeks. The following clinical outcomes were evaluated: visual analog scale of ear complaints, score of eczema, and eradication of bacterial infection. Furthermore, the antibacterial effect of honey eardrops against different bacterial strains was tested in vitro. Treatment resulted in less discomfort and itching and decreased signs of eczema, with high patient satisfaction and without adverse reactions. Honey eardrops showed a strong in vitro inhibitory activity against all tested strains but did not eradicate Staphylococcus aureus infection in vivo. The results of this preliminary study indicate a possible role of honey eardrops in eczematous ear disease.

Treatment of chronically infected open mastoid cavities with medical honey: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of medical honey as topical treatment of chronically discharging open mastoid cavities in comparison with conventional eardrops. STUDY DESIGN: Single-center, prospective, randomized controlled, double-dose trial of 12 weeks. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed as having a chronically discharging open mastoid cavity underwent medical honey gel (intervention) or conventional eardrops (control) treatment. Treatment interventions were repeated after 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual analogue scale of ear complaints, cavity inflammation, and bacterial infection. RESULTS: Most patients had a cavity with localized granulation. After treatment, inflammation score decreased in both groups (p < 0.05), with more pronounced inflammation-free cavities in the honey group. Honey treatment resulted in less discomfort (p < 0.001) and otorrhea (p < 0.001), even after correction for additional medication use (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). This decrease was not seen in the control group. Pain and itching did not change on treatment. Most cavities were infected with Pseudomonas species and Staphylococcus aureus. After treatment, a 23% increase of negative culture was seen with honey compared with 30% in the control group (nonsignificant). No serious adverse reactions were found. CONCLUSION: Medical honey gel is a safe alternative treatment option for patients with a chronically discharging open mastoid cavity and beneficial in reducing discomfort, otorrhea, and inflammation with a bactericidal effect.