Can Honey be Used as an Adjunct in Treatment of Post Tonsillectomy Pain?

Tonsillectomy remains one of the most frequent surgical procedures performed worldwide within ear, nose and throat (ENT) field. Despite significant improvements in anesthetic and surgical techniques, severe pains remain a major clinical problem after tonsillectomy (1, 2). Post tonsillectomy pain may lead to poor oral intake, dehydration, increased risk of hemorrhage and delayed recovery after this procedure (1, 3, 4). Therefore, adequate pain management is important in these patients to prevent potential complications associated with ineffective postoperative pain control (1). Several studies with different results attempted to determine the best methods for pain control in these patients, using wide spectrum of analgesics, such as paracetamol, opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) (2, 5).