Crescent Natural Health

I am pleased to announce that beginning March 1st, my practice will be located on Capitol Hill. The space is an alternative health care building with free parking on site and is across the street from Madison Market. You will be able to call 206-325-4197 to schedule appointments with Judy, our receptionist. You will still receive the same quality of care from me and enjoy my expanded office hours.

Naturopathic medicine is my passion and I have seen it help so many people. Whether you have an issue which has been affecting you for some time, something new has cropped up, or you want to prevent future illness, natural medicine can offer benefit. I always consider my work as part of a health care team and work with all types of practitioners. Please consider me a resource for any questions you may have.

Referrals of your friends and family are always welcome. For each new person you refer, you will receive $15 off your next visit.

My new office is easy to find at 16th and Madison. Please see the “Location/Contact” page for directions.

There was a recent article stating that over-the-counter cough medicines may not be as effective as we think. Here is a link:

MSNBC article

I think that the article makes a good point, which must as always be taken in context. They are summarizing results of studies. These studies are always mixed in quality of design. All you can say is that studies don’t show overwhelming effectiveness for these cough meds.

The very important point is made that suppressing a cough can delay the seeking of treatment for more serious conditions. If a cough persists, you have trouble breathing, or see blood, you should see a doctor for further checkup.

Generally, you have two kinds of coughs- productive and non-productive.

Sugary cough drops coat the throat and relieve irritation, but feed bacteria and can extend a cold. Zinc lozenges partially use this sugar coating relief and good ones actually get zinc into your throat tissue which has been shown to reduce duration of sore throats. Zinc does not reduce coughs. Zicam does the same thing (get zinc to mucous membranes) just gets it into your nose. Beware, though, this nasal form of zinc has been associated with loss of smell- it should not be used for long periods of time. Super cheap zinc lozenges are low in zinc, have a lot of sugar, and usually have a type of zinc which doesn’t dissociate in the throat. You should look for at least 23 mg of zinc *gluconate* and not another type.

The tireless advocate:

-There are herbs which will calm a spastic cough.
-There are expectorant herbs which will get the mucus out of your lungs so that the cough resolves sooner.
-There are herbs which stimulate immune function so that your cold is shorter and less severe.
-There are demulcent herbs (such as slippery elm) which coat mucous membranes without the sugar to feed bacteria.
-There are herbs which open the bronchioles (such as eucalyptus) to help mucus to break up.
-N-acetyl cysteine and various iodine preparations increase mucus breakdown.

I have a great cold/flu protocol which includes a eucalyptus steam inhallation, hot pack over the lungs, advice and supplements. Call for more info.

Dr. McNaughton