“Dry skin can be caused by a number of different reasons, and typically you do have to address what the cause is. The cause can be metabolic – like a thyroid problem, a person can have a kidney problem, a person can have a liver disease that causes the dry skin. So ultimately you do want to address those issues if they’re the over-riding issue. However, on your own at home, what you can do is put the hydration back into the skin, keeping in mind that what causes the skin to get dried is an evaporation through the pores of the skin. The skin loses moisture on a regular basis when it’s a drier skin. People who don’t have dry skin are able to maintain the moisture inside. So typically when there’s scale, usually what you would do is you would use a pumice stone to remove the outer layers of that dead skin if you could. There are different types of moisturizers that you can use. If there’s an issue with the excess dry skin, then what you could do is use something like Kerasal Ultra 20, which has a urea base in it, which what it does is it exfoliates the skin to allow then for you to apply a moisturizer. Typically a moisturizer would be something in the line of shea butter, which is good and it doesn’t have any parabens or chemicals that are bad for you, so that’s usually what I recommend. Vaseline can be used, as well – that’s also a fairly neutral ointment – and A&D ointment is something else that can be used.”
Thomas Goldman, DPM, is a board-certified podiatrist at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients Monday-Friday. He has a particular interest in podiatric minimally invasive foot surgery and sports medicine. Mount Sinai Doctors is an organization of clinical relationships and multi-specialty services that expand the Mount Sinai Health System’s footprint beyond the seven main hospital campuses into the greater New York City area.
“Cataracts are usually considered an age-related issue and, in fact, everyone, if they live long enough, will get cataracts. It’s barely considered a disease or disorder because everyone gets them. However, it’s not only age-related. Some babies can be born with it. You can develop cataracts from injuries or certain diseases or certain medications, like steroids for example. But in most people, it is related to their age. The lens in the eye is what becomes hazy and opaque, causing blurry vision, which can no longer be corrected by glasses. We usually do surgery on these cataracts to improve a patient’s vision. Occasionally, people will still need glasses after the surgery, but the vast majority of people do very well with cataract surgery.”
Make an appointment with Monica Dweck, MD
Monica Dweck, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients of all ages Monday – Friday in Brooklyn Heights. Trained in New York City and Cleveland, she is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, a board member of the New York State Board of Medicine, and a professional member of the National Medical Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. After majoring in Psychology at Princeton University, she was awarded her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and completed her residency in Ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and her fellowship in Ocular Plastic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Dweck has been annually recognized in the US News and World Report’s “Top Doctor” list since 2011, Castle Connolly’s “New York Metro Best Doctors” issue since 2000, and the New York Times Magazine “New York Super Doctors” list since 2009. Prior to joining Mount Sinai Doctors, Dr. Dweck served as Director of Oculoplastic Surgery, Vice Chair, and Residency Program Director in the Department of Ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She has a particular interest in eyelid, dry eye, and tearing problems and surgery in both children and adults.
Mount Sinai Doctors, 300 Cadman Plaza West, is a two-floor multispecialty practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties, including Adolescent Medicine, Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Diabetes Education, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Infectious Disease, Maternal & Fetal Medicine, Nephrology, OBGYN, Ophthalmology, Optometry & Optical Shop, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Radiology, Rheumatology, Travel Medicine, Urology, and Vascular Surgery. The practice is located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, on the 17th and 18th floors, in Brooklyn Heights. You can make appointments online at http://www.mountsinai.org/bh or via ZocDoc at http://bit.ly/29LNAIG
“Having worked with children for 30 years and being a pediatrician for 20 years, I can tell you each child is unique and develops at their own progress. But at each pediatric visit, we’ll make sure that we’re hitting our developmental milestones and making sure we don’t miss anything to worry about. At the early onset, the first couple of months, these newborns are almost overwhelmed. So don’t look for too much too early. But, by four to six weeks, they should be engaging with us, giving that us that energy, the back and forth, maybe looking around the world and then making that eye contact with mom or dad and then smiling and engaging. By three or four months, these guys are talking and almost laughing with us. By nine months old, they’re pulling to a stand and cruising around, so we have to safety proof that house for sure. We’ll go over developmental milestones at each visit here. We’ll make sure we’re hitting those milestones and, if not, earlier intervention is beneficial to all kids. Schedule your first visit with us in the newborn period, and then we’ll start that path together, looking for and celebrating their developmental milestones.”
Hugh Gilgoff, MD is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has a particular interest in newborn care, asthma, and development issues, incorporating teachings from both Eastern and Western medicine. He is a contributing author on the parenting blog, A Child Grows in Brooklyn, and is very active in the local community, speaking at PS 29, the Dodge YMCA, and several child-birth classes. Dr. Gilgoff is fluent in Spanish. He offers free prenatal consultations every month. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“Bronchitis is an inflammation of the upper airways in the lungs that typically starts after a cold-like illness. Most colds last for three to five days. They, of course, have a lot of nasal congestion and cough, as well. When people get bronchitis, they get a persistent cough that lasts after the congestion has ended and often will last for up to two, or even three weeks, and can cause a lot of discomfort – either tightness in the chest or pain, soreness from all of the coughing, sometimes a low-grade fever. It’s something that we see all the time in our urgent care centers, especially in the winter. Usually people come in after a week or so. After you’ve been coughing for one to two weeks, I think it’s a good idea to see a physician to make sure that this isn’t pneumonia or some other more serious condition.”
Make an appointment with Judah Fierstein, MD
Judah Fierstein, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients in the Upper West Side, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Inwood. Trained in New York City, he is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He was awarded his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he also completed his residency in Emergency Medicine. He is the Medical Director of Mount Sinai Doctors Urgent Care. Dr. Fierstein is fluent in Spanish.
Mount Sinai Doctors Urgent Care assists patients with illnesses or injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening, but also can’t wait until the next day, or for primary care doctor to see them. Services are offered on a walk-in basis and range from allergies, asthma, back problems, headaches, skin rashes, and stitches to sprains, UTIs, fever, flu, broken toes, and infections. No appointment is needed; you simply walk-in and see a doctor. There are currently four locations – Upper West Side, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Inwood – open 365 days a year with extended hours.
“How many hours should you sleep a night? It’s a great question. The answer for most adults is somewhere between six and eight hours a night, but this is variable. Everyone knows someone who gets five hours a night and does perfectly fine. But most adults need between six and eight hours a night to be functional. And that’s the key: How functional are you? If you feel like you’re sleep deprived, you’re tired, you’re not functioning well, then it’s important to look at how you’re sleeping. What’s most important about sleep is maintaining a routine, something we call sleep hygiene, as best as you possibly can. So you want to try to avoid things that can disrupt your sleep cycle. What can disrupt your sleep cycle? Well, lots of caffeine late at night, which is a stimulant. Eating late at night can give you heartburn and wake you up. Certainly alcohol as we all know can give you a bad night’s sleep, as well. There are other medications which routinely interrupt your sleep cycles as well. So trying to maintain consistent habits – that’s really, really important. Anytime you start altering your habits, you alter your sleep cycle, and often times you’re not going to feel well-rested the next day. If you have any questions about your sleeping habits or you’re having difficulty with your sleep habits, by all means, please make an appointment with your primary care physician or with myself or any of my colleagues at Mount Sinai Doctors in Brooklyn Heights.”
David Coun, MD, is a board-certified primary care doctor and Chief of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has lectured regularly on various topics, including smoking cessation, prostatic conditions, EKG review, and physician communication skills. Dr. Coun is fluent in Spanish and has a particular interest in prevention, as well as, the intersection between mental health and chronic medical conditions. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“Vitamins are a tricky thing to address sometimes, and really it’s a very individual choice whether somebody takes vitamins or not. Plus, you have to take into consideration your medical problems — any medications you might already take — because they do play a role. In general, if you’re someone that feels like you need a vitamin, you want to try something without consulting a doctor, a multivitamin once a day is usually okay. In general, vitamins are not regulated by the government, so it requires some thought in terms of what brands to take. In that case, you might want to consult with a physician. If you go to special vitamin stores, they’re relatively safe. Definitely, if you’re on any other medication, I would consult with a doctor first. If you have any concerns about specific vitamins, again, checking with a doctor is always best because A) you might need a vitamin because you’re deficient in it, but you would never know unless you went to the doctor or B) you’re already taking something and it could interact with it. So I would definitely consider seeing a doctor before starting anything”.
Camila Passias, MD is a board-certified primary care doctor at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights, seeing patients Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She has a particular interest in women’s health and is fluent in Spanish. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
