Co-Founder of TULA Probiotic Skin Care Line

Dr. Roshini Raj is the co-founder of TULA, a skincare line that harnesses the power of probiotics for topical skincare benefits, available exclusively on QVC.com. You’ve also seen her one shows like TODAY, Good Morning America, The View and Access Hollywood educating the public on leading healthy and more balanced lives. She’s a board certified gastroenterologist and internist and an attending physician and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Medical Center/Tisch Hospital. Follow Dr. Raj and TULA on Twitter.

Read entire article on Rank & Style

  • Permalink Gallery

    Study Questions 5-day Waiting Period for Concussion Patients

Study Questions 5-day Waiting Period for Concussion Patients

Dr. Roshini Raj joins Fox News’ Happening Now to talk about fascinating new research on concussion patients.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Why Your Period Might Change After Having a Baby

By Dr. Roshini Raj

As you know, your body changes drastically with each pregnancy, but it doesn’t stop at an expanding belly. For example, you produce about 100 times as much estrogen during a day of pregnancy as on a normal day. Other hormones, like progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin, increase during this time as well. These temporary hormonal shifts alter your body not only during those nine months—they can have lasting effects, even after you’re done giving birth and have finished nursing.

This means that just as your breasts may never look quite the same again, your periods may become unrecognizable. Some women experience a pattern shift (differences in PMS symptoms, cramps, duration or heaviness, mood changes or all of the above) after their first baby, and then may go through another menstrual 180 after their second or third child. Still others have no changes at all.

Your period pattern may also undergo an adjustment in your late 30s as estrogen and fertility begin to decline. So your monthly deluge could be due to a combination of factors. If heavier bleeding or increased pain is making your periods harder to cope with, see your doctor; birth control pills can help even out your hormones.

Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

Originally published on Health.com 

  • Permalink Gallery

    The Weird Reason Some People Are Allergic to Fruits and Veggies

The Weird Reason Some People Are Allergic to Fruits and Veggies

By Dr. Roshini Raj

While some studies have linked the rise in food allergies to exposure to particular pesticides over time, it’s very rare to have a true allergic reaction to the pesticide residues that can remain on produce. That said, allergies are very individual, and there’s no harm in trying out certified organic produce—which is free of synthetic pesticides—to see if that does the trick.

If going organic doesn’t help, though, it is possible to be allergic to the fruits and vegetables themselves. Some people have what’s called oral allergy syndrome, meaning they get reactions to certain proteins found in various fruits and vegetables.

For example, bananas, avocados, kiwis, and more can cause cross-reactions in people who are allergic to latex—an allergy you may not realize you have if you’re not, say, a health care worker or someone who wears a lot of rubber gloves. Those who have allergies to birch, ragweed, or grass pollens may react to things like hazelnut, peaches, celery, sunflower seeds, and zucchini, to name a few.

An allergist can do skin or blood tests to see which protein is causing your cross-reactions, and that can help you pinpoint foods to stay away from. Some people find that their symptoms occur only during allergy season or that they can, for example, eat apple pie without an issue but can’t bite into a fresh apple. That’s because cooking with high heat breaks down the problem proteins that cause the cross-reactions.

Itchiness may seem like a minor symptom now, but it’s very important to sleuth out your triggers with your doctor and avoid the ones that bring it on. Even if you’ve had only a mild reaction in the past, in rare cases your reactions could lead to anaphylaxis, a dangerous type of reaction that […]

Dizzy During Workouts? When to See a Doctor

By Dr. Roshini Raj

Dizziness is one of the trickiest symptoms of all because it can be caused by a variety of things, both worrisome and not. It may just be a sign that you’re dehydrated; make sure you drink enough H2O throughout the day (which means at least eight glasses) in addition to having water on hand during your workout to replace any fluids you sweat out. It could also be that you’re overdoing it. It’s great to push yourself a little in your gym sessions, but it’s not wise to go so hard that your head whirls. Try easing off a bit during workouts—going at a slower pace or doing fewer reps—to see if that solves the problem.

If you’re becoming dizzy even during light exercise, however, that’s a sign you need to see your doctor. Feeling the spins at the gym can be related to exercise-induced asthma. This typically causes shortness of breath or chest tightness as well, but if these symptoms are mild enough, you may not notice them. (You are working out, after all.) For that, your doctor can test your breathing strength and prescribe an inhaler to use before you hit the treadmill.

Finally, dizziness during a workout could signal an underlying heart problem, one of which is an abnormal rhythm, called an arrhythmia. There are a variety of types of arrhythmias—some make the heart beat too slowly or too fast, while others make the beats irregular. Arrhythmias can be caused by a structural problem, heart disease or even an electrolyte imbalance resulting from dehydration or poor diet. Sometimes exertion is the only time you get symptoms.

Depending on the type, arrhythmias are treated with prescription medications or surgery to implant a pacemaker. Another option is a procedure called catheter ablation, in […]

CDC: 15 Children Dead From Flu Complications This Season

Fifteen children have died from complications of the flu so far this season, the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted, as it officially declared the illness an epidemic. Dr. Roshini Raj joined Shepard Smith Reporting to explain why the flu may be especially deadly to children this year.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

What You Need to Know About Dark Spot Correcting Creams

By Dr. Roshini Raj

My sun spots are out of control. Are those fading creams safe?

The reason the creams are controversial is that some of them contain hydroquinone. Though it’s the gold standard for nixing sun spots, hydroquinone was banned in some countries after animal studies suggested that it was a possible carcinogen. But note: The animals used in the studies ate large amounts of the chemical over long periods of time—which is not at all the way you would use it. Still, the FDA has asked for more studies in order to make sure it’s safe to keep on the market.

In the meantime, you can get a hydroquinone lotion over the counter or by prescription. It’s safe to do so as long as you follow some guidelines. First, don’t apply the cream more than twice a day for more than six months without consulting your dermatologist, even if you get it at the drugstore. Though the condition is pretty rare, prolonged use of hydroquinone may cause ochronosis, which leads to skin thickening and discoloration.

In some people, hydroquinone creams may also cause some irritation, so it’s a good idea to test the cream on a small patch of skin first and follow all instructions on the label. Depending on the specific cream, the package instructions may suggest, say, applying it twice a week at first before increasing to daily use.

Products with retinol (the active ingredient in many anti-aging products) can also help erase sun spots. So if you’re using retinol on your face, you may already have something in your medicine cabinet that should help. Keep in mind that hydroquinone needs to be used with SPF 30 because it can heighten sun sensitivity. Pregnant? Skip hydroquinone and retinol for now.

Health’s medical […]

  • Permalink Gallery

    Why Your Hands and Feet Are Always Cold and What to Do About It

Why Your Hands and Feet Are Always Cold and What to Do About It

By Dr. Roshini Raj

My hands and feet are constantly cold. I’ve heard people say that it’s from bad circulation, but that can’t be true, right? 

Actually, that’s not totally inaccurate. Your skin is kept at a comfortable temperature by your blood vessels, which distribute oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. When the mercury drops, sensory receptors in your skin alert your brain to constrict vessels. This allows smaller amounts of blood to your skin to conserve warmth in the trunk of your body, where all your organs are.

In some people, vasoconstriction, as this process is called, can be triggered by the slightest thermometer changes. And one study found that this type of reaction is more common in women, in part due to our fluctuating levels of estrogen, a hormone that plays a big role in regulating temperature. (So you’re not imagining it—you really are more sensitive to cold than your guy!)

A more severe cold sensitivity is a hallmark of Raynaud’s disease, in which extremities—usually just fingers and toes but sometimes also nose and ears—may turn white or blue and go numb. Depending on how bad your symptoms are, treatment may range from wearing extra gloves and socks to taking prescription meds that widen blood vessels.

Finally, cold hands may be a symptom of other conditions, such as hypothyroidism, lupus, or diabetes, or low levels of iron or a vitamin B12 deficiency. Your doctor can perform tests and prescribe the right medication, supplements or diet changes. But if cold hands are your only complaint, try warming them by staying hydrated and increasing your activity levels (get up from your desk at least every hour).

Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

Meet Dr. Raj at the Health Total Wellness Weekend at […]

5 Email Habits of Very Productive People

Ping! Check email. Ping. Check email again. Ping. Check. Ping. Check. Ping. Check.

If you’re like most people who sit in front of a computer all day, this probably sounds like you: When you’re not currently replying to an email, you’re looking to see if you have any new ones. Then when something new doescome in, you read it, debate how to respond, then deem it too time-consuming for the moment. “I’ll get to that later,” you think. And if there’s nothing new, you’re nervously wondering why. “Is it because my inbox is full?!” So you keep checking back every 15 seconds until something pops up—in the meantime deleting all the junk mail that has since clogged your inbox.

But a life tethered to your email means those other projects you want and need to do—be they big reports or personal tasks—can get postponed by days, weeks, or months. Not to mention, a new Canadian study found hyperchecking your email can make you (surprise!) more stressed. So we asked five people who have a barrage of emails to answer to tell us how they tame their inbox.

Read on for their strategies to deal with the deep, dark email crevasse.
Respond—don’t mull
“I try to respond to emails as soon as I see them because otherwise they can get pushed further down the inbox and may be ignored. I recommend you be responsive but not superfluous. By responding quickly and writing short, non-flowery emails, you can create an image of efficiency and attentiveness. Even short words like “Thanks” or “Got it” will help you build a culture of trust and signal that you are on top of your inbox.”

—Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, Health’s contributing medical editor, and cofounder […]

Prenatal Tests May Have 50 Percent Failure Rate

Dr. Roshini Raj and Dr. Marty Makary join TODAY to discuss the latest health headlines, including a report that found that non-invasive prenatal tests can have up to a 50 percent false-positive rate.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy