How the environment affects your health

Child Neurologist Jane Tavyev Asher, MD, explains the environmental factors that can affect your health and what can be done to avoid them
How The Environment Affects Your Health
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How the environment affects your health

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There are a number of environmental factors that are thought to affect health. Some have been studied more than others. We know for example that tobacco, air pollution, lead all have direct effects on health. Other factors have been somewhat less studied, but there's striking evidence to suggest that they are affecting our health as well. Certain chemicals are found in our environment and even in household products. These include things like DEET, which is found in insect repellants; BPA, which is found in many plastics and plastic-containing products; PAH, which stands for poly-cyclic aeromated hydrocarbons, which are found in air pollution, car exhaust, and even some household cleaners. Pesticides also are a huge environmental toxin. Some of the studies that have been done have shown that lead decreases IQ points in children. And pesticides have been found to have a number of potential effects on health including possible endocrine disruption and other regulatory changes in the body. Dioxins are another environmental toxin that's thought to contribute negatively to our health. Dioxins are found today in red meat and commercially farmed fish as well as some dairy products.

Child Neurologist Jane Tavyev Asher, MD, explains the environmental factors that can affect your health and what can be done to avoid them

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Jane Tavyev Asher, MD

Division of Child Neurology - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Dr. Jane Tavyev Asher is a board certified Child Neurologist and Director of the Division of Child Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  Upon attaining her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, she completed residency/ fellowship training in Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children’s Hospital, where her clinical training focused on behavioral neurology, specializing in autism and other developmental disorders, and her research focused on epigenetic factors in autism.  She currently maintains a clinical practice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she sees patients with a variety of neurologic conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental delay, ADHD, learning disabilities, tics, headaches, and cognitive/ behavioral management in neuromuscular disorders.  She holds an academic/ research appointment as Assistant Professor at UCLA in the Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.  Her current research interest remains in the area of autism.  Dr. Tavyev Asher is proud to contribute to the training of the next generation of physicians including those specializing in Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry, and Child and Adult Neurology, and she enjoys giving talks on various neurologic topics locally and nationally.  She is a member of the Child Neurology Society, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA CART (Center for Autism Research and Treatment), and The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance.  She also serves on the Advisory Board of Healthy Child Healthy Child Healthy World.  She enjoys art, music, yoga, skiing, and relaxing with her family.

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