Why Keeping Pets can Improve your Health
Pets: you can love them and hate them simultaneously. One moment they are peeing on your favourite shirt, and the next they give you more TLC than you have ever received in your life. But regardless of what they do or how you feel about them, there are many health advantages to having a pet:
1) Decreased stress levels and blood pressure. Research conducted by the University of Warwick has revealed that, in many cases, stroking or playing with a pet relaxes the person and lowers their blood pressure. In another study, researchers tested whether pets had this effect on stockbrokers who had high blood pressure. It was found that stockbrokers that were pet owners had a significantly lower blood pressure reading than those who were not. Of course, you have to like animals in order for this to ring true; if you are nervous or afraid then pets will probably make you more anxious as opposed to more relaxed.
2) Recovery from illness. Pets have been known to help people in miraculous ways, but the most common success stories involve heart attack patients. Many studies have shown that pet owners who have suffered from a heart attack survive longer than those who dont, and have a lower risk of heart disease. Pets also offer a certain amount of social support for someone who someone who spends a lot of time in bed recovering from a disease or surgery, which contributes to a speedy recovery.
In extreme cases, such as when a person is in a coma, surgeons have even recommended for a pet to be brought to the patients bedside. While there is no real evidence to support this claim, there have been incidences when the pets presence helped the patient awake from their coma. Dogs, in particular, have also been known to offer relief to Alzheimers and Parkinsons patients.
3) Improvement in social life. Most domesticated animals are highly social creatures, and are therefore great company. Whether it is a dog that follows you around the house, or a cat that rubs up against your legs, pet owners have a constant source of social interaction. Pets can also be great conversation topics both in and outside the home.
4) Happiness. People often understand how happy a pet can make us: they help us deal with pain and loss, stick with us through our frustrations, and have even helped people combat depression. Some psychologists have used pets in their therapy sessions, because stroking a cat, rabbit, or dog raises proven to boost the brains serotonin levels. Being greeted at the door by an ecstatic dog or a purring cat when you come home from work every day can really raise your self-esteem, especially if you are having a bad day. This is also why pets are sometimes used in elderly homes ” their mere presence disperses any loneliness or isolation.
Regardless of whether you face unemployment or divorce, your pet will continue to love you unconditionally; and it is precisely this love that keeps human beings healthy and happy.