How Owning a Pet Can Boost Your Health

Emotionally, pets can decrease feeling of depression, anxiety and stress. They can help you to improve your immune system and even decrease the risks of a heart attack or stroke. Research has discovered that while doing a stressful task, people who had a pet with them felt less stressed than if a spouse, friend or family member was near.

Owning a pet can even lower your blood pressure seemingly amongst hypertensive patients. With a burden of chronic pains like migraines or arthritis, pets will reduce your anxiety. People using pet therapy have been found to need less pain medication than those who don't. One other benefit to owning a pet is lowered cholesterol. There is no clear evidence that the presence of the pet reduces the cholesterol. But mostly men experience lowered triglyceride levels.

People with pets tend to laugh more. Once they come home, they feel a lot of love from their pets. For example, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, dogs are used in order to help soldiers cope with their post-traumatic stress disorders. It helps patients to deal with their re-entries into society a lot better. Veterans are facing a high suicide rate which is now decreasing due to pet ownership. Pets love unconditionally.

People who own pets seem to be more social than people who don't. As they walk their dogs, they tend to stop and chat with neighbors more often. It puts you in a better mood. The neighborhood is perceived as more friendly when people are out walking with their pet.

Cats are beneficial just as much as dogs are. There is a 30 percent lesser chance that you will have a heart attack if you own a cat. You are also 40 percent less likely to have a stroke if you own a cat. Pets can be a big help in recovering from a heart attack.

Some pets like cats, birds, and rabbits have been known to change their behaviors when living with diabetics and their blood sugar levels dropped. Usually there is a chemical change in the pet owners body that may be detected.

Children who own pets suffer less allergies. Those who grow up on farms and around the animals do not have allergies. The more pets you have early in your life the less likely you are to develop allergies. The dander on the hair of the pet is considered a natural immunotherapy.

Gekas, Alexandra. 10 Health Benefits of Owning a Pet.

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