Anyone who has ever had a pet is not unknown to the joys of having delightful undemanding company. Coming back home after a hard days’ work to your pet relaxes all those tensed muscles like nothing else! There has been mounting evidence from researches in last 25 years about how pets affect our social, mental and physical well-being. Here’s a look at how your health might benefit from an animal companion.
Allergy Fighters
“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, MD, a paediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
However, a growing number of studies have suggested that kids growing up in a home with “furred animals” — whether it’s a pet cat or dog, or on a farm and exposed to large animals — will have less risk of allergies and asthma In addition, they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals — a sign of stronger immune system activation.
Dogs for the Aged
“Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts if there is an animal in the home,” says Lynette Hart, PhD, associate professor at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
“Their caregivers also feel less burdened when there is a pet, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog,” says Hart.
Walking a dog or just caring for a pet — for elderly people who are able — can provide exercise and companionship.
No Side=effects!
Lower Blood Pressure.
The simple act of petting an animal—or even gazing at an aquarium—results in a drop in blood pressure. And pets can have a longer-term impact on the cardiovascular system, too, as researchers discovered when they tracked 24 hypertensive stockbrokers who adopted a cat or dog. Pet ownership blunted the blood pressure response to mental stress; the traditionally prescribed hypertension drug did not.
Improved Fitness and A Stronger Heart
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health revealed that dog owners were 34 percent more likely to complete the recommended minimum 150 minutes of exercise per week. Other research has shown that dog owners walk 19 more minutes a week on average, and that having a family dog increases physical activity among adolescents (a key finding as childhood obesity reaches epidemic proportions).
Precautions
However, there are some hygiene issues and cautions that should be taken into consideration. First, there are some diseases that can be passed from pets to people (these are called zoonotic diseases) through such close proximity. They include ringworm, tapeworms, hookworms, and a host of infections that are transmitted from fleas and ticks. Those who have a vulnerable immune system should be especially cautious. That would include young children, elderly, sick individuals, and those with immunodeficiency (like those living with HIV). These individuals should avoid sleeping with animals.
It is also a good idea to keep your pet clean and well-groomed, for a host of health-related reasons involving you and your pet.
Not everybody can bring home a furry or aquatic friend, of course. But if life circumstances (like long hours or a landlord) keep you from owning a pet, you can still experience the health perks of animals by volunteering with rescues in dire need of affection.