- Tampa Medical
Group, P.A.
Medical Update*
How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress
The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership
The best relaxation cure...Man's best friend is also good medicine.
Researchers found that hospital patients who received a 12 minute visit from
a dog enjoyed a 24% drop in anxiety and a 17% drop in a harmful stress
hormone.
When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like
meditation, yoga and journaling come to mind. These are great techniques, to
be sure. But getting a new best friend can also have many stress relieving
and health benefits. While human friends provide great social support and
come with some fabulous benefits, this article focuses on the benefits of
furry friends: cats and dogs! Research shows that, unless you’re someone who
really dislikes animals or is absolutely too busy to care for one properly,
pets can provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health
benefits—perhaps more than people! Here are more health benefits of pets:
- Pets Can Improve Your Mood: For those who love animals, it’s
virtually impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy
eyes meets yours, or when a super-soft cat rubs up against your hand.
Research supports the mood-enhancing benefits of pets. A recent study
found that men with AIDS were less likely to suffer from depression if
they owned a pet. (According to a press release, men with AIDS who did
not own a pet were about three times more likely to report symptoms of
depression than men who did not have AIDS. But men with AIDS who had
pets were only about 50 percent more likely to report symptoms of
depression, as compared to men in the study who did not have AIDS.)
- Pets Control Blood Pressure Better Than Drugs: Yes, it’s
true. While ACE inhibiting drugs can generally reduce blood pressure,
they aren’t as effective on controlling spikes in blood pressure due to
stress and tension. However, in a , groups of hypertensive New York
stockbrokers who got dogs or cats were found to have lower blood
pressure and heart rates than those who didn’t get pets. When they heard
of the results, most of those in the non-pet group went out and got
pets!
- Pets Encourage You To Get Out And Exercise: Whether we walk
our dogs because they need it, or are more likely to enjoy a walk when
we have companionship, dog owners do than non-pet owners, at least if we
live in an urban setting. Because exercise is good for stress management
and overall health, owning a dog can be credited with increasing these
benefits.
- Pets Can Help With Social Support: When we’re out walking,
having a dog with us can make us more approachable and give people a
reason to stop and talk, thereby increasing the number of people we
meet, giving us an opportunity to increase our network of friends and
acquaintances, which also has great stress management benefits.
- Pets Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love:
Pets can be there for you in ways that people can’t. They can offer love
and companionship, and can also enjoy comfortable silences, keep secrets
and are excellent snugglers. And they could be the best antidote to
loneliness. In fact, research shows that nursing home residents reported
less loneliness when visited by dogs than when they spent time with
other people! All these benefits can reduce the amount of stress people
experience in response to feelings of social isolation and lack of
social support from people.
- Pets Can Reduce Stress—Sometimes More Than People: While we
all know the power of talking about your problems with a good friend
who’s also a good listener, recent research shows that spending time
with a pet may be even better! Recent research shows that, when
conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less
stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or
even their spouse was present! (This may be partially due to the fact
that pets don’t judge us; they just love us.)
It’s important to realize that owning a pet isn’t for everyone. Pets do come
with additional work and responsibility, which can bring its own stress.
However, for most people, the benefits of having a pet outweigh the
drawbacks. Having a furry best friend can reduce stress in your life and
bring you support when times get tough
Resource: About.com, Elizabeth Scott
*The purpose of this page and
linked pages is to answer common questions for health problems as well as to present
unique ideas towards taking care of your health. The ideas, procedures and
suggestions are not intended as a substitute from the medical advice of a trained health
professional. All matters regarding our health require medical supervision.
Consult your physician before adopting the suggestions in this book, as well as about any
condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The authors disclaim an
liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of techniques described here.
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Revised: Fall 2008