Dr. Fido to the Rescue
Have you been feeling depressed lately? Is your blood pressure out-of-control? Are you constantly stressed and don’t know what to do about it? Well, before you call a doctor, you may want to call a dog. Science is showing that pets, especially dogs, are good for human health issues, especially those that are related to emotions and stress.
How?
Dogs make you happy. Who can resist smiling at the eager affections of a pampered pooch? Dogs are always happy and excited, and studies are showing that their happiness is contagious. Many studies have proven that dogs are an almost sure-fire way to cure depression. One such study showed that men with AIDS were less depressed when they got a dog. Since depression can seriously affect the quality of your life, getting a dog is worth considering.
Dogs cut your stress levels. Research has shown that people are calmer when dogs are around. Studies are even showing that a dog is—literally—man’s (and woman’s) best friend, at least as far as stress goes. One such recent study found that people are less stressed when they are with their dogs than when they are with their best human friend or spouse. Since high levels of stress can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, to name a few potentially deadly conditions, getting a dog is well worth the effort.
Dogs lower your blood pressure. Studies are showing that a dog may be even better than medication at lowering blood pressure. In a study of New York Stockbrokers (a group that is particularly prone to hypertension), getting a dog proved to lower their blood pressure. Since high blood pressure causes such conditions as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes, getting a dog may well save your life.