CONTRIBUTION PETS FOR HUMAN HEALTH

            CONTRIBUTION PETS FOR HUMAN HEALTH

by: Cindy Ayu P.

            Do you have a pets? What kind of pets that you have? Yes, I think almostof you have pets. Pets are the animal that live with human as their owner. Basically the function of pets is to accompany human. There are many reason for having pets in home, especially cats. The existence of pets will make the owner calm and pleased. They also think that pets can help someone to manage their mental condition. However, many people are afraid and disgusted with cat or dog because they think that taking care pets are difficult and wasting their time. Based on survey in America Pet Products Association in 2005, in the United States, revealed that “63% of American households own a pet, and that 73,9 million dogs and 90,5 million cats are owned in the united states”. It means, many peoplebelieve to take care pets. Some experts have been prove that taking care pets has positive impact for our live especially in health. Many people believe that they get many benefits in health from the relationships with their pets. Consequently,pets bring good impact for their owner such as decreasing the blood pressure, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and preventing allergy.

            The first impact of taking care pets is that it can help to decrease blood pressure. Blood pressure is the condition where blood in the body rise above the normal limits.This is caused by the state when we are angry or when we eat cholesterol foods. Usually, people consume drugs to decrease illness because of blood pressure. However, people do not know that taking care of pets can decrease blood pressure. Meanwhile, consuming drugs are less effective to decrease blood pressure than the existence of pets. Pets can give the social support for their owner. It can provide relaxing vibes. Although, social support from friends and family have a similar function, the interpersonal relationship between pets and their owner has more benefits. For example, if we are angry and our pets come to us with their funny face, it will make the blood pressure low. A 2002 study stated that “People with a dog or cat had lower resting heart rates and blood pressure measures at the beginning of the experiment than non-pet owners. People with a dog or cat were also less likely to have spikes in heart rates and blood pressureand their heart rates and blood pressure returned to normal more quickly”. It shows that pets can evade the risk of blood pressure. Thus, blood pressure can be reduced by the support of pets.

            The second impact of taking care pets is decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. This disease is caused by the fat that pilling up in artery.Therefore, to keep the heart to be healthy, prevention is needed, which is by having pets. According to the result of study in Minnesota University said that “from 4.500 the ownership of pets in age 30-75 years, the risk of cardiovascular disease down until 40 %. Moreover, pets also can decrease the risk of died because of cardiovascular disease”. It means, having a pet like cat is good for our heart. Pets can decrease the level of stress and also taking care pets can give calm effects.In addition, taking care pets will increase the oxytocin hormone or hormone of love in our body. This hormone helps people or children to be more calm down and easy to socialize. This hormone triggered by touch, such as stroking the cat fur. This hormone will appear when we feel comfortable with our pets. Therefore, if the feeling of stress is lessen, then the risk of cardiovascular disease will be lower. It demonstrates that, to make our heart healthy, taking care pets can be the best choice because they can give happiness, comfort, and calm.

            The third impact of taking care pets is preventing allergy.Have you ever got allergy? It could be allergy to dust, cold or to a fur? Allergy will prevent us to be able to take care pets. Well, allergy is a reaction of immunity system to something that is assumed as a danger to our body. If we have a pet since we were a child then the risk of allergy to animal will be less. Based on University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health said that “The existence of dog in the new born baby’s family will less the allergy. It is said that 15% of them do not get dermatitis or skin inflammation. It shows that, pets can create the pets’ owner to prevent allergy. According to Marshall Plaut, M.D., the chief of the allergy mechanism in National institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases, “The more we get in touch with pets the more we prevent the possibility of allergy. Not only allergy to animal but also other allergy such as allergy to dust, foods, cold, and so on.” Children who had lived long with pets will have a strong immunity system. Consequently, pets can prevent allergy in human by strengthen the immune system.

            Taking care pets has benefits for human health. Pets can give the support for human, pets also can decrease stress and make our condition to be more comfortable. Pets can strengthen the immune system of our body. Taking care pets is one of the good ways to maintain our health. Pets may have simple usage but it give a lot of benefits to us. We can conclude that,decreasing the blood pressure, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular, and preventing allergy are the advantages of pets for human health.

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