A neurologist spoke about the health benefits of pets for humans

Some people get pets to cope with loneliness, others - for mood. There is an opinion that pets contribute to the more active development of children and can even participate in the treatment of certain diseases. Whether this is true, told "Izvestia" November 30, on World Pet Day, neurologist, expert physician of the laboratory "Hemotest" Ekaterina Demyanovskaya.

"Pets really benefit health, and primarily due to the fact that significantly reduce the level of daily stress. Coming home after a hard day, a person is not boiled in his thoughts, and switched to taking care of the pet, talking to him, playing, happy purring cat or chirping parrot. This has a beneficial effect on the psyche and reduces the level of stress, from which weakens the immune system and begins a variety of diseases. According to statistics, owners of pets seek medical help less often than people without pets, and live on average 10 years longer," she said.

According to her, socializing with cats can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and prevents the development of hypertensive crisis. According to studies by British doctors, people who stroked their favorite cat for a few minutes had normalized blood pressure. There is an assumption that even the sound of purring has a positive effect on immunity - the effect is comparable to ultrasound therapy.

November 30 - World Pet Day: history and traditions

"Daily walks and active games with the dog also adjust the cardiovascular system. Dogs are often sociable and vividly show their affection for their owner, which is very helpful for people who have communication difficulties or have self-esteem issues. Dogs are often used as assistants for people who have lost some function: everyone knows about guide dogs, but dogs are also "hired" to help people with low mobility and the elderly (e.g. in nursing homes). Dogs give a sense of independence and help overcome loneliness. Children with autism after several months of regular contact with dogs become more sociable", - emphasized the doctor.

Demyanovskaya specified that singing of pet birds or cooing of parrots relieves tension and calms down. Watching fish and slow reptiles (turtles, iguanas) is useful for people who suffer from neuroses - it restores mental balance after stressful situations. Holding in the palms of rodents - hamsters and mice - is also good for the psyche. The very feeling of a living fragile body in the hands relaxes the small muscles, which helps to reduce aggression and anxiety.

"It happens that you have to give up your favorite pet, as suddenly discovered allergies in the child. To prevent this from happening, you can take tests for allergens in advance or rent an animal from friends for a couple of weeks, having previously consulted with a doctor. The latter will test not only the reaction of the immune system, but also your determination: you will practically understand the pros and cons of keeping an animal at home and will be able to understand whether you are ready for such responsibility", - concluded the neurologist.

In early October, Alexandra Fileva, an expert physician at the Hemotest laboratory, told Izvestia that sleeping with a pet helps immunity and relieves depression. At the same time, she warned that resting with a pet in bed at night can aggravate asthma or allergies if one or more diseases are diagnosed in a person.