特殊幸福 養寵物的六大健康優勢

1. 養寵物的孩子不易過敏

Pets can help prevent eczema and some allergies in children. Babies and toddlers who live with dogs -- but not cats -- have lower rates of childhood eczema than those raised without dogs. And young children who've had a cat or dog since their first year of life have fewer pet allergies than other kids their age.

寵物能夠保護家中的孩子不得溼疹和皮膚過敏。嬰兒和剛學會走路的孩子經常和狗狗待在一起——不是貓——得溼疹概率比家中不養狗的要低。而一歲以前就接觸過小貓小狗的小朋友比其他孩子寵物過敏的機率要低。

2. 去醫院次數變少

People who own pets make fewer trips to the doctor than those who don't. As a result, pets help keep the cost of health care down for individuals as well as our nation.

養寵物的人去看醫生的次數比不養寵物的人要少。結果就是寵物會讓我們在衛生保健方面花的錢比其他人的要少。

3. 養寵物的人膽固醇低

Pet owners tend to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than people who don't have pets.

養寵物的人膽固醇和甘油三酯水平都要比其他人低。

4. 動物能緩解壓力

Petting pets has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rates in adults. Even being in the same room with pets, including fish in tanks, can lower blood pressure and reduce stress in adults and children. Indeed, many dentists and other doctors keep aquariums in their waiting rooms. This not only helps relieve anxiety, but reduces the need for pain medication as well.

養寵物的成年人血壓和心率都比較低。和寵物待在同一間屋子裏，就算是魚缸裏的魚都行，能夠降低成年人和兒童的血壓和壓力。的確，很多牙醫和其他醫生都會在他們的候診室裏放魚缸。這不僅能夠降低焦慮，還能減少病人對止痛藥的需求。

5. 養寵物的人運動量大

Regardless of age, people who have pets, especially dogs, get more exercise than non-pet owners. While this isn't surprising for dog owners, owners of other kinds of pets are also more likely to be physically active than people who don't have pets. Perhaps as a result of this increase in exercise, adults and kids with pets also tend to have lower rates of obesity.

不論年紀幾何，養寵物，特別是養狗的人的運動量比其他不養寵物的人要大得多。這對於養狗的人來說很正常，養其他寵物的人比不養寵物的人也能獲得更多鍛鍊身體的機會。也許是因爲養動物增加了運動量，養寵物的成年人和小孩得肥胖症的機率也較低。

6. 貓狗飼養者心臟病發存活率高

Dog and cat owners are significantly more likely to survive heart attacks than non-pet owners, regardless of the severity of the heart attacks.

忽視心臟病嚴重程度這個因素，貓、狗飼養者心臟病發後存活下來的機率比其他人要高。