Healthy Living

Cystic Fibrosis: The Challenging Role of Caregiver

Why are women at higher risk?

Anyone who is currently acting as a caregiver is susceptible to “caregiver stress.” The incredible challenges of caregiving is most often seen in women, which may or may not be directly correlated to the fact that women outnumber men in the caregiving profession. Women alone are more susceptible to emotional stress, which makes them even more at risk of developing the dangerous health complications that come with long term emotional stress on your body. 

Female caregivers are notoriously bad at scheduling their own health and preventive screenings because they are too busy focusing on the individual they are caring for. Women caregivers are also more likely to have issues sleeping, bad eating habits, and refrain from physical activity.  Caregiver stress can take many forms. For instance, you may feel frustrated and angry one minute and helpless the next. You may make mistakes when giving medicines or you may turn to unhealthy behaviors like smoking or drinking too much alcohol. It can sometimes be difficult to recognize the symptoms of caregiver stress because the caregiver isn’t focused on themselves.