Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that affects men and women equally, however, in women a deterioration of mental abilities is observed faster than in the case of men. At least this is what a study from the University of Hertfordshire states, in which it has been found that the loss of abilities such as verbal skills, spatial vision or memory is greater in women than in men, even when they are at the same stage of the disease. The reason why this is so is still unknown and, in any case, an Alzheimer’s patient, whether male or female, always causes a painful family situation.
What is Alzheimer’s in women?
- Alzheimer’s consists of the progressive loss of neurons in the cerebral cortex and therefore involves a decrease in cognitive abilities. Until now it continues to be an irreversible degenerative process that ends up affecting not only intellectual capacities but also physical ones.
- Sometimes it takes a while to diagnose the disease because the patient begins with mild memory loss, such as not remembering where they put the keys, or not remembering that they have an appointment. But in any case, it is about sporadic forgetfulness easily attributable to other causes such as fatigue, age or a simple oversight.
- Little by little these forgetfulness begin to become more frequent and begin to pose a danger to the patient. Disorientation is frequent, not knowing where you are, not recognizing the closest people, etc. This stage is usually accompanied by a progressive impoverishment of language, which, together with the fact that they are still aware of their loss of abilities, can mean in many cases falling into apathy and isolation.
- And while the disease continues its course and the situation worsens, the relatives of the Alzheimer’s patient are as disoriented and confused as the patient himself.
How to help someone with Alzheimer’s
- When a case of Alzheimer’s occurs in the family, it is essential to unite efforts, because it is an extremely complex and painful situation. It is necessary for people who live with Alzheimer’s patients to know the disease in detail and what the deterioration process is so that they can meet the needs of the patient. It must be taken into account that Alzheimer’s does not develop in the same way in all people, therefore, seeking the help of professionals and associations of patients can be a good way to anticipate events and thus be able to face the different stages.
- Once the disease is diagnosed, it is recommended to go to therapy to delay intellectual and physical deterioration as much as possible. Maintain fixed hours for eating, cleaning, leisure, etc. It is a good measure to alleviate the spatial and temporal disorientation suffered by these patients. At all times, the Alzheimer’s patient will need a pleasant family environment, where they will find the understanding, support and affection that their confusing situation requires.
- If you have an Alzheimer’s patient at home, do not hesitate to seek all the help you can, in the form of doctors, health care, home help, associations and people who have gone through the same experience. And don’t forget that sooner or later the person suffering from Alzheimer’s will cease to be an autonomous person, so they will need your support and that of the rest of the family.