DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your column daily in my local newspaper. The people who write in often describe themselves as “healthy” or “in good health.” Then they always add that they are taking some sort of medication for some sort of ailment. Can you please clarify which attributes make a person healthy as opposed to unhealthy? — L.S.

ANSWER: I don’t think there is a definition of “healthy” that everyone would agree on. One author described it as an absence of chronic suffering. The World Health Organization also gave a definition, stating that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being — and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

A reasonable follow-up to your question might be to ask whether someone who takes medication can be healthy. In my opinion, the answer is very clearly “yes.” A person might be prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure or cholesterol. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are not diseases in themselves, but they put a person at a higher risk for developing a stroke or a heart attack.

Taking a medication should not cause chronic suffering and may not impair a person’s physical, mental and social well-being. (Some include spiritual well-being as a part of being healthy as well.)

Even people with what would be considered a disease — say, blockages in the arteries to the heart — might still meet both definitions of being healthy. Much has to do with the mental anguish that can accompany physical illnesses. I’ve seen healthy young men and women break down and cry because their blood pressure was so high that they needed medication, or their blood sugar was high enough to diagnose diabetes. The idea that our bodies are no longer perfect can be very hard for us to accept.

The writers who describe themselves as being in good health (despite having conditions that might make someone else doubt their health) probably feel well. I suspect that they don’t believe they have a chronic illness and do not have mental anguish that is related to their physical condition. More importantly, people who describe themselves as “healthy” are able to do all the activities that they want. Once they can’t do these daily activities, most wouldn’t consider themselves healthy.

It’s also possible that many who write in are comparing themselves to others or to what they expect for a person at their age. A person in their 80s who lives independently and can get everything done may look at their neighbors and feel pretty healthy, even if they have some health challenges.

DEAR DR. ROACH: When should a person stop shoveling snow? I am worried that my husband will have a heart attack. — V.A.M.

ANSWER: Shoveling snow can be difficult and often requires much more exertion than a person is used to, especially as they get older. Just being in the cold air puts additional strain on the heart, and sometimes people (men in particular) may feel they have the strength and stamina that they did decades earlier, which leads to them overdoing it. Snow shoveling is definitely associated with an increased risk in heart attacks and sudden death, so I understand why you are concerned.

People with known heart disease (a history of heart attacks or blockages in the arteries) should probably avoid snow shoveling. People with risk factors can shovel snow but should stop at the first sign of discomfort, such as chest pressure or shortness of breath.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. (c) 2025 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved