Oldsters Not Complainers

April 27, 1985|By G. Timothy Johnson, M.D.

It is time to break the stereotype that older people have more unfounded medical complaints than others.

Exploding the myth of elderly hypochondria is important because many older people have had the experience of raising legitimate medical complaints and then finding they are not taken seriously by medical professionals. The result may be frustrating at the least; at worst it may be lead to poor medical treatment.

A study published in the American Psychological Association journal, American Psychologist, noted that exaggerated medical concerns are no more common in the elderly than in younger people.

A study of 900 subjects who responded to medical and emotional symptoms over 18 years found that the kinds of health-related complaints people made remained roughly the same and did not increase with advancing age.

It may be well for all of us to remember this when we might otherwise be prone to assuming that the elderly`s complaints are ``all in their head.``

Dear Dr. Johnson: How dangerous is the increasing practice of social

``kissing`` on the cheek or even on the lips? It used to be that a handshake was enough, but now it seems like you can`t go anywhere today without greeting somebody with a kiss. Isn`t that a good way to spread disease?

I know of no good studies indicating the risk factor associated with social kissing as you describe it. My instinct is that it would be generally far safer to do the ``peck on the cheek`` than directly on the lips, but I can`t prove even that.

Some public health officials have raised concerns about social kissing practices, and others have pooh-poohed such thoughts. But I tend to be conservative and go for the cheek rather than the lips.

Dear Dr. Johnson: What is the most likely cause of muscle cramps during sports activities?

The single most likely cause is dehydration--excessive loss of water. So the best preventive measure against cramps is the consumption of plenty of water before, during and after sports activities. For most people, thirst is a fairly reliable guide of when to replace fluids--but drinking water as a preventive measure can also be a useful discipline.

In some individuals, other possible causes of muscle cramping may be what are referred to as electrolyte abnormalities--imbalances in the level of sodium or potassium in the body. But these instances are far less likely than pure, simple dehydration.