NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Billy Joel is doing much better, the 鈥淧iano Man鈥 singer wants fans to know.
In May, Joel across North America and England after being diagnosed with fluid buildup in his brain that has affected his 鈥渉earing, vision and balance.鈥 The condition is called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, 鈥渁 brain disorder that can affect brain-related abilities, including thinking and concentrating, memory, movement and more,鈥 the
鈥淚 know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I鈥檓 OK,鈥 Joel said in an interview with People magazine. "What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I鈥檓 doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.鈥
鈥淚t was scary, but I鈥檓 OK,鈥 Joel, 76, says. 鈥淚 just wanted to let people know, don鈥檛 worry about me being deathly ill or anything.鈥
He also discussed his health in an episode of Club Random podcast, telling the host he feels 鈥渇ine," adding that, 鈥淢y balance sucks. It鈥檚 like being on a boat... They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I鈥檓 feeling."
He added that his health issues are not 鈥渇ixed,鈥 but 鈥渋t鈥檚 still being worked on.鈥
A representative for Joel declined additional comment.
In March, the 鈥淯ptown Girl鈥 singer announced that he underwent surgery and had to undergo physical therapy. A statement at the time said doctors expected him to make a full recovery. It is unclear if his medical issues at the time were related to Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
The condition can cause problems with walking, bladder control and thinking, with symptoms worsening if left untreated. It鈥檚 relatively rare and can be hard to diagnose. It can be treated successfully with surgery to install a tube to drain excess fluid. Patients may need physical therapy in addition to surgery.
