Billy Joel diagnosed a brain state: what to know about his treatment options

Following the diagnosis of a brain condition, singer Billy Joel has canceled all scheduled concerts.

The 76 -year -old Grammy winner announced on Friday that he has normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which occurs when cephalorraquid fluid (CSF) is built inside or around the brain.

“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert actions, causing problems with hearing, vision and balance,” the announcement said on Joel’s website.

Billy Joel overrides all concerts due to the diagnosis of brain disorder

“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is subject to specific physical therapy and has been advised to abstain from this recovery period.”

What causes normal pressure hydrocephaly?

Hydrocephaly is a general term that describes the accumulation of excess fluid in the brain.

“The fluid, called the cerebrospinal fluid, is constantly produced in spaces full of liquids in the center of the brain called ventricles,” Fox Digital News Matthew Potts, MD, a neurosurgery of northwest medicine told Fox. (Not involved in Joel’s care.)

“It flows through the ventricles and then by the surface of the brain and the spinal cord, where it is reabsorbed.”

The doctor can occur for a number of reasons, such as infection, trauma in the brain or bleeding inside the brain, the doctor said.

“This condition has been aggravated by recent concert actions, causing problems with hearing, vision and balance.”

Normal pressure hydrocephaly is a version of the condition that is usually seen in the elderly, where the cephalorrachid fluid accumulates without increasing the pressure in the brain.

Although the pressure remains normal, the NPH can affect brain function, particularly the areas of thought, memory, movement and focus, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Symptoms of NPH

The three main effects of the NPH are the problems of gait, urinary incontinence and cognitive difficulties. Collectively, these symptoms are known as the “Hakim triad”.

Cognitive problems may include memory loss, slow thinking and difficulty, according to Mia Kazanjian, MD, a Radiologist certified by the Connecticut -based private board.

“This can adversely affect someone’s career and personal life, limiting the ability to do activities of living daily such as eating, bathing and dressing,” Kazanjian told Fox News Digital. “This can also lead to emotional changes, such as depression.”

According to the doctor, urinary incontinence means a loss of control of the bladder, which can cause discomfort, anxiety and shame.

“This can predispose someone to the bladder infection and the irritation of the skin,” he warned.

Experts warn

“If anyone has to lift midnight because of this, it is more likely to fall. In addition, it can lead someone to isolate socially, which can lead to feelings of loneliness.”

The deterioration of the march means that the steps of the person are unstable, there are loss of balance and their feet can paste -to the ground, stir or freeze, Kazanjian said.

“The danger is that someone may fall and sustain a trauma with a major injury,” he said.

The condition can often be confused with dementia, but some cases of NPH can be treated and reversed.

The only risk factor known to the NPH is age, said Cleveland Clinic, with the average age of appearance around 70.

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Other factors, such as race, gender or ethnicity, do not seem to affect the possibilities of the condition.

About 0.2% of people between 70 and 80 will develop NPH and affect around 5.9% of those over 80, the previous source was indicated.

Only 0.003% of people under the age of 65 will get the condition.

“About 30% of NPH people also have Alzheimer’s disease or similar degenerative brain disease,” says Cleveland Clinic.

Diagnosis and treatment

The condition is diagnosed by a combination of neurological exams, laboratory tests and diagnostic images (RM or TC).

The most common treatment for NPH is a surgical procedure called “Shunting”, in which a two -tube device, called Shunt, is implanted to regulate the amount of fluid in the brain.

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“One of the ends is placed in a cephalorraquid fluid pocket, usually on the ventricle in the brain or a cephalorachid fluid pocket in the lumbar spine below the spinal cord,” he told Fox Digital News.

“The other end goes elsewhere in the body that can reabsorb the fluid, usually in the abdomen.”

The only risk factor known to the NPH is age, with the average age of appearance around 70 years.

“Shunts are more complex than only one tube; there is often a valve that regulates the amount of fluid that can flow.”

Potts added some more recent chambers to change the fluid flow rate from outside the body.

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Symptoms usually improve in a few hours or days of the shunt implantation. Self -surgery usually results in days or weeks of recovery.

Experts emphasized that appropriate treatment is essential to prevent serious or permanent damage to the brain from pressure caused by excess fluid.