CNN – Billy Joel’s upcoming tour dates have been canceled as the legendary performer seeks treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that affects the brain, according to a statement released on said Friday.
The statement, posted on his Instagram page Friday, stated that Joel’s condition “has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”
“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period,” the statement read. “Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
The statement added that Joel “looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage” … READ MORE.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, which are fluid-filled chambers.
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Normal pressure hydrocephalus is called “normal pressure” because despite the excess fluid, CSF pressure as measured during a spinal tap is often normal. As brain ventricles enlarge with the excess CSF, they can disrupt and damage nearby brain tissue, leading to difficulty walking, problems with thinking and reasoning, and loss of bladder control.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus can sometimes be treated with surgical insertion of a shunt, a long, thin tube that drains excess CSF from the brain to the abdomen.
Surgery is most likely to help correct difficulties walking, but thinking changes and loss of bladder control are less likely to improve. Shunting doesn’t help everyone with normal pressure hydrocephalus, and there’s uncertainty about how best to identify those most likely to benefit.
There’s also a lack of data showing how long the benefit of shunting may last for those whose symptoms improve.
Prevalence
Normal pressure hydrocephalus primarily affects people in their 60s and 70s. The Hydrocephalus Association estimates that nearly 700,000 adults have normal pressure hydrocephalus, but it is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. In fact, less than 20 percent of people with the disease are properly diagnosed.
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Causes and risk factors
In some cases, normal pressure hydrocephalus is caused by other brain disorders such as a tumor, head injury, hemorrhage, infection or inflammation. But in most cases, the cause of the fluid buildup remains unknown.
Symptoms
The following symptoms are considered hallmarks of normal pressure hydrocephalus:
Difficulty walking that’s sometimes compared to the way a person walks “on a boat,” with the body bent forward, legs held wide apart and feet moving as if they’re “glued to the deck.”
Mild dementia that involves loss of interest in daily activities, forgetfulness, difficulty completing routine tasks and short-term memory loss.
Decline in thinking skills that includes overall slowing of thought processes, apathy, impaired planning and decision-making, reduced concentration, and changes in personality and behavior.
Loss of bladder control, which tends to appear somewhat later in the disease than difficulty walking and cognitive decline. SOURCE.