Billy Joel Discusses His Brain Disorder: ‘It’s Like Being on a Boat’

Five-time Grammy winner Billy Joel is comparing living with the effects of a brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus, to being on a boat.

In May, Joel, 76, announced he had been diagnosed with NPH, and he recently shared a health update during a one-hour appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast.

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“I feel fine,” Joel said. “My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat.”

Joel said NPH used to be referred to as “water on the brain,” but in his case, he thought it was from his drinking “like a fish.”

“I feel good,” he continued. “They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling.”

When Maher, 69, asked the “Piano Man” singer if his health issues were “fixed,” he replied, “It’s still being worked on.”

In June, Joel had a straightforward message about aging.

“Getting old sucks, but it’s still preferable to getting cremated,” he said, according to Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, directors of a new five-hour documentary on HBO, Billy Joel: And So It Goes.

The two-part film explores Joel’s journey to becoming one of the most popular music artists of all time. Part two airs this Friday on the network.

Joel canceled the rest of his summer tour following his NPH diagnosis after doctors advised him to stop performing while he recovers. He is undergoing physical therapy to treat the condition.

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding,” Joel said in a press release. The release noted that his condition had worsened because of “recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”

NPH occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and creates pressure on the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s a condition you can treat,” says geriatric psychiatrist James M. Ellison, M.D. “I’ve seen people improve dramatically.” 

Most patients are first diagnosed with NPH around age 70. ​The disorder is usually verified with a CT scan, MRI or spinal tap. To correct the condition, a shunt is surgically inserted into the brain to drain fluid.