"After ten steps it's hard for me": Yehuda Poliker reveals his health struggle
Yehuda Poliker revealed that he is dealing with pulmonary fibrosis, uses oxygen, and sometimes finds it difficult to walk even a few steps. Despite the fear and medication, the 75-year-old singer clarifies that he has no intention of leaving the stage.
Yehuda Poliker, one of the most beloved and iconic figures in Israeli music, has revealed at the age of 75 a medical struggle that has been part of his life for over a year. In an interview broadcast on "Saturday News" on Channel 12, Poliker shared that he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue and can gradually make breathing difficult. Today, he uses oxygen and takes medication in an attempt to slow the progression of the disease, but for him, leaving the stage is not an option.
According to Poliker, the condition was discovered after he underwent tests more than a year ago. The difficulty is felt especially when walking and during physical exertion: he noted that sometimes after just ten steps, he begins to feel winded. At night, he sleeps with oxygen while taking pills designed to prevent the disease from progressing. "I'm not sure it's possible to recover," he admitted during the interview.
In a conversation with Yonatan Rieger, when asked if he struggles to breathe on stage, he replied: "I do, so I cough to the side. I wouldn't go on stage if I didn't know I could sing the way I'm used to and the way I want to. I go up, put the guitar on, the noise starts, I open my mouth, and I sing."
Despite the struggle, Poliker continues to perform. Just before he goes on stage, one can see him using oxygen, but according to him, when the show starts, something changes. The stage allows him to forget his medical condition for a moment and continue doing what has defined his life for decades. He clarified that he never considered stopping performances: for him, music and the stage are an inseparable part of his existence.
Poliker explained that the decision to speak openly about his condition fits into the way he has chosen over the years to reveal personal aspects of his life to the audience. He described the disclosure as "another coming out of the closet" and added that it is important to him that the audience who continues to attend his shows knows what he is going through.
He also approaches the topic of death with a direct mindset. "In the end, we will all die of something," he said. According to him, death itself is not what scares him, but the possibility of pain, difficulty, and the inability to function before it. Despite the fear, he continues to take the stage: "There is a fear that I won't be okay, but I go on stage — and I am okay."
Pulmonary fibrosis is a term for a group of diseases in which scar tissue gradually forms in the lungs. A healthy lung is flexible and able to expand and contract easily; when the tissue is scarred, it becomes thicker and stiffer, and the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the blood becomes less efficient. As a result, the patient must exert more effort to breathe.
The damage already caused to the lungs is currently irreversible, so the goal of treatment is mainly to slow down the scarring process, preserve lung function as much as possible, and relieve symptoms. Treatment may include anti-fibrotic drugs, pulmonary rehabilitation, adapted physical activity, supplemental oxygen, and in some cases, a lung transplant.
For Poliker, at least as far as the stage is concerned, the disease has not yet managed to stop the music. "I didn't consider stopping performing," he clarified. For him, the goal right now is simple and clear: to feel better and to continue taking the stage.
