Day: May 22, 2024

Beethoven suffered from a variety of medical issues throughout his life, including respiratory infections, gastrointestinal problems, and progressive hearing loss that led him to contemplate suicide. His final illness in the 1820s was marked by jaundice, fluid buildup, and other symptoms, and the autopsy revealed cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, and damage to his auditory nerve. Recent genetic evidence has suggested Beethoven may have had a liver condition that made him more susceptible to injury from his well-documented heavy drinking, which could explain many of his symptoms.