Adele reveals having ear infection that has left her temporarily deaf and in pain ‘worse than childbirth’

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Adele suffered from a painful ear infection that has temporarily rendered her deaf in one ear for the past two months. The singer has also experienced pain "worse than childbirth" due to this infection.

The 'Hello' singer, 36, revealed her health condition while performing live in Las Vegas on Friday, October 25. "I have an ear infection, which is pretty grim. I’ve never had one before. It’s the most painful thing that’s ever, ever happened to me," she said.

Adeled added, "It was worse than childbirth. It’s a rare water bacteria. It’s very hard to treat. I was on the wrong antibiotics for a few days and they managed to give me one that started to work."

"I wanted to chop my ear off a few times. I’m no longer in pain, which is great but I’m a bit deaf in my left ear," she said, as reported by The US Sun.

Adele's medical history and past illnesses

Adele has a history of disappointing her fans with show cancellations and health issues, so it was not the first time when she had to cancel her Las Vegas performances after illness "took a toll on her voice".

The 'Skyfall' singer announced a few days after she was placed on vocal rest that all of her March gigs were postponed due to "doctors orders" to rest her voice.

Adele previously had to postpone other concerts owing to a painful spinal ailment and throat surgery.

Adele had to have "vocal cord microsurgery" to remove a benign polyp in 2011, which led her to cancel several shows. This was the first significant medical issue that would affect her career, per Daily Mail.

The singer experienced yet another setback in 2017 when she had to postpone the last two performances of her European tour.

In a distressed Facebook post, she revealed that she had once again strained her voice cords, forcing her to cancel her scheduled performances at London's Wembley Stadium for homecoming appearances.

According to The Sun, Adele told fans in August 2023 that she had a sciatica attack and fainted backstage before a show. "I am going to sit down and rest my sciatica," Adele said after being made to sit down during her Weekends With Adele performance.

Sciatica is defined by the NHS as "where the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back to your feet, is irritated or compressed".

Adele previously talked about how she had been in pain for "half her life" before she started losing weight and how her body transformation helped her deal with her issues.

Adele to take 'incredibly long' hiatus after Las Vegas residency ends

'Someone Like You' singer Adele wrapped up her residency in September at Munich. At the end of her tenth performance in the German city, she informed fans that she would be taking an "incredibly long" break from music when her Weekends With Adele gigs in Las Vegas end.

"I've really enjoyed performing … it's been three years now, which is the longest I've done and probably the longest I'll ever do. But I have 10 shows left after this, back in my (Las Vegas) residency … but after that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time and I will hold you dear in my heart for that whole length of my break," Adele told her fans at the time.

In a TikTok video captured during the performance, she said, clearly emotional as she talked, "I have spent the last seven years building a new life for myself and I want to live it now. I want to live my life that I've been building and I will miss you terribly."

The 'Easy On Me' singer has returned to the United States to perform the last 10 gigs of her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace's The Colosseum from October 25 to November 23, per The USA Today.