Frank Sinatra health: How ill health plagued the My Way singer throughout his life

The signs and symptoms of heart failure

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His grandmother, Rose, an experienced midwife, grabbed baby Frank from the doctor, and held him under cold running water until he gasped for his first breath and cried out. The legendary crooner – who gained recognition after auditioning on The Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio talent show – went on to act in musical comedies. Frank starred in Anchors Aweigh, The House I Live In, and It Happened in Brooklyn.

Marrying Nancy Rose Barbato, and fathering three children (Frank Jr, Nancy, and Tina), Frank had it all – family, love, fame, and money.

His health, however, did let him down. In June 1984, the singer was told to rest his voice for 10 days.

According to Las Vegas Sun, Frank’s throat ailment forced him to cancel his week-long engagement at the casino hotel Golden Nugget.

A couple of years later, in November 1986, Frank underwent an emergency operation to have 12 inches of his large intestine removed.

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The star was suffering from diverticulitis, which is when small bulges develop in the lining of the intestines, the NHS explained.

These bulges in the intestine can lead to stomach pain, usually in the lower left side, that tends to come and go.

Pain in the lower stomach tends to worsen during or shortly after eating.

Diverticulitis can also cause constipation and diarrhoea; blood might also appear in the faeces.

“Contact a GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of diverticulitis,” the NHS cautioned.

Diverticulitis wasn’t the only ailment coming for Frank; in 1996, Frank went back into hospital, reportedly for a pinched nerve.

The eight-day stint, however, alluded to a much more serious health issue, and reports swirled about pneumonia and heart failure.

Pneumonia is swelling of the tissue in one or both lungs, the NHS clarified.

Symptoms of pneumonia might include: a cough that can either be dry or it could produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus; difficulty breathing; a rapid heartbeat; a high temperature; and sweating and shivering.

Less commonly, pneumonia can lead to headaches, fatigue, wheezing, and feelings of confusion and disorientation.

While mild pneumonia can get better on its own with plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids, for severe cases, hospitalisation is needed.

“This is because it can lead to serious complications, which in some cases can be fatal, depending on a person’s health and age,” the health body added.

Meanwhile, heart failure means the heart muscle is unable to pump blood around the body properly.

“It usually happens because the heart has become too weak or stiff,” the NHS explained.

The long-term condition tends to get worse over time, leading to breathlessness, swollen ankles and legs, and exhaustion.

With his ill health mounting, Frank sadly passed away in May 1998 from a heart attack.

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