Alan Jones shares update on health following ‘rough week’ in hospital

Alan Jones has opened up on his notable absence from his radio program this week, admitting he’s been struggling with his health and unable to leave hospital.

The popular radio host, 78, provided an update on his condition on Friday, with Steve Price reading out a message to his loyal listeners on 2GB.  Describing it as a “rough week”, Jones said what he thought was just a bad cold turned into a nasty bout of the flu with the symptoms causing many problems for the 78-year-old.

“It’s been a rough week,” he explained. “I’ve had no voice, awful coughing bouts and a fever.”

While the normal symptoms of the flu are bad enough with chills, dehydration and fatigue leaving most bound to the bed, Jones’ went one step further with the infection spreading to his eyes.

Jones explained he’s been on different medications the past week to try and ease the symptoms but said “this flu certainly has a bite to it”.

Read more: Alan Jones learns fate of radio show after months of negotiations

“On Wednesday they added a heavy dose of cortisone to reduce inflammation which is causing the coughing and obstruction of the vocal chords,” he continued.

“Thankfully, that has worked and I’ve seen been able to sleep. I’ve seen an eye specialist and received appropriate medication for that. I expect to leave hospital today [Friday] and will be back on air next Monday, August 5.”

The radio presenter’s short health battle comes weeks after he was forced to take a four-month break last year for multiple surgeries on his neck and back.

Meanwhile, Jones has been busy in the media recently and just weeks ago he opened up about his late mother’s battle with dementia and how it has impacted his views on euthanasia.

Read more: ‘They feel defenceless’: Alan Jones slams government over veterans’ super scheme

Speaking on ABC’s Anh’s Brush With Fame the Jones admitted that while his mum Elizabeth’s carers did what they could at the time, she still had to suffer far more than any of the family would have wished.

Elizabeth was diagnosed with the condition in the ’70s, but Alan admitted on the show that they didn’t initially know what it was at the time.

“[It was a] terrible death without any dignity at all,” he told Anh. “My mother’s death made me really think about euthanasia, because she was a Victorian woman with tremendous self pride and bit by bit this other thing obviously kicked in.

Read more: Alan Jones reveals pain of watching mum’s ‘undignified’ death from dementia

“When you then go and see her… I mean the level of care was, I think people did their best, but it’s not care as a family would want it. And there’d be times I’d go in and, I talk about the indignity of it, and because she’d wrestled with herself in a way her nightie would be up over her head and that sort of stuff and I thought, ‘This is not meant for my mother, she doesn’t deserve this sort of stuff’.

“And you then think well, ‘Is this living?’ you know?”

The star’s mum Elizabeth sadly died before she had chance to see his huge fame and influence on the nation.

Are you a fan of Alan Jones? Have you come down with the flu this year?