American Idol: 7 stars who sing through sickness

Singing is a given on "American Idol." But the popular TV show has also raised the profile of several little-known diseases - by giving viewers a close-up look at contestants and their family members who clearly prefer singing over suffering.

Keep clicking to meet Idol stars and the health problems they've faced...

James Durbin

Even two separate neurological disorders have been no match for rocker James Durbin. In middle school, the Santa Cruz, Calif. native, now 22, learned that he was suffering from Tourette and Asperger syndromes, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. Tourette causes repetitive, involuntary movements or vocal tics, affecting more than 200,000 Americans. Asperger, essentially a mild form of autism, impairs language and communication skills.

How does James belt out the ballads despite these disorders? "When I sing, it just all goes away, like I don't have a care in the world." Durbin told Idol Judges during Idol Season 10.

Casey Abrams

Season 10 finalist Casey Abrams, 20, was recently rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center for blood transfusions to treat his ulcerative colitis, People magazine reported. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon's lining, resulting in symptoms including abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss and raising the risk for colon cancer.

Chris Medina

Chris Medina made it to Hollywood in season 10, and - as he wasn't shy about saying - his great performances were inspired by fiance, Julie Ramos, who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a 2009 car accident, ABC News reported. TBI symptoms range from headache, nausea, and dizziness to severe symptoms including slurred speech and loss of coordination.

Katharine McPhee

In the years since her stint as a contestant on season five in 2006, Katharine McPhee has launched a successful musical and acting career. But her spectacular voice was almost silenced by her five-year battle with the binge-and-purge eating disorder bulimia, People magazine reported.

Over time, bulimia can cause everything from throat irritation to more serious symptoms including pancreatitis, dental problems, and tears in the lining of the esophagus.

Danny Gokey

Danny Gokey finished third on Idol in season eight - pretty impressive when you consider that his wife Sophia died suddenly four weeks before his audition. She was undergoing surgery for a congenital heart defect. Gokey recently founded Sophia's Heart Foundation in memory of his wife.

Scott Macintyre

Viewers who enjoyed Scott Macintyre's performances on Idol's eighth season knew he was blind. But he kept secret his battle with kidney failure until after his eighth-place finish. "I actually remember a time when I didn't have enough strength to even sit and sing and vocalize on the piano, my body was so overloaded from kidney failure," he told Access HollyWood. Macyntre spent two years on dialysis before getting a kidney transplant, according to People magazine.

David Cook

During his rise to stardom as winner of Idol's seventh season, David Cook witnessed his brother Adam's battle with brain cancer, People magazine reported. Adam died in May 2009, and David now serves as an advocate and fund-raiser for brain cancer. Each year, more than 35,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer.

Randy Jackson

Jackson has been a judge on every Idol telecast since the show's launch in 2002. That was one year after he learned he had diabetes, Newsweek reported. At the time he weighed 360 pounds.

Jackson is one of an estimated 25.8 million diabetics in the U.S., according to the American Diabetes Association.