Singer Morrissey has opened up about his recent health woes, revealing he was rushed to hospital with serious internal bleeding and has since been warned to retire from music.

The former The Smiths frontman axed his North American tour earlier this month (Mar13) after suffering a series of setbacks and illnesses including pneumonia, a stomach ulcer, and throat condition Barrett's oesophagus.

He is currently recuperating in Mexico but has taken time out from his period of rest to detail the horror of his ongoing health problems, revealing he suffered so much blood loss it sparked anaemia and led to a number of other issues.

Morrissey tells Mexican radio station Reactor 105.7, "I had a very bad time. I had internal bleeding and I was rushed into hospital and I had lost a lot of blood. They tried to patch me together over the following five weeks but it didn't work.

"I was on lots of Iv (intravenous) drips for almost five weeks and each time it seemed as though I was back to robust health I would decline... I had lost so much blood I had become anaemic but I'm still receiving ongoing treatment and I am very optimistic now.

"It almost became absurd the number of things that happened to me but everything just attacked me at once. The double pneumonia - everything was really a result of the fact I had lost so much blood, so the immune defences were very, very low and couldn't cope with anything, so therefore the slightest gust of wind and I would have a terrible cold."

Asked if he has been advised to retire from life as a pop star as a result of his poor health, the veteran British singer replies, "I have been cautioned to, but it's difficult for me because it's very ingrained in me."