In her latest update about her heart condition, pericarditis, Carly Pearce says that her doctors didn’t originally take her symptoms seriously before she got a diagnosis.
In a late March conversation with Fox News, Pearce reminded fans to never stop fighting for a diagnosis if their medical team is ignoring their symptoms.
“My biggest piece of advice for anybody is: Listen to your body, and be your own advocate,” the singer says. “A lot of doctors dismissed me, and I was persistent until I got a diagnosis.”
- Last May, Pearce first shared the news with fans that she’d been diagnosed with pericarditis.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, pericarditis is “swelling and irritation of the thin, sac-like tissue surrounding the heart.” The condition can cause chest pain, cough, fatigue, heart palpitations and other symptoms.
- The singer’s diagnosis impacted her Hummingbird Tour. Pearce explained that she reworked some of the moments in her set in order to keep her heart rate at a certain level.
Pearce also opened up about some of her symptoms, saying she had “really debilitating chest pain” that only went away if she leaned fully forward in a seated position. She said she’s monitoring her heart rate through her Apple Watch, and slowly working to be able to safely elevate her heart rate through exercise and stage work.
Read More: Carly Pearce Shares a Health Update After Heart Condition Diagnosis
In her latest update, Pearce had some good news to share. The work she’s been putting into addressing her condition is paying off.
“I’m doing a lot better,” the singer said. “I’m still…on a health journey in general…to continue to hope that this recurrent pericarditis isn’t recurrent.”
Pearce is currently in the midst of her Hummingbird World Tour. In addition to working through her chronic heart condition, she’s also been dealing with the flu on this tour. She adjusted some of the shows to accommodate her weakened vocal range, but continued to perform each concert — even breaking up a fan fight while sick at one of the shows.
Country Stars Who Are Living With Serious Health Conditions
Carly Pearce, Mark Chesnutt and Colt Ford have all made headlines recently for serious medical problems, but they are not the only country stars living with chronic illness.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
