Country singer Carly Pearce diagnosed with heart condition, alters shows

Grammy-winning country singer Carly Pearce has been diagnosed with a heart condition, the 34-year-old revealed on Instagram. Pearce suffers from pericarditis, a condition where structures surrounding the heart become inflamed. As a result, she’s decided to make some changes to her upcoming shows.

“And I’ve been working with doctors and talking to my cardiologist,” she said on social media.

“And I still want to be out on the road. It’s really important to me, but we have all decided that it is in my best interest as I’m healing to alter my shows a little bit. So if my shows look a little bit different, just know it’s because I have to keep my heart rate under control right now. And that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be completely fine.”

Pearce is currently on the road supporting Tim McGraw’s “Standing Room Only Tour.” Her heart condition, however, means the musician will likely need to take it easy for a while.

“It just means right now I’ve got to really take this seriously,” she said. “And so if you’re coming to the shows, if you are going to be a part of any of the amazing things we have going on with ‘hummingbird,’ it is all going to be great. It just might look a little different.”

According to the American Heart Association, pericarditis is often accompanied by chest pain that can feel similar to a heart attack — one of the condition’s many possible causes. Pericarditis can happen suddenly, but typically doesn’t last long. Chronic cases of the heart condition, however, can require treatment.

Unchecked, pericarditis can disrupt heart function and — in rare cases — be fatal.

“So I’m asking for a little bit of grace and truly, more importantly, if any of you are dealing with any kind of health stuff or aren’t … I’m a young, healthy person that really watches what I eat and exercises and this happened to me,” Pearce said.

“And so I just want to use my platform to tell you to take care of your body and listen to it. Just know that if it’s trying to tell you something, it’s going to tell you. So I love you guys and I’ll see you soon.”