Carly Pearce 'Was Dismissed By So Many Doctors' Before Her Heart Diagnosis

Carly Pearce said she “was dismissed by so many doctors” before she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition.

Pearce, 35, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Monday (May 5). The hummingbird artist caught up with Kelly Clarkson about touring the world, the moment Dolly Parton invited her to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, an upcoming show honoring late legend Loretta Lynn (and revealing one of Lynn’s famous family members that many fans might not know), and more.

Clarkson noted that last time Pearce appeared on the show, she spoke about her “health scare.” Pearce first opened up about her diagnosis with pericarditis last year. The rare heart condition is described by the Mayo Clinic as “swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart.” Clarkson points out that 45,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. Pearce admitted she “had never heard of it” before her own health journey.

“I just thought, ‘oh, chest pain.’ When I started having these chest pains, I was dismissed by so many doctors saying, ‘oh, you’re fine. It’s anxiety. Your vitals look fine,’” Pearce said. “That’s my whole big thing here is just to raise awareness. You know your body better than anybody. And I would have these chest pains that felt so debilitating and I only got relief when I was kinda bent over like this, but like laying down it was really, really bad. And I found out it was recurrent pericarditis. …It’s really frustrating to just not feel like yourself.”

Pearce, who is raising awareness via a campaign called Life DisRPted, said she’s “a young, healthy, active person who takes care of themselves, but this has happened to me. And I just wanna raise awareness for anybody who is dealing with any kind of heart issue or just health in general to be your biggest advocate.

“I definitely have been mad. I have to be honest,” she said. “When I’m going through a flare, I can’t run or I can’t exercise, and it’s super frustrating. …When you’re going through like a bad flare, it’s really tough [during live performances on tour]. And when they want your heart rate to say below something and you’re like, ‘have you heard these songs? Like, my heart rate is way above that just standing here singing.”

Pearce is wrapping up her headlining world tour this month. Her final performance will take place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the summer, the “truck on fire” hitmaker will join Cody Johnson and Little Big Town on tour. Watch Pearce’s interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show here: