Robert Webb is the actor famous for his role as Jez in the comedy Peep Show. The actor candidly admitted his years of alcohol abuse brought on a medical condition which required him to undergo life-saving surgery.
The actor had spent many years abusing alcohol which caused him to suffer with a heart murmur causing him to feel tired and sluggish.
He was later diagnosed with a mitral valve prolapse.
Speaking in an interview with NME, Webb said: “It turned out I was incredibly unwell.
“I knew something was up, but I didn’t realise that my heart was on its last legs.
“The mitral valve had prolapsed and was flapping about uselessly, and my heart had grown and remodelled to desperately keep the show on the road.”
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Mitral valve prolapse, also known as click-murmur syndrome, Barlow’s syndrome, balloon mitral valve, or floppy valve syndrome, is the bulging of one or both of the mitral valve flaps into the left atrium during the contraction of the heart.
Although mitral valve prolapse is usually a lifelong disorder, many people with this condition never have symptoms.
When diagnosed, people may be surprised to learn that they have a heart condition.
When signs and symptoms do occur, it may be because blood is leaking backward through the valve.
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Symptoms to spot
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of mitral valve prolapse can include:
A racing or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Dizziness or light-headedness
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, often during physical activity or when lying flat
Fatigue.
Webb said: “I’ve been enjoying having a quiet life.
“Once you’ve been in hospital – which is not a pleasant experience at the best of times, and it’s not the best of times, it’s the worst of times – I came out with a newfound respect for my internal organs.
“I’m going: ‘It’s my liver, it’s my lungs, these are my guys, let’s look after them a bit better’.
“So, I gave up drinking and smoking and I do lots of exercise now and I feel literally younger.”