Pericardial Problems

The pericardium is a thin, firm sheath that encloses your heart. It protects it, holds it in place, gives it room to beat — and at the same time it limits it. When this pericardium becomes inflamed, thickens, fills with fluid, or hardens, the heart is restricted in its freedom of movement. It can no longer beat the way it wants to beat.

Medically this is called pericarditis, pericardial effusion, or constrictive pericarditis — depending on how the disturbance manifests. There are infections, autoimmune processes, injuries, and sometimes the cause remains unclear. All of this is real and deserves attention.