Pericarditis (Inflammation of the Pericardium)

A stabbing pain behind the sternum. Worse on inhaling, worse when lying down, better when you lean forward — as though your body is forcing you to curl up, to make yourself small. The chest feels tight. Sometimes fever comes with it, sometimes shortness of breath. You feel your heart in a way that frightens you — not as a warm pulse, but as an alarm.

Medically, pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium — that thin, double-walled sac that surrounds and protects your heart. The pericardium is like a second skin around your most vital organ. It holds the heart in place, cushions it, gives it room to beat. When this sac becomes inflamed, friction arises — the heart beats against a wall that is no longer smooth but rough and irritated.