I42: Cardiomyopathy

I42.4: Endocardial fibroelastosis

The heart pumps blood through the body. Inside the heart are 4 chambers. There are 2 heart atria and 2 ventricles. Both heart atria and both ventricles are separated from each other by a partition. The heart is composed of a thick muscle layer and a thin membrane inside the heart. An external sac, the pericardium, surrounds the heart. This sac consists of a protective membrane.

Your heart muscle is unable to relax and fill up with blood. This can occur if the connective tissue in the heart muscle grows, for example. This can be envisaged as though certain areas have been scarred. These areas are unable to work as well as a healthy heart muscle.

The symptoms depend on how much the heart muscle is changed. For example, if the heart can no longer properly fill with blood, the blood may accumulate in the body. The legs can then swell up or other organs are damaged. If the heart is no longer able to pump vigorously, you may feel tired or get shortness of breath. If the heart is damaged, it may also have an irregular beat.