I42.9: Cardiomyopathy, unspecified
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.
The heart muscle can change in different ways. For example, it can get thicker or expand. Sometimes only certain parts of the heart change. These changes can cause the heart to stop pumping the blood properly, or prevent it from properly filling up with blood.
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.
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