Pages tagged: pericardium

Your heart is located between your lungs in the middle of your chest, behind and slightly to the left of your breastbone. A double-layered membrane called the pericardium surrounds your heart like a sac. The heart weighs between 7 and 15 ounces (200 to 425 grams) and is a little larger than the size of your fist.

Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, causing the amount of fluid between the two layers of the pericardium to increase. This increased fluid presses on the heart and restricts its pumping action.