From the Heart: Jeanne

Jeanne Gionfriddo from Folsom, Pa. experienced a sudden onset of atrial fibrillation. Electrophysiologist Sandeep Sharma, M.D. performed a catheter ablation to save her life.

About Arrhythmia

Heart rhythm problems, or heart arrhythmias, mean your heartbeat is irregular; arrhythmias occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeats don’t work properly. The electrical impulses may happen too fast, too slow, or erratically – causing your heart to beat at the wrong tempo.

To have a healthy, regular heartbeat – which is typically 60 to 100 beats in a minute – your heart’s chambers need to work together in harmony. With an irregular heartbeat, the heart can have an irregular rhythm or beat too fast or too slow.

Atrial Fibrillation

In atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of arrhythmia, the electrical signals controlling your heartbeat fire rapidly and chaotically. This causes the atria to quiver instead of contracting normally. Many of the signals also reach the ventricles, causing them to contract irregularly too. This results in fast and irregular heart rhythms.

Over time, this can weaken the heart and lead to heart failure. Plus, when the atria do not contract effectively, the blood may pool in the heart. This increases the risk that a blood clot may form and travel to the brain, causing a stroke. People with AFib are 5 to 7 times more likely to have a stroke than people who do not have AFib.

Request an Appointment

To request an appointment with a cardiovascular physician or for a non-invasive cardiac test at a Crozer Health facility, please complete the online secure appointment form below or call 1-866-95-PULSE (1-866-957-8573). A representative will get back to you within the next business day. We regret that we cannot take appointment requests for pediatric patients at this time.

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