Heart talk: What is a cardioversion?
A cardioversion is a procedure to treat irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. It’s a brief operation in which an electrical current is brought to one’s heart to normalize the rhythm, explains cardiac electrophysiologist Ian Weisberg, MD. Image source: svhhearthealth.com.au A heart beating too fast won’t be able to pump enough blood needed by the various organs of the body. It can therefore lead to exhaustion, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and even blackouts. People suffering from arrhythmias are first given medication, and often this alone is enough. There are two types of arrhythmias: atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. In both cases, the upper chambers of the heart called the atria are beating very fast. It can also be that the lower chambers or ventricles are doing the same or quivering. Cardioversion electrically resets this abnormal beat. Image source: Wikimedia commons Cardioversions are generally safe, and patients won’t feel any pa...