If you’ve ever experienced new or strange heart symptoms – or have even seen a doctor, who thinks you might have atrial fibrillation (a common heart rhythm disorder that needs early diagnosis) – you know how unsettling they can be.
Skipped beats, palpitations, dizziness… anything that feels odd or different in your heart or chest can be seriously concerning.
Most heart-related symptoms, thankfully, turn out to be harmless or very treatable. But if you’re experiencing feelings like this for the first time, how do you know if they’re genuinely benign – or if they might be a sign of something more serious?
Fast support from Dr Lyne’s Rapid Access Clinic in Dublin
One of the problems with the current healthcare situation is that it can take days or weeks to get a cardiology referral. That just extends the worry, and delays the potential treatment options, when what you really need is clarity and a proper diagnosis – even if it’s just a case of putting your mind at rest.
That’s why Heart Rhythm Cardiologist recently launched a Rapid Access Clinic to help patients and their families get straight to the support you need, when you need it. Led and delivered by cardiac consultant Dr Jonathan Lyne, it provides expert assessments for anyone who’s experiencing symptoms like palpitations or an irregular heartbeat and needs a quick diagnosis and specialised support for the next steps.
🚨 When to seek immediate emergency care
The Rapid Access Cardiac Clinic is designed for urgent outpatient assessments rather than emergency medical situations. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should call the emergency services on 999 / 112 or go to your nearest A&E:
- Chest pain or pressure
- Severe shortness of breath
- Collapse or loss of consciousness
- Symptoms of stroke, including facial droop, arm weakness, or speech difficulty
- Sustained very fast heart rate with feeling unwell.
Step 1: Making contact
If you’re concerned about your heart or heart rhythm, you can call the Rapid Access Cardiac Clinic direct on 01 690 8350 to speak to our triage team and book an appointment. You don’t need a referral from your GP before you call us (though, if you do have one, it’s helpful for us to know about it). When you call, one of the team will ask you about your recent medical history and ask you to describe your symptoms and when they started. These might include things like:
Heartbeat irregularities – such as palpitations, an irregular pulse or a fast heart rate
Dizziness and fainting – feeling lightheaded or close to fainting, or actually fainting
Recent tests or diagnoses – abnormal ECG results, a referral for potential AFib, or worrying rhythm symptoms after you’ve been discharged from hospital.
We’ll also ask if you’ve had any recent ECG tests, heart monitor results or hospital visits, and about any medications you might be taking.
Step 2: Getting an assessment with our consultant
Once you’ve been through triage, we can book an appointment for you. Just choose the location that’s most convenient: our Rapid Access Cardiac and Atrial Fibrillation Clinics take place at Blackrock Clinic, Beacon Hospital in Sandyford, Hermitage Medical Clinic in Dublin 20 and St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin 4.
All consultations are with our lead cardiologist, Dr Lyne; your assessment won’t be delivered by a nurse practitioner or junior doctor. You can tell Dr Lyne about the symptoms you’ve been experiencing and how long they’ve been going on for. He’ll also ask you about your lifestyle and medical history, and any medicines or treatments you’ve had. If you have any recent results, reports or GP / hospital referrals, you can share those with him too.
Step 3: Having a diagnostic test
If we think your heart rhythm needs further investigation, Dr Lyne can arrange for you to have tests within our local network of private hospitals. By tests, we mean things like:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG) – a common test that monitors your heart’s electrical signals to check the rhythm and rate of your heartbeat or pulse
- An echocardiogram – a quick test that uses ultrasound to examine the function of your heart, valves and blood flow
- A portable monitor – a small device, such as a Holter or ambulatory monitor, that you carry with you while it records the electrical activity in your heart
- A medical document review – examining any test results you’ve received recently, or taking a detailed look at your medication to see if it might be causing your symptoms.
Step 4: Leaving with an action plan
Once you’ve had the consultation and tests, we’ll make sure you have a clear view of the findings and what you need to do next. Dr Lyne will draw up a management plan and a summary of the results. You can share this with your GP to make sure everybody’s on the same page and knows what’s happening. Depending on your situation, the plan could include things like:
- A confirmed diagnosis – for instance, if we find you have atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- A risk assessment – if, for example, your AFib significantly raises your risk of stroke
- A prescription – if you need anticoagulants or other medicines to manage and control your heart rhythm
- A recommendation for a procedure – if we find an arrythmia and think it would benefit from a treatment with cardiac ablation or cardioversion
- A recommendation for a device – if your heart rhythm condition needs long-term management, for instance with a pacemaker, internal defibrillator (ICD) or implantable loop recorder
Need help or advice? Get in touch with the team
If you’re worried about your heart rhythm or wondering about a potential AFib diagnosis, don’t feel as though you’re trapped into a long, anxious wait for answers. Contact our triage team directly on 01 690 8350 to arrange a rapid assessment with Dr Lyne. Wherever you are in Dublin or surrounds, there’s a clinic here for you with onsite tests and treatments. Choose from Blackrock Clinic, Beacon Hospital, Hermitage Medical Clinic, and St Vincent’s Private Hospital, or chat to the team for advice about where and when to book.
Related reading: How serious are your symptoms?
What kinds of heart symptoms should you take seriously, and why?
If you’re experiencing new symptoms and aren’t sure whether they’re significant enough to warrant a checkup, we highly recommend reading this article: 5 signs of heart trouble you should never ignore. It’s a summary of a feature Dr Lyne wrote for the Independent on just that topic. You’ll also find a range of other diagnostic articles in our News section that might be of interest. For instance:
How serious is an irregular heartbeat?
Why Early Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation Matters
More Ectopic Beats Than Usual? When to Worry & When Not To
