Sleeping in a specific position could be a sign of a deadly illness

If you struggle to nod off without a mound of pillows propping you up, it could be a 'hidden' sign of a deadly health condition, a leading doctor has warned.

Cardiologist Dr Rosie Godeseth, Associate Medical Director at Vitality Health, claims discomfort when lying flat on the back in bed can be a symptom of heart failure.

The chronic condition occurs when the heart can no longer pump efficiently because the muscle has become weakened.

Symptoms include debilitating fatigue, limb swell and sometimes extreme breathlessness, which is caused by fluid build up in the lungs.  

The breathing problems can be worse when lying flat on the back, which means patients often find the 'propped up' position more comfortable.

Dr Godeseth told The Sun: 'Sometimes people [with heart failure] will experience fluid buildup in the lungs which can make it hard to breathe when lying down. 

'If you find yourself having to be propped up on pillows while you sleep or are waking up short of breath, see a doctor.

'They may recommend undergoing a sleep study [where health monitors are worn over night] or heart function tests.'

One million people in the UK are currently living with heart failure — and there are 200,000 new diagnoses annually. In the US the condition affects approximately 6.7 million adults. 

It can occur after a heart attack or due to long-term high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Just half of heart failure patients live more than five years after their diagnosis and eight in ten patients first learn they have the condition after an emergency admission to hospital.

Heart failure is a long-term condition that cannot be cured, but early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the risk of severe illness and death. 

Treatments include medication to improve heart function and surgery, implanting a pacemaker to control heart rate or heart surgery to improve blood flow. 

In June the British Society for Heart Failure warned there could be as many as 400,000 people with undiagnosed heart failure in the UK. 

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Experts called for urgent action to detect these cases — and warned that NHS services could face being overwhelmed by 'a tsunami' of heart failure patients in future years.

Lynn Mackay-Thomas, chief executive of the BSH, said: 'It's a ticking time bomb. A national, sustainable and centrally commissioned programme to find people before they become acutely unwell can help change this trajectory. 

'We are facing a tsunami of hospital admissions if we do not systematically find those with heart failure early or at highest risk of developing heart failure.'

Other less common symptoms of the disease include a persistent cough, bloating, a fast heart rate and a loss of appetite.

Although these issues can also be caused by less serious conditions, it is a good idea to get them checked out, says Dr Godeseth.

She adds that there are several ways to improve heart health in the long-term, including staying active, eating a healthy balanced diet and avoiding smoking. 

Exercise alone can help to reduce cardiovascular disease risk by 35 per cent because it helps regulate blood pressure, reduces bad cholesterol, and can keep blood glucose levels stable.