The doctor warns that if you sleep in a specific position, it could mean you have an undiagnosed fatal health problem

If you’re struggling to fall asleep without being propped up by a mountain of pillows, 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 that discomfort from lying flat on your 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 is weakened.

Symptoms include debilitating fatigue, swelling of the extremities, and sometimes extreme shortness of breath, which is caused by fluid buildup in the lungs.

Breathing problems can worsen when lying flat on the back, so patients often find the ‘propped’ position more comfortable.

Dr. Godeseth said The sun: ‘Sometimes people [with heart failure] will experience fluid buildup in the lungs, which can make it difficult to breathe while lying down.

‘If you find yourself having to lean on pillows while sleeping or waking up short of breath, see a doctor.

“They might recommend doing a sleep study [where health monitors are worn over night] or cardiac function tests.’

Cardiologist Dr. Rosie Godeseth warned that the ‘propped’ sleeping position is often adopted by people with heart failure who find the position relieves their symptoms

Heart failure is a long-term condition that has no cure, but early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the risk of serious illness and death

One million people in Britain currently suffer from heart failure – and there are 200,000 new diagnoses every year. In the US, the condition affects approximately 6.7 million adults.

It can occur after a heart attack or as a result of long-term high blood pressure and heart disease.

Only half of heart failure patients live more than five years after their diagnosis and eight in ten patients first discover 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 serious illness and death.

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

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

Experts called for urgent action to track down these cases – and warned that NHS services could be overwhelmed by a ‘tsunami’ of heart failure patients in the coming years.

BSH CEO Lynn Mackay-Thomas said: “It’s a ticking time bomb. A national, sustainable and centrally commissioned program to find people before they become acutely ill could help change this trajectory.

‘We are facing a tsunami of hospital admissions if we do not systematically find people with heart failure early or at greatest risk of developing heart failure.’

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

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

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

Exercise alone can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 35 percent because it helps regulate blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol and can keep blood sugar levels stable.