A doctor with almost two decades of experience has revealed the 'most common' symptoms of heart failure she sees - and how you can spot them.
Dr Jen Caudle, who dubs herself 'America's family doctor', has shared her valuable knowledge with her army of online followers in the hopes of educating people on the early signs of the condition.
It is estimated that more than one million people in the UK have heart failure, according to the British Heart Foundation, while around 200,000 are diagnosed with it every year.
"Up to 80 per cent of heart failure diagnoses in England are made in hospital, despite 40 per cent of patients having symptoms that should have triggered an earlier assessment," the cardiovascular research charity says.
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The trouble is, a lot of us aren't that clued up on what warning signs we should be looking out for - or, we might mistake our symptoms for a minor health ailment instead.
That's why Dr Caudle is keen to get everyone informed on the symptoms of heart failure, so we can identify the problem as soon as possible and get the right treatment.
The NHS explains that heart failure describes a condition where a person's ticker is unable to pump blood around the body properly, and this usually happens because it has become 'too weak or stiff'.
"Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped working," it continues. "It means it needs some support to help it work better. It can occur at any age, but is most common in older people.
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"Heart failure is a long-term condition that tends to get gradually worse over time. It cannot usually be cured, but the symptoms can often be controlled for many years."
So, let's have a look what Dr Caudle has to say about the key symptoms then, shall we?
In an informative YouTube video, she outlined the 'most common signs and symptoms' she sees in her patients, and 'some of the most troublesome' ones as well.
Increased heart rate
According to the social media medic, if you're heart rate suddenly starts spiking, this could be a sign of heart failure.
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"A typical heart rate is between about 60 and 100 beats per minute for the average individual," Dr Caudle explained.
"If your heart rate goes higher than that, becomes an irregular rhythm or something strange [happens], you feel palpitations etc - that is something we worry about."
She advised viewers to discuss their typical resting heart rate with their doctor to find out what's right for you specifically, so you then have a benchmark for it which you can monitor.
Fatigue and tiredness
We all feel completely wiped out or unmotivated every now and again...but sometimes, this can be a sign that all is not well internally.
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Dr Caudle said you might just be feeling 'exhausted' due to your busy schedule or a lack of sleep, however, if you simply can't seem to shake your tiredness, it could also be a common symptom of heart failure.
The family physician - who treats patients of all ages - explained that if you find yourself not wanting to complete activities you normally do, or are physically unable to do them, you should get yourself checked out by a GP.
"Maybe you choose not to go to the mall, or to the festival because you know you're going to have to walk around, and you don't think you have the energy for that," she said.
"Fatigue and tiredness can present in a number of ways, but this is also an important and common symptom of heart failure."
Coughing or wheezing
If you find yourself constantly coughing or wheezing, Dr Caudle reckons you need to get the once over from a health professional.
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Heart failure impacts your entire body in various ways, but fluid can build up in your lungs when your ticker isn't pumping blood around the body effectively.
As a result, you might find yourself coughing or wheezing, 'even if nothing else is going on'.
The NHS also notes that these symptoms can often be worse at night.
Nausea or a lack of appetite
You might want to book an appointment with your GP for a health MOT if you're feeling sick a lot and are off of your food.
Dr Caudle says although nausea or a lack of appetite are symptoms 'we may not always think about when it comes to heart failure', a lot of her patients who go on to be diagnosed with it experience gastrointestinal issues.
"You simply feel nauseous, you want to throw up, feel like you have a decreased appetite," she explained. "It doesn't have to be heart failure, but it certainly could be."
Difficulty sleeping
The US medic explained that if you suddenly find yourself unable to sleep comfortably while lying on your back in your usual position, this could be a red flag.
If you feel 'short of breath' and 'feel like you need to prop your head up' with pillows just to get some peace, Dr Caudle said this can potentially be a sign of heart failure.
"You get shortness of breath and you can't breathe well when you're lying flat," she said. " So you find yourself manipulating your bed environment so that you're not laying flat.
"That should be a sign to see your doctor."
Confusion
As we previously mentioned, a lot of people who have heart failure don't find out until much later down the line.
If it has advanced for a long period without the person having any treatment, it can cause confusion, according to Dr Caudle.
She told her 363,000 YouTube subscribers: "It can cause what we call mental status changes, which means you're not thinking right. This is an emergency.
"This is certainly a severe complication of heart failure."
Weight gain
Overeating isn't always the source of you piling on the pounds suddenly, the doctor said.
"It's not that you're eating too much, it's fluid," she explained. "One of the things one of the most common things I see that is a sign of heart failure is excess fluid, and oftentimes that can come out."
However, it can also linger inside your body and go into all kinds of 'different places', Dr Caudle continued.
So although your scales might state you weigh more than before, it's not exactly what you might think.
Swelling
The next symptom goes hand in hand with the aforementioned one, according to Dr Caudle.
She explained that as well as believing they have put on weight, patients can swell to epic proportions, with their legs ballooning in size to resemble 'tree trunks' - but this swelling can also be minor too.
"Swelling in your ankles, swelling in your feet, sometimes people even get swelling in their abdomen," Dr Cadule said. "In many of those situations, heart failure has has played a role in that."
So, keep a close eye on any swelling anywhere on your body 'that's unusual for you', the medic suggests.
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is a 'telltale sign' of heart failure, Dr Caudle says, although it could obviously also be a symptom of a myriad of other conditions too.
"When I say shortness of breath, what I mean is, you can't walk from here to the living room or to the bathroom, to the bedroom, the way you normally can," the doctor explained.
"You find yourself getting out of breath going going just normal distances that you could go before."
If you're feeling ridiculously breathless all of a sudden, make sure you get the once over from a health expert just to be on the safe side.
Dr Caudle explained that 'every single symptom she mentioned in this video is a reason to see your doctor, because it could be signs of heart failure - but it could also be a sign of other things'.
Olivia Burke