An Ashby man who had major heart surgery after years of being told his symptoms were caused by stress and anxiety is backing a new campaign to shine a spotlight on hidden heart conditions.

Nathan Smith, 31, ended up having one of his heart valves replaced.

That was after he was finally diagnosed aged 21 with a leaky aortic valve.

Now he lending his support to the British Heart Foundation's Spotlight On campaign to raise awareness of heart conditions as well as to raise funds for the kind of vital research which helped save his life.

Nathan, who works as a management consultant for Leicester-based wealth management company Mattioli Woods and lives in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, said that when he was in his teens he knew there was something wrong with his heart.

He said: "I always felt like my heartbeat was beating too hard and had palpitations now and again, but although the doctors monitored my heart and even carried out an ECG, they didn't pick anything up.

"They just told me, there was nothing to worry about and it was down to stress and anxiety".

When Nathan's symptoms didn't get any better he eventually went back for another ultrasound when he was 21 years old.

But before he could get the results, his health started deteriorating quickly.

Describing his worrying symptoms., Nathan added: "My hearing started going a bit fuzzy, then my vision felt like everything had gone into different slots so my eyes were clicking between each other rather than being able to look around smoothly.

"Everything was sort of fading out and I thought: something's going to happen now. I felt like I was just going to pass out or something."

He returned to hospital where they were able to give him the results of his ultrasound which confirmed his fears from his childhood years: he had a leaky heart valve.

At this stage, the doctors decided just to monitor Nathan and he had regular check-ups to make sure his heart was not getting any worse.

But things deteriorated over the years as the leaking valve was putting pressure on his aorta, the main artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. His left ventricle was also under significant pressure.

Eventually, by 2019, Nathan was having check-ups every three months and the decision was taken to replace his valve.

This was done using minimally invasive surgery and afterwards he said that despite a few complications, recovery had gone remarkably well and he had zero pain, although he said he could hear his mechanical heart ticking when it was quiet

He said: "When I came out of hospital I remember standing and breathing in the air and then on the drive home, looking at everyone and thinking: 'People don't realise how precious life is and how your life can change'.

"So that's one of the reasons I wanted to share my story in terms of anyone looking to have heart surgery, just to give them peace of mind that everything's going to be okay.

"How many people have heart attacks out of the blue, how many people find out later in life that they have a heart condition?

"I was 30 when I had it done, it's about making people realise this can happen to anyone at any age and making them appreciate life.

"And it's also about encouraging more people to support the BHF as more research and more training means more people will be able to have the surgery I had, which I am incredibly grateful for.

"This is why I am supporting the Spotlight On campaign and encouraging as many people as possible to get involved."

Heart and circulatory diseases affect around 7.6 million people and their families across the UK.

But people severely underestimate the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases, according to a new survey by the BHF.

While around half of people in this country will get a heart and circulatory condition during their lifetime, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of those surveyed* thought the likelihood was only 1 in 10, while nearly a fifth (19 per cent) thought the chance was just one in 50.

Only three per cent of respondents knew the correct answer.

BHF's Community and Fundraising Manager for Leicestershire Jon Frost said: "Nathan's story is a powerful reminder of the hidden cost of heart disease which is why this September we're shining a spotlight on hidden heart conditions.

"Heart and circulatory diseases cause more than one in four of all deaths in Leicestershire, around 210 deaths each month across the county – an average of seven each day.

"Hidden heart conditions often go undiagnosed for too long, until something goes wrong or it's too late.

"By funding groundbreaking research, we can get a step closer to breakthroughs that that could help save and improve millions of lives and outsmart heart disease for good."

To find out more about BHF's Spotlight On campaign, click HERE.