Earlier this year, when Norma Booth began experiencing sudden and intense dizziness, she was advised to schedule an eye test.

Eye strain from an incorrect glasses prescription can indeed cause balance problems, as can blurry vision resulting from poor health.

Therefore, it's quite common for those suffering from dizziness to be referred for an eye exam or vision therapy.

However, upon arriving at her local optician's, the woman from Stockport, Greater Manchester, began to feel increasingly unwell, describing the sensation as feeling 'disconnected from reality'.

In the preceding weeks, the BBC reported that she had 'overlooked' the fact that during her recent visit to the doctors, she had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, considering it had 'always' been 'low' before.

During her consultation with optician Gohar Majid, she mentioned this, along with her dizziness.

Booth had been experiencing severe dizziness for a while (Getty Stock Image)

Consequently, the medic recommended checking her blood pressure again - a pilot protocol recently introduced by the NHS in certain areas of England.

During the examination, Booth was dealt a shocking revelation by Majid, who informed her that she was experiencing a heart attack.

It was discovered that the dizziness she was experiencing was actually due to hypertension - a chronic condition where blood pressure is consistently high.

This condition increases the risk of the patient developing heart issues (including heart attacks and failure), as well as strokes and kidney disease.

Fortunately, Booth was later taken to the hospital for treatment and went on to make a full recovery.

Recently speaking to the press, she recounted her near-death experience, stating she found it difficult to comprehend that she was having a cardiac arrest, even on her way to the hospital.

Booth had her blood pressure checked (Getty Stock Image)

"I thought having a heart attack meant collapsing on the floor, screaming in pain, with someone doing 'Stayin' Alive'," she recalled. "But it felt like it was happening in slow motion."

Now, Booth praises the NHS for implementing blood pressure tests as part of routine eye exams in her local area, and believes this practice should be extended to other regions of the country.

Majid, her optician, has also highlighted that it's a 'common misconception' for people to think that if their blood pressure was low before, it will likely stay that way, with hypertension often going unnoticed in these individuals.

"They assume it will be unchanged," he explained. "So we're not surprised when people tell us, 'I haven't had my blood pressure checked in a while', and expect it to be normal."

Booth added: "If someone asks if you want your blood pressure tested, do it. It's revealing what's wrong with your body.

"It's a miracle - truly a life-saver."