Norma Booth, from Stockport, booked an eye check-up after feeling dizzy and unwell. This later uncovered she was having a heart attack
Norma Booth, from Stockport(Image: GMICP / SWNS)
A woman was left stunned after being rushed to hospital after a routine eye check-up. She later found out from a blood pressure test she had been having a heart attack.
Norma Booth, from Stockport, booked an eye check-up after feeling dizzy and unwell. But, instead of simply being told her vision was to blame for her symptoms, Norma was shocked to find she was rushed to hospital for further testing.
During her eye test Norma was offered a blood pressure test, which is now available during standard eye tests as part of a new NHS trial.
The test showed Norma’s blood pressure was much higher than expected and she was immediately taken to hospital, where it was confirmed she had been suffering a heart attack.
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Following the diagnosis, Norma said: “It’s a miracle. Absolutely a life-saver.
“If somebody says do you want your blood pressure tested, do it. It’s telling you what is wrong with your body.”
Norma Booth, from Stockport, was told that she was having a heart attack during a routine visit to the optician(Image: GMICP / SWNS)
Optician Gohar Majid, who carried out the test, said: “She dismissed it thinking it is always low, but it had been over a year since her last test, so while we had time, we did a blood pressure test and it was a lot higher than we expected.”
Blood pressure tests, such as the one given to Norma, are now being trialled across four areas of England, including Greater Manchester.
The pioneering new scheme has already completed 4,000 tests, and is estimated to have saved 44 lives in its first eight months.
Health chiefs say the simple check could be a game-changer for spotting silent killers such as high blood pressure.
The clinical lead for the pilot in Greater Manchester, Julia Maiden, from Wigan Local Optical Committee, said: “The data highlights the service’s effectiveness in identifying undiagnosed hypertension – an intervention that can significantly reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.”
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