The symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm are essential to spot.
Three years ago, Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke revealed her harrowing journey of experiencing not one but two brain aneurysms in her 20s. Over the weekend, Clarke opened up more about what her life has been like ever since this medical ordeal — and how her brain has been, in some ways, irrevocably changed.
In a recent interview with BBC One, Clarke said, “The amount of my brain that is no longer usable… it’s remarkable that I am able to speak, sometimes articulately, and live my life completely normally with absolutely no repercussions.”
She went on, “I am in the really, really, really small minority of people that can survive that. Strokes, basically, as soon as any part of your brain doesn’t get blood for a second, it’s gone. And so the blood finds a quicker, a different route to get around but then whatever bit it’s missing is therefore gone.”
As a result of the trauma sustained from those two aneurysms, along with any trauma sustained from the multiple brain surgeries she underwent as treatment, “quite a bit” of Clarke’s brain is now “missing,” she explained, “which always makes me laugh.”
Brain aneurysms are bulges in the wall of an artery — they don’t always burst, but can if they grow large enough. According to the Mayo Clinic, ruptured brain aneurysms can cause a person to have a major stroke, and are nearly always life threatening. With that said, most aneurysms never rupture, and people can live their entire lives without it happening.
What are the symptoms of a brain aneurysm?
Unfortunately, it’s often impossible for someone to feel an aneurysm before it ruptures — but if it does rupture, you can expect to feel a sudden, sharp headache, the Mayo Clinic reports. More likely than not, it could feel like the worst headache you’ve ever experienced. Other symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm include nausea, fainting, blurred or double vision, seizures, a drooping eyelid, loss of consciousness, and confusion.
If an aneurysm becomes big enough, it’s possible that you’d be able to feel symptoms leading up to the leak or rupture, which would give you even more time to get to a hospital for treatment. Per the Mayo Clinic, a large aneurysm can often become big enough to press on your brain tissue and nerves, which could lead to the following symptoms: a dilated pupil, blurred or double vision, numbness on one side of the face, pain above or behind the eyes, and more.
In any of these circumstances, you should go to a hospital immediately for treatment.
The information provided on this site isn’t intended as medical advice, and shouldn’t replace professional medical treatment. Consult your doctor with any serious health concerns.
