What is an aneurysm? Emilia Clarke reveals parts of her brain are missing following two surgeries

English actress Emilia Clarke opened up about the brain aneurysms she suffered while shooting Game of Thrones.

On July 17, while talking on BBC One’s Sunday Morning, the 35-year-old star revealed how shocked she was to be able to live without any consequences.

“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. I am in the really, really, really small minority of people that can survive that.”

Clarke has previously talked about how she underwent two brain aneurysm surgeries in 2011 and 2013.

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What is an aneurysm, which Emilia Clarke suffered from?

As per the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is a protrusion or bulge in the blood vessels of the brain. This is caused by a weakened blood vessel wall and often looks like "a berry hanging on a stem."

The site reports that the aneurysm can tear or leak, which can cause bleeding in the part between the brain and the tissue area covering it. This quickly becomes life-threatening and requires doctors' attention.

While giving a health update, Clarke also remarked on her brain scans, stating:

“There’s quite a bit missing! Which always makes me laugh. Because 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 different route to get around but then whatever bit it’s missing is therefore gone.”

After suffering from aneurysms, Emilia Clarke battled aphasia, a disorder which hinders a person's ability to speak and communicate. She also mentioned the intensity of it, stating that she was unable to recall her own name at one point of time.

The Me Before You star also talked about repeatedly vomiting and experiencing "excruciating pain" due to aneurysms, but added that GoT helped her through it.

“It was incredibly helpful to have Game of Thrones sweep me up and give me that purpose.”

In 2019, Emilia Clarke took to her Instagram handle to share her pictures from the hospital after she underwent surgery for her condition.

While talking to CBS Sunday Morning, the Above Suspicion actress revealed that her first time undergoing the surgery was difficult, and in the second one, "I found it much harder to stay optimistic."

According to news outlet Complex, Clarke had also previously admitted to not being able to see herself in the mirror because her face looked swollen with drugs. She had reportedly said:

"After my operations, I didn’t want to look at my own face. I was so full of drugs from being in the hospital that I had a lot of water retention, and one half of my face was quite swollen."

The actress further added:

"I felt so deeply unattractive. What I can see now is that I could see the pain behind my eyes. And no amount of anything can cover that."

Emilia Clarke founded the SameYou charity in 2019 with the goal of raising funds for easy access to neuro-rehabilitation after a brain stroke or injury.