Gal Gadot Was Diagnosed With CVT, Reveals About A 'Massive' Blood Clot In Her Brain, Know What Is It

In a recent Instagram post, actor Gal Gadot gave everyone a health update, revealed that she underwent an emergency surgery for a "massive" blood clot in her brain during the 8th month of her recent pregnancy.

The Wonder Woman actress, 39, opened up about being diagnosed with CVT or Cerebral venous thrombosis, which is more common in women during pregnancy and after giving birth than in people in general.

In her Instagram post, she wrote: "In February, during my eighth month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in my brain. For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth. In one moment, my family and I were faced with how fragile life can be. It was a stark reminder of how quickly everything can change, and in the midst of a difficult year, all I wanted was to hold on and live," she wrote.

She revealed that her fourth daughter Ori was born in the moment of "uncertainty and fear". However, her name, which means "light" was a deliberate consideration, as it meant that when she would be the "light" waiting for other mother at the end of the "tunnel" (read difficulties).

She then continued to talk about CVT, and wrote: "Second, awareness matters. I had no idea that 3 in 100,000 pregnant women in the 30s+ age group are diagnosed with CVT(develop a blood clot in the brain). It’s so important to identify early because it’s treatable. While rare, it’s a possibility, and knowing it exists is the first step to addressing it. Sharing this is not meant to frighten anyone but to empower. If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing."

CVT occurs when a vein in brain is blocked by a clot and could cause stroke. This happens in your veins and not the arteries. Arteries carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to your brain, whereas beings drain blood away from the brain. In CVT, this flow in the vein gets blocked, resulting in an increased pressure only in front of the blockage. This could cause swelling in the brain, damage brain tissue, blood vessels to rupture and bleed into the brain. This is the reason why many face terrible headache, as was in the case of Gal Gadot.

CVT is three times more common in women than men. In fact, evidences reveal that oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, chemotherapy, and certain medications can contribute to CVT risk.

Symptoms usually differ based on the severity of the case. However, these are some of the common neurologic symptoms that one must take a note off, and speak to a medical professional immediately:

Headache is the most common symptoms, which was also in the case of Gal Gadot. If you experience severe headache, or an isolated headache, which is a severe, sudden onset headache, frequently. It is best to seek medical help.

CVT is diagnosed through blood tests as well as MRI venogram or CT venogram, which provides detailed images of the veins in your head. Often, doctors also perform ophthalmoscopy, or an eye examination, to look for papilledema (optic nerve swelling).