A Chinese woman who had a bullet lodged in her head for 48 years without knowing about it has had it removed by doctors.

The 62-year-old woman, identified in local media only by her surname, Zhao, had a bullet 2.5cm long and 0.5cm in diameter extracted from her head.

She had gone to the doctors complaining about a chronic stuffy nose, headaches and swollen lymph nodes that had bothered her for 10 years, Want China Times reported.

“I am happy that the bullet did not kill me, I am grateful to it for allowing me to live and have the opportunity of my life with my family,” said Zhao, from Liaoning province.

The question of how she went 48 years without knowing about the bullet resulted in conflicting media reports.

According to Want China Times, Zhao said she was hit on her right temple when she was 14 years old. At the time, she thought it was a stone.

But the Shanghaiist reported the woman as saying she had been hit by a stray bullet as a girl, but only felt minor pain and decided she would live with it.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au.