Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – American actor Ashton Kutcher revealed, on Monday, that he suffers from a serious autoimmune disease that has affected his hearing, vision and ability to walk for more than a year.
“Two years ago, I suffered from a very strange and rare form of vasculitis,” Kutcher said in an exclusive video clip shown on Access Hollywood from the next episode of National Geographic’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge.” .
As they walked through the trees, Kutcher explained to the adventurer and presenter Bear Grylls, “I lost my sight and hearing, disturbed my balance. It took me regarding a year to regain all my senses.”
“You don’t really value your senses until you lose them, until you say I don’t know if I’ll be able to see once more, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hear once more, I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk once more,” Kutcher continued. Alive.”
CNN has contacted a Kutcher spokesperson but has yet to receive a response.
Complications from vasculitis claimed the life of American actor and director Harold Ramis in 2014, according to his agents.
Ramis died at the age of 69, four years following suffering from this disease.
Symptoms of vasculitis
Vasculitis results from the body’s immune system attacking veins, arteries, and small capillaries.
The resulting inflammation narrows these blood vessels, restricting blood flow or even reducing blood flow, which can cause organ damage or an aneurysm (swelling of blood vessel walls), according to the National Institutes of Health.
If the aneurysm ruptures, it can cause internal bleeding, often fatal.
Depending on the specific type, severity of the condition, and target organs, vasculitis symptoms vary and can be mild, moderate or life-threatening.
Common symptoms include loss of appetite and weight, fatigue, rashes, general aches and pains, and fever.
Your age, race, family history and lifestyle, such as smoking and illegal drug use, can contribute to your risk of developing vasculitis.
The National Institutes of Health notes that certain medications for high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and inflammation may also contribute to the risk of infection.
You may develop vasculitis, or it may be associated with other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or scleroderma.
Hepatitis B or C infection can also be a trigger, and blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma can also be a contributing factor.
Treatment aims to reduce inflammation. For mild cases, over-the-counter pain medications can help.
For more severe cases, doctors may prescribe steroids, monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulators or immunosuppressive drugs, for example.
