“Knocked out my vision, knocked out my hearing, knocked out like all my equilibrium. It took me like a year to like build it all back up,” Kutcher told adventurer and presenter Bear Grylls as they hiked through brambles and trees.
“You don’t really appreciate it until it’s gone, until you go, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever gonna be able to see again. I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to hear again, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to walk again,” Kutcher said. “I’m lucky to be alive.”
CNN has reached out to Kutcher’s representative but has not yet received a response.
Symptoms of vasculitis
Depending on the specific type and severity of the condition and which organs are targeted, symptoms of vasculitis vary and can be mild, moderate or life-threatening. Common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, rash, aches, pains and fever.
Age, ethnicity, family history and lifestyle factors such as smoking and illegal drug use can contribute to the risk for vasculitis. Certain medications for high blood pressure, thyroid disease and infections can contribute as well, the NIH noted.
Vasculitis can occur alone or in conjunction with other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or scleroderma. Having a hepatitis B or C infection can also be a trigger, as can blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.
Treatment is aimed at reducing inflammation. For mild cases, over-the-counter pain medicines can help. For more severe cases, doctors may prescribe steroids, monoclonal antibodies, and immunomodulators or immunosuppressive medications, to name a few.