Ashton Kutcher Health

Ashton Kutcher is a Hollywood staple who rose to fame with the hit sitcom That 70s Show. Sadly, the actor has been missing from TV and movies in recent years and fans finally know why. Kutcher has been suffering from a rare autoimmune disorder called vasculitis, which has compromised his vision, hearing, and mobility. Yesterday, Kutcher opened up about his condition for the first time.

Vasculitis is a rare autoimmune disorder in which a person’s blood vessels get inflamed. Like other autoimmune disorders, the cause of vasculitis is unknown. There’s a wide range of how this medical condition can affect a person. Some vasculitis patients only experience rashes or lumps on their skin. Meanwhile, in more extreme cases, patients can suffer from issues with their organs — such as their heart or kidneys. Currently, there’s no cure for this autoimmune disorder.

Kutcher revealed that he was diagnosed with vasculitis two years ago. The actor chose to keep his medical condition private and didn’t share what he was going through with the public. However, in hindsight, it explains why Kutcher has been noticeably absent from Hollywood productions for a full year. The actor chose to reveal his medical condition in the end, rather than let people make assumptions or start rumors about his hiatus from Hollywood.

Ashton shared his experience with the world by saying, "Like two years ago, I had this weird, super rare form of vasculitis, that like knocked out my vision, it knocked out my hearing, it knocked out like all my equilibrium.” He continued, “You don't really appreciate it until it's gone. Until you go, 'I don't know if I’m ever going to be able to see again, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to hear again, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to walk again.'"

Kutcher has expressed that he’s “lucky to be alive.” He went on to say that it took a year to regain his senses and that his condition has (understandably) changed his approach to life. "The minute you start seeing your obstacles as things that are made for you, to give you what you need, then life starts to get fun, right? You start surfing on top of your problems instead of living underneath them."