What is wrong with Wendy Williams' eyes? Talk show host has been struggling for years with autoimmune disorder
Wendy Williams is no doubt one of the biggest media personalities in the country, having hosted her nationally syndicated show, 'The Wendy Williams Show' since 2008. Starting her career in radio, Williams made her way up the entertainment ladder, gaining notoriety for on-air celebrity spats. Now, Williams is getting the biopic treatment as Lifetime is set to release 'Wendy Williams: The Movie' this month – an authorized biopic because Williams is herself an executive producer for the film. Ciera Payton will be playing Williams in the biopic.
'Wendy Williams: The Movie" is set to chronicle the highs and lows she has experienced throughout the years – and it will not skim on the negative sides of Williams either, in spite of her being on board. One of the lows that would be depicted is her 2017 fainting spell and the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease that came later. In 2018, Williams first announced that she had been diagnosed with Graves' disease. For experts, this gave an explanation as to why she seemed startled in a picture from 2018. Read on to know more.
When was Wendy Williams diagnosed?
In 2017, Williams fainted while she was doing a live taping of her show on Halloween. It was only a few months later, in February 2018 that Williams told her audience that she had been diagnosed with Graves disease and that she would be taking a three-week break. During the segment, she said that she goes twice a year to her endocrinologist and that her thyroid had been "totally cattywampus."
She also told the viewers that this was "the eye thing you all have been seeing," telling her viewers that they "caught it" before she did. While she initially pushed the concerns away thinking that it might be due to stress, she later realized she had Graves disease.
That was only the first of a few breaks that Williams has taken from being on TV due to the disease. In May 2020, she announced that she was taking a break from taping 'Wendy@Home' as her spokesperson said she was feeling fatigued due to the symptoms of the disease.
A message from Wendy. pic.twitter.com/tDzsW1s6kf
— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) February 21, 2018
What is Graves' disease?
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism and is the most common cause of the condition in the country. According to MedPage Today, the disease affects roughly one in 200 people and usually affects people between 30 and 50 years old, and it is more common in women than men. It also notes that people with other autoimmune disorders are more likely to develop Graves' disease than people without these disorders. It is named after Robert Graves, an Irish physician, who described this form of hyperthyroidism about 150 years ago.
In Graves' disease, the body's immune system makes more of certain antibodies called the thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb) or thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI), that cause cells to work overtime, leading to hyperthyroidism. The conditions linked with Graves' disease include rheumatoid arthritis, pernicious anemia, Addison's disease, celiac disease, vitiligo, type 1 diabetes, and more. The symptoms of the disease include fatigue, heat intolerance, trouble sleeping, hand tremors, rapid or irregular heartbeat, irritability, weight loss, and more.
How does Graves' disease lead to bulging eyes?
As Williams noted while speaking to viewers, her bulging eyes are a result of Graves' disease. According to Dr Ranjeet Singh, who spoke to HollywoodLife.com, “When Hyperthyroidism is paired with Graves', it can lead to eye inflammation, causing swelling of the tissues behind the eye sockets, and the eyes to ‘bulge’."
He continued, "Not all people with Graves develop eye inflammation though, it occurs in roughly a third of cases, but, when it does occur, a patient should ensure they undergo an evaluation with an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, as if left untreated, it can lead to serious vision problems and even blindness in some cases.”
'Wendy Williams: The Movie' will premiere on Lifetime on Saturday, January 30, at 8 PM ET.