What disease does Lori Lightfoot have? All we know

Lori Lightfoot

When Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor of Chicago, she became the first openly gay person to lead the city. During Lori’s victory party, Lori turned to her white wife on the podium and kissed her, creating one of her campaign’s most iconic moments. 

However, the highs of her election were quickly forgotten when she assumed office. She failed to address the rising insecurity in Chicago, which her opponents pointed out in the lead-up to the late February 2023 election. 

Lori failed to convince Chicago residents that she deserved a second term, becoming the first elected Chicago mayor to lose her reelection bid since the early 80s. 

Several reports suggest that Lori Lightfoot has exophthalmos

Lori Lightfoot hasn’t talked about suffering from an illness. However, several outlets cite her bulging eyes as evidence of exophthalmos. 

Exophthalmos is characterized by the protrusion of the eyeball from the eye socket. It is a sign of an underlying disorder. According to Medical News Today, Graves’ disease is the most common cause of exophthalmos. 

Graves’ disease, an autoimmune reaction, occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, sparking the production of extra hormones. When the autoimmune antibodies attack the tissues around the eyes, the eyeballs may bulge outwards. 

Bulging can also occur when the autoimmune cells accumulate in the muscles and fatty tissues around the eye. Medical News Today reports that bulging may occur up to a decade before a Graves’ disease diagnosis or up to two decades after. 

Other symptoms of Graves’ disease-induced exophthalmos include eye irritation, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. 

Graves’ disease is the most common cause of exophthalmos but not the only cause. A tumor, a blood clot, an eye injury, or a brain abnormality can also cause exophthalmos. 

Lori Lightfoot hasn’t confirmed that she has exophthalmos or any other condition; reports about her alleged illness are speculation. 

Chicago citizens will remember Lori as a history-maker and the city’s most meme-worthy mayor. In March 2020, images of Lori’s stern face were photoshopped around Chicago, humorously demonstrating that she was monitoring the streets for violators of lockdown rules. 

“I’ve enjoyed them,” Lightfoot addressed the memes. “I think we need to have a sense of balance, and humor is part of it. We’ve acted out a few in my household at night, which I’ll keep to myself.” 

“I think what it shows is the creativity of people in this city… that despite these dire circumstances, and this virus is deadly serious, that we can also see the lighter side of life… so, I love ‘em.”