Fox News Anchor Shannon Bream Faced A Debilitating Eye Syndrome With No Cure

Since she landed in front of the Fox News cameras as a correspondent in 2007, Shannon Bream (now an anchor) has kept up her on-air professionalism. Behind the scenes, however, she has faced an excruciatingly painful and debilitating eye disorder that has no cure — and led her to flirt with suicidal ideation.

Bream told People that her difficulties began in her late 30s. According to Bream, she began experiencing stabbing pain in her eyes after being asleep for at least a couple of hours. This led her to not sleep enough, exacerbating the emotional and physical aspects of her condition. (If this happens to your body, you're probably not sleeping enough.)

Bream said her ophthalmologist prescribed Restasis eye drops. But when they didn't work well for her, he claimed she was being too "emotional," effectively dismissing her concerns and sending her into a "tailspin." Per Femtech World, female patients often report encountering dismissive attitudes from physicians, a phenomenon that contributed to Bindi Irwin's painful endometriosis journey.

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In an article published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Bream admitted that she went online to find forums of people who had similar issues. When she did, she read that many contemplated ending their lives — and she mentioned that she understood their feelings. When she confessed her hopelessness to her husband, he recommended not giving up. As a result, Bream made an appointment with cornea specialist Dr. Thomas Clinch, who would turn out to be the doctor to identify her problem.

After hearing Bream's history, Dr. Clinch suspected she had epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (sometimes called map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy). The condition occurs in about 2% of people and causes the cornea to rub off when it shouldn't. The Corneal Dystrophy Foundation notes that some people with the condition have no symptoms. Others report light sensitivity, bad night vision, unusual visual disturbances, and, as Bream experienced, pain. When Bream was asleep, her eye movements forced her cornea to come in contact with her closed eyelids. When that occurred, parts of her cornea would become detached.

Though epithelial basement membrane dystrophy can't be cured, it can be managed through proactive treatment. In Bream's case, that meant undergoing phototherapeutic keratectomy, a surgical procedure that relies on lasers to precisely take away the upper part of the cornea surface. Once removed, the cornea may be less likely to stick to the inner eyelid during sleep. According to a 2013 article published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, phototherapeutic keratectomy has a high success rate in patients who have medical problems that cause corneal erosion.

After she healed from her laser eye surgery, Bream experienced fewer episodes of eye pain. However, she has not stayed silent about her experience. Instead, she has used her difficulties to rally other patients to advocate for themselves (and loved ones) in healthcare situations: "Walk away from medical professionals who dismiss your concerns, and don't quit searching until you find someone who will truly partner with you to find the answers you deserve" (via Women's Health).

(Read about some warning signs from your eyes you shouldn't ignore.)