Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville has revealed a startling health mishap that led to an urgent hospital visit, all stemming from a viral social media trend. The 53-year-old television personality confessed on her podcast, Brandi Glanville Unfiltered, that she attempted an unorthodox home remedy to cure a cold caught from her 18-year-old son, Jake.
A Dangerous TikTok Experiment
While browsing TikTok, Glanville encountered a video claiming that inserting a clove of garlic into the ear could help clear sinuses. Acting on this advice, she placed the garlic in her nostril initially, but quickly moved it to her ear after experiencing a burning sensation on her recently lasered skin. "It was burning too much so I moved it to my ear. It was like burning my skin because I’d just lasered it," she explained.
The situation quickly escalated when the garlic clove became lodged deep in her ear canal. "It really went down further and I had to go to urgent care the next day and get it taken out," Glanville admitted. She issued a stark warning to her listeners: "I was just trying to clear my sinuses. It’s online. Don’t listen to people online or TikTok or Instagram or Twitter or Facebook."
Medical Professionals Sound The Alarm
Healthcare experts strongly advise against inserting garlic or any foreign objects into ears, nostrils, or other body cavities beyond the mouth. Such practices can cause infections, tissue damage, or impaction requiring medical intervention, as Glanville discovered firsthand.
Ongoing Health Struggles And Surgical Intervention
This incident represents just one chapter in Glanville's extensive health journey over recent years. The reality star has been grappling with significant medical challenges, including what she describes as a facial disfigurement caused by parasites contracted during filming in Morocco for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club 2 in 2023.
Glanville estimates she has spent approximately $200,000 attempting to address these facial issues, consulting with numerous specialists including infectious disease doctors and rheumatologists. "I went to 21 doctors and I'm telling you, $200,000 ... the people at my insurance … let's just say sucks," she shared on the I Do Part 2 podcast.
A Critical Discovery And Life-Saving Procedure
A breakthrough came when medical professionals identified that her ruptured breast implants, which she had carried for about 18 years, were blocking her lymph nodes with silicone. This obstruction prevented proper drainage and healing from the parasitic infection. "Whatever's going on in your face, it can't drain because your lymph nodes are clogged with silicone," a technician informed her, as reported to In Touch Weekly.
Glanville emphasized the severity: "It's something that I could die from if I hadn't figured it out." In early February, she underwent what she terms a "life-saving" surgery with Dr. Ariel Ourian to remove the ruptured implants and replace them with new ones. Although she maintains that parasites remain the primary cause of her health issues, she reports feeling significantly better following the implant replacement procedure.
Personal And Professional Fallout
The cumulative effect of these health battles has profoundly impacted Glanville's personal and professional life. She revealed, "I haven't had sex in three years. The whole time I've been sick because I've lost my confidence." Reflecting on the broader consequences, she added, "And I felt like I lost everything at once in a weird way. Like I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost my looks."
Glanville's most recent television appearance was in the first season of Peacock's The Traitors in 2023. Despite the setbacks, she continues to share her experiences publicly, hoping to educate others about the dangers of unverified health advice while navigating her own recovery journey.
