Key keywords: Brandi Glanville, sexually transmitted throat ringworm, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, ongoing celebrity health issues, oral fungal infection, intimate contact transmitted disease, undiagnosed chronic symptom Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville, 50, has opened up about a distressing new development in her months-long battle with unexplained health issues, revealing that she now believes she is suffering from a sexually transmitted ringworm infection in her throat. For nearly six months, Glanville has shared snippets of her health struggles with her social media followers and listeners of her weekly podcast, noting that she first developed persistent throat irritation, difficulty swallowing, and occasional hoarseness last winter. She visited three primary care physicians, two otolaryngologists, and even a specialist in autoimmune disorders over the course of four months, undergoing blood work, throat swabs, endoscopies, and allergy tests that all came back with no clear diagnosis. Initially, clinicians assumed her symptoms were caused by a common candida overgrowth, prescribing multiple rounds of antifungal medications that failed to reduce her discomfort. Earlier this week, Glanville consulted a board-certified infectious disease specialist who raised the possibility of a rare oral ringworm infection, spread through intimate oral contact with an infected partner. Unlike what its name suggests, ringworm is not a parasitic worm, but a highly contagious fungal infection that typically causes red, itchy rashes on the skin; when transmitted to the mucous membranes of the throat, it can cause persistent burning, white patchy lesions, and pain during speaking or eating that is often misdiagnosed as thrush or strep throat. Glanville noted that the specialist explained that this specific strain of ringworm is considered sexually transmitted when passed between partners during intimate contact, a detail that has led her to be extra vocal about her diagnosis to help other people who may be dealing with similar undiagnosed symptoms avoid the months of frustration she experienced. She is currently waiting for the results of a fungal culture test to confirm the diagnosis, and has already started a targeted course of oral antifungal treatment recommended by her specialist in the interim. In a recent Instagram story, Glanville shared that she has lost nearly 15 pounds since her symptoms began, as the pain of eating solid food has made it difficult for her to maintain her regular diet. She also pushed back against critics who have accused her of fabricating her health issues for clout, noting that she has no reason to lie about such a personal, embarrassing condition, and that her only goal in sharing her story is to raise awareness for underdiagnosed sexually transmitted fungal infections that many medical providers fail to test for in routine screenings.