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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Health & medicine fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about health & medicine. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

13,667 published reviews in this topic

The Healthy Indian Project (THIP Media)Health & medicine

wearing headphones increase bacteria growth in ear

Publisher’s rating: Missing Context

Research from related reporting offers limited support for the claim, but it addresses specific ear conditions rather than measuring bacterial growth in ears generally. One excerpt says prolonged headphone or earbud use, particularly without regular cleaning, can create a warm, moist environment that promotes bacterial growth and raises the risk of ear-canal boils. Another describes tight-fitting headphones as creating conditions conducive to bacterial growth and clogged pores in the context of earlobe acne.

Fact Crescendo Sri LankaHealth & medicine

උණු වතුර වීදුරුවකට කරවිල පෙති දමා බීමෙන් පිළිකා සුව වනවාද?

Publisher’s rating: Misleading

The claim concerns a circulated social-media remedy: add two or three thin slices of bitter gourd to a glass of hot water and drink it at least once a day to treat cancer. Fact Crescendo examined that specific preparation, rather than whether bitter gourd has any biological effects in general. Its review reports that bitter gourd contains compounds studied for biological activity, including in cancer cells, but says it found no study showing that drinking this hot-water preparation cures cancer. The review also checked the message’s appeal to Professor Chen Huiren of Beijing’s military hospital. It reports that the named doctor had said his specialty was hematology and that he had not conducted specific research on cancer-fighting foods or published articles recommending foods to prevent cancer. The review notes that a similar-name professor was real, but says the doctor had reported misuse of his name, hospital and signature in false social-media messages. This undermines the post’s attribution; it does not provide evidence for the remedy. Two Sri Lankan medical sources quoted in the review make a distinction between eating vegetables and treating cancer: a former University of Colombo lecturer said bitter gourd alone does not cure cancer, while the National Cancer Control Programme director said fruits and vegetables may help prevent disease but should not be described as cancer treatment. The review advises people with cancer to seek specialist medical care rather than follow social-media instructions. Its conclusion is that evidence about bitter-gourd compounds does not establish that the claimed hot-water drink treats cancer.