“15,000 Coughs”: When an 11-year-old girl develops a worrisome cough, her workaholic mom drops everything to get her help. But nothing seems to work. Soon, her daughter is coughing almost constantly – 15,000 times a day – and doctors have no idea how to stop it. “The Putrid Smell”: A woman spends her life dealing with an embarrassing and infuriating problem: she smells like dead fish. But she can’t smell it herself – and she can’t fix it. It’s so bad, she can’t form any meaningful relationships ...
Jun 10, 2025•29 min•Ep. 88
After a difficult pregnancy, a woman is delighted to give birth to a baby girl. Her new child is perfect – though she has an unusually large head. Although the problem seems to be benign, the baby soon develops other problems. Desperate to help her child, the mother takes her to every specialist possible – but will anyone be able to find the answer she needs? Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewslett...
Jun 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 87
Inspired by Wondery’s hit podcast Against the Odds —learn how to survive whatever nature can throw at you through gut-twisting true stories of survival on the brink How to Survive Against the Odds places you at the center of fifteen real life-or-death scenarios. Each story explores the physiological responses of the human body under unbearable conditions, how to counteract them, and strategies for survival from doctors and psychologists. Through these tales, we see the grit, willpower, and know-...
Jun 02, 2025•6 min
“Out of This World”: In 2003, a treasure hunter in Chile makes a shocking discovery: a tiny, 6-inch skeleton of what appears to be a human. But parts of its anatomy just don’t make sense. It’s too well-formed to be a fetal skeleton, and its skull is strangely elongated – making some people wonder, is this a medical mystery… or an extraterrestrial one? “A Good Scrub Down”: After thoroughly cleaning his apartment, a young man is ready to enjoy his weekend. A few hours later, his eye starts to itch...
May 27, 2025•25 min•Ep. 86
The course of history never follows a straight line. These are the epic stories that have shaped the world we now live in. From Ballen Studios, join us - for the most heart pounding podcast in history. New episodes every Wednesday. Listen now: https://ballen.lnk.to/atwistofhistory See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
May 21, 2025•6 min
After a successful overseas tour, an American rock guitarist comes home with a troubling affliction. All of a sudden, his hearing is extremely sensitive – like everything is turned up to 11. When it doesn’t go away, he’s forced to give up everything he loves, including music. Trapped in his own personal hell, he desperately tries to find an answer before it becomes too much to bear. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wo...
May 20, 2025•25 min•Ep. 85
“The Sick Snowbird”: After a lovely winter in Southern California, an older woman is excited to enjoy the spring in her native New Jersey. But when she starts experiencing inexplicable nausea and headaches, she ends up in the hospital. With her baffling symptoms appearing and disappearing seemingly without reason, her condition seems inexplicable – but it turns out, her doctors just aren’t asking the right questions. “A Spoonful of Sugar”: When a successful real estate agent starts acting confus...
May 13, 2025•26 min•Ep. 84
When a vivacious preteen girl with Down syndrome suddenly becomes shy and withdrawn, her mother worries her precious daughter is getting depressed. But soon, it becomes clear that something else is wrong. With every passing day, the girl withdraws deeper into her shell. Her mother is determined to figure out what’s wrong before she loses her daughter forever. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewslett...
May 06, 2025•26 min•Ep. 83
A young, active mother is dismayed when she starts feeling weak and exhausted – with small children and a business to run, she can’t afford to get sick. But none of her doctors can offer an explanation. And when she finally does get an answer… it feels like a betrayal of everything she’s worked to accomplish. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy ...
Apr 29, 2025•24 min•Ep. 82
Lamont Jones leaves Dauphin County Prison for the last time, a free man ready to move on with his life. But when his young cousin dies in that same jail, he learns that this is not the only mysterious death that has plagued Dauphin County Prison. The search for the truth will put him at odds with a reality TV show coroner who claims to speak for the dead and people in power who all have something to hide. Listen to Death County, PA: Wondery.fm/DCPA_FD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...
Apr 28, 2025•6 min
“Unraveling Bolero”: When a middle-aged scientist experiences unexpected success as an artist, it seems like little more than a surprising career change. But then, she becomes obsessed with interpreting a repetitive orchestral piece called “Bolero.” As her obsession deepens, her health takes a turn for the worse – and the cause has a surprising connection to her favorite piece of music. “Crossing Over”: A few days after arriving in Boston, an immigrant from Mexico starts coughing up blood a...
Apr 22, 2025•32 min•Ep. 81
When a little girl in Vietnam starts mysteriously bleeding from her scalp and hands, her doctors wonder if she’s faking it for attention – to make it seem like she’s experiencing stigmata, the wounds experienced by Jesus Christ in Christian scripture. The blood on the girl’s skin is real enough, but nobody is ever around when she starts to bleed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 15, 2025•23 min•Ep. 80
In the early 1900s, a young woman gets a coveted job at a clock factory. But her work is interrupted when she feels terrible pain in her mouth. Soon, her whole jaw is rotting away. It’s up to her dentist to try and stop it. But his misguided moral judgements about the young woman’s life send him in the completely wrong direction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 08, 2025•27 min•Ep. 79
A recovering heroin addict wakes up one morning with an odd sensation on one side of her head: a nagging, constant itch. No matter what she tries, it won’t go away. And eventually it gets so bad… she literally starts to lose her mind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 78
“The Sliver”: After a man survives a terrible car accident with only a cracked vertebra, he feels grateful to have emerged relatively unscathed. But after undergoing surgery to fix the problem, his pain only grows worse – and soon, he’s on the verge of death. And there are only hours left to save him. “Killer Style”: A young man in Turkey leaves his small village for the big city to chase his dreams. But soon, he finds himself so short of breath, he can’t work – let alone...
Mar 25, 2025•25 min•Ep. 77
When a high-achieving teenager suddenly starts to freeze up in social situations and her grades plummet, her mother tries to get her help. But doctors can’t explain why the girl is suddenly struggling to do ordinary things like talk. Before long, she’s a shell of herself… and her mother fears that soon there may be nothing left. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 18, 2025•26 min•Ep. 76
In the town of Oakville, Washington, chaos erupts when mysterious blobs start falling from the sky – and anyone who touches them ends up in the hospital. As scientists struggle to understand what the blobs are, Oakville’s terrified residents are left to wonder if they’re the victims of a natural disaster… or a targeted attack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 11, 2025•25 min•Ep. 75
When an elderly man in New Brunswick, Canada, dies from what seems to be rapid-onset dementia, his doctor believes he had a rare condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. But then, dozens of people around the area start experiencing the same awful symptoms, making the doctor fear he’s dealing with something entirely new… and completely terrifying. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 04, 2025•25 min•Ep. 74
In the 1940s, the people of Donora, Pennsylvania fall prey to a deadly epidemic that destroys their lungs. Doctors suspect it has something to do with the fog that is constantly blanketing their town… but why now? They need to find an answer fast – before the darkness claims more victims. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Feb 25, 2025•29 min•Ep. 73
During the COVID pandemic, a boy starts experiencing sudden, inexplicable bursts of pain. At first, his symptoms seem psychological – but then doctors say he may need brain surgery to fix the problem. That’s when the boy’s mother turns to a cutting edge technology to help her figure out what’s wrong with her son. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 65-72 early and ad-f...
Feb 18, 2025•21 min•Ep. 72
“A Clean Break” When a night out in Nepal leaves a tourist weak and hungover, he figures he’ll feel better after some rest and rehydration. But his stomach pain becomes unbearable, and he heads to the hospital. That’s when a doctor discovers a secret that the man didn’t even know he had. “Look, Don’t Touch” When dozens of children contract salmonella after visiting the Denver Zoo, doctors assume something there caused the outbreak. But when they investigate further, the answer turns out to...
Feb 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 71
For his entire adult life, a successful businessman deals with a bizarre problem: whenever he bends over, he throws up. On top of that, he struggles with asthma-like symptoms. But no matter what techniques he tries or medicine he takes, the man can’t shake his symptoms, sometimes with embarrassing results. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 65-72 early and ad-free on ...
Feb 04, 2025•27 min•Ep. 70
When a recovering alcoholic nearly dies after falling down his basement stairs, it seems like the tragic result of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. But when he starts seeing people who are not there at his bedside, doctors realize the man has even bigger problems. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 65-72 early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can listen a...
Jan 28, 2025•23 min•Ep. 69
“Just Like the Movies” A popcorn factory worker comes down with a painful, frightening rash on his arms – and then, he struggles to breathe. He and his wife are convinced something at his job is triggering these seemingly unconnected symptoms. But nobody believes them… until other workers start getting sick, too. “Headache from Hell” When a man in Orlando, Florida begins experiencing severe headaches, he figures it’s the same chronic migraines he’s dealt with for years. But this time, the pain w...
Jan 21, 2025•31 min•Ep. 68
The parents and grandmother of an infant boy are beside themselves when the baby starts crying, and won’t stop for hours on end. They know something has to be wrong, and they’re skeptical when the doctor says it’s just gas. As the boy weakens by the day, doctors realize that something is putting the baby’s life in danger, but what? Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 6...
Jan 14, 2025•26 min•Ep. 67
Following the birth of her second child, a woman comes down with what appears to be a serious case of the flu. Though she gets better, the illness comes back every six months or so, like clockwork. The symptoms get worse over the years, but her doctors are no help, pushing the woman to the limits of her endurance. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 65-72 early a...
Jan 07, 2025•24 min•Ep. 66
A heroin user wakes up one morning, feeling strangely stiff. At first, his symptoms are mistaken for drug intoxication. But within days, the man is completely unable to move – and completely terrified. His doctors realize they’re dealing with something much more serious than a bad trip, but they have no idea what. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 65-72 early and ad-...
Dec 31, 2024•25 min•Ep. 65
No Reservations: A Spanish marathon runner develops a mysterious obsession with gourmet food. But what seems like an innocent new passion may be more dangerous than he thinks. The Game: After going through her normal morning routine, an otherwise healthy woman finds herself at death’s door. In a mad rush to save the woman’s life, her doctors try to understand why her body is suddenly shutting down with no explanation. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your p...
Dec 24, 2024•32 min•Ep. 64
A couple’s young sons both experience sudden reversals in their physical development, leaving doctors scratching their heads. Nobody understands what’s wrong, because on the surface, the boys seem perfectly fine. But to find the answer, they have to look much deeper. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 57-64 early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can l...
Dec 17, 2024•27 min•Ep. 63
A mother is terrified when her five-year-old daughter suddenly develops obsessive compulsive disorder, that leaves her completely unable to eat. Desperate to save her child, the mother embarks on a heart-pounding quest to find an answer before it’s too late. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 57-64 early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can listen ad-...
Dec 10, 2024•25 min•Ep. 62
