NON-PAINFUL DISEASES
kept dry with cornstarch daily. Keep it up long after it seems to
be cured.
Fluke Disease...........................................................
Flukes, or flatworms, have a complex life cycle with many
stages. Although sheep, cattle, pigs and humans can be “natural”
hosts to the adult stage, the other stages are meant to develop
outdoors and in secondary hosts. When fluke stages other than the
adult are able to develop in us, I call it fluke disease.
Or, when an adult that “normally belongs” to another species
is able to develop in us, I also call that fluke disease. Or even
with adult flukes in their “normal” host, when they move from the
organ that they “normally” colonize to other organs in the body I
call this fluke disease, too.
Four fluke varieties engaged in this extra territorial pursuit
are the intestinal fluke, sheep liver fluke, pancreatic fluke, and
human liver fluke.
As you can see from their names, scientists have studied them
well, and know exactly which animals are the “normal” hosts,
and which organ in that animal is the adult fluke's “normal”
home. Fluke disease is when any of these is “wrong.”
Flukes don't have eyes to see with or legs to walk with, so
how can they find and travel to the organ they want in the middle
of your body? Scientists do not know for sure. However it's
concluded from many scientific studies that the liver fluke, Fas-
ciola, for example, has no trouble seeking out and colonizing the
liver.
Here are some examples of what can happen when flukes go
“wrong:”
- Adult flukes (any of the four mentioned) in the uterine wall
causes cramping and bleeding when it is not men-