Let's Talk About FLUKES!

Flukes are in the helminth category, which means they have a well-developed organ system and can be seen with the naked eye.

If you're not familiar with the different categories of parasites, you can find my blog past about. it, here.

https://www.parasitemamma.com/post/the-3-categories-of-parasites

There are over 10,000 species of flukes. These guys and their eggs can travel just about anywhere in the body and can live in you for up to 30 years! They affect your liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, brain, lymph nodes, respiratory system, lungs, urogenital system, the veins of your bladder, the veins of the small intestine, the veins of the large intestine/colon, digestive system, immune system, nervous system, metabolism, skin, blood, circulatory system, and your heart.

Flukes can look so different, depending on what life-stage they’re in, what part of the body they were in, etc. They are usually no more than a half an inch long and 1-4 mm wide (so they're not very large), although, sometimes they can be a bit larger than that. There are also blood flukes, which are microscopic, so you won't see those pass.

Older liver flukes that have been dead a while, tend to look like apple skins, or rolled up tomato skins. Freshly-dead liver flukes are more brown, dark yellow, or orange in color and can look like little slugs, pieces of chopped up mushrooms, or be leaf shaped. They can also have little vein looking things on them, look like the bottom of a slug, or look like little blueberries and have little antenna-like structures on them.

What kind of health issues do flukes cause?

Some of the most common health issues related to an overgrowth of flukes are:

gallbladder issues (especially the removal of the gallbladder), gallstones, type 1 diabetes (flukes in the pancreas), pancreatic issues, bile duct issues, constipation, diarrhea, undigested food in stools, yellow stool, bloody stool, GI bleeding, issues digesting fats, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, stomach pain, liver issues, enlarged liver, liver damage, liver failure, jaundice, unexplained weight loss, malabsorption, intestinal obstruction, issues in the small intestine, ulcers, cough, chest pain, fever, lung damage, shortness of breath, pneumonia, fibrosis, pleural effusion, other respiratory issues, blood in urine, painful urination, chronic UTIs, bladder inflammation, kidney damage, spleen enlargement, other spleen issues, and overall inflammation levels being high in the body.

Where do we come in contact with flukes and their eggs?

The most common ways we are exposed are:

raw or undercooked seafood (like fish, snails, crustaceans etc), birds can transmit them, they can be found on watercress and other aquatic plants/vegetation, they can be found in freshwater, and they can be found in tap water.

Remember, though....we cannot live in fear of parasites! They are there for a reason and we are meant to live in harmony with them. We have to address WHY they're overgrown in the first place and focus on making our body inhospitable to an overgrowth.

Here's my blog post with more info on that:

https://www.parasitemamma.com/post/what-allows-parasites-to-thrive-in-your-body

Here are some pictures of flukes from my actual clients....you can really see how different they can look, depending on their life stage!

If you've seen fluke activity in your toilet, or you're dealing with health issues that can be caused by flukes and you want help, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I offer a 20 minute consult for FREE, with no obligation ever attached!

Remember, there's NOT a one-size-fits all approach to dealing with parasitic overgrowth, including flukes. Every situation is unique, so some people do better on homeopathics, others on herbals, and some do best on a combo of both!

There are LOTS of flushes and cleanses being promoted online, but it's best to work with a knowledgeable practitioner, so you can address it safely, gently, and effectively!