Demodex Blepharitis: How Cliradex Can Help Restore Your Health : Patients with eyelid disease may have heard of pinkeye, eyelid cancer, and other types of infection or allergy that may affect this area of the body with pain or itching. Not many people are familiar with eyelid blepharitis — until they suffer from its effects.
According to the Mayo Clinic, blepharitis, or eyelid inflammation, is a relatively common and deeply uncomfortable condition that affects patients as the result of many different diseases and conditions.
If you have been affected by blepharitis, you may have been told that you have a specific medical condition that causes your eyelid inflammation such as Demodex blepharitis. Demodex mites live on everyone’s skin and can actually help the body remove dead skin cells, but in large quantities, they can cause harm. Read through the following information to gain a better understanding of blepharitis, learn why a common Demodex eyelid treatment may fail patients, and find a better solution to this problem.
What Is Demodex Blepharitis?
Demodex mites are on everyone’s skin and hair follicles, but when the population of these microscopic parasites gets out of hand, it can lead to problems including rosacea, skin infection, and blepharitis. Demodex mites may block the oil glands where your eyelashes grow from your eyelids — and if they do, you can develop eyelid inflammation caused by the mites, or Demodex blepharitis, in this area.
If you notice new or uncomfortable symptoms that you think may be caused by Demodex mites, or if you’ve been diagnosed with Demodex blepharitis in the past, it’s important to get treated for it. Continue reading to discover signs of this condition as well as which treatments may work best for you.
Signs of Demodex Blepharitis
It’s possible to go for years, or for most of your life, without having a problem with the Demodex mites that reside in your follicles. Individuals with rosacea, blepharitis, and other health conditions may have a higher population of these mites on their bodies. If you are developing Demodex blepharitis, or if your blepharitis is returning for an unknown reason, consider that it may be that your Demodex population is not controlled and is no longer benefiting your body as it should. Demodex blepharitis treatment is a must for healthy eyes. Signs you would notice of Demodex blepharitis could be any of the following:
- Redness and tearing of your eyes
- Extremely dry eyes that burn or sting
- Feeling like something is in your eye that you can’t remove or a gritty feeling in the eyes
- Losing eyelashes
- Dandruff at the base of the eyelashes
- Vision problems including sensitivity to light and suddenly blurred vision
Living with a Demodex infection can be uncomfortable due to the inflammation and burning it can cause, but it can also be frightening for those who do not have other eye issues and have never heard of Demodex blepharitis. Vision changes can be especially concerning for both older and younger individuals. It’s important to visit a medical professional trained in detecting Demodex blepharitis to make the correct diagnosis and to find a treatment that is both safe and effective to clear the inflammation.
What Are Demodex Mites?
Learning about blepharitis and Demodex mites and other bacteria and parasites that live in the human body is not a topic for the faint of heart — but if you are interested in getting to the bottom of your Demodex blepharitis, it’s necessary to arm yourself with knowledge about these little creatures including how they help and how they hurt your skin and eyes. Demodex folliculorum are minuscule parasites that live on the skin and hair follicles of everyone’s body. They are beneficial in small amounts as they can eat dead skin cells, oil, and even hormones that can be found in these follicles. Demodex mites live their entire lives on your body, which means that they mate, eat, lay eggs, and die without you even being aware that they are living on your skin.
The average Demodex folliculorum mite is about 0.4 millimeters long and has eight legs like a spider. They are, in fact, part of the same arachnid family as spiders, ticks, and other types of mites that you may be able to see with the naked eye. Despite common belief, they are not dust mites, which can cause equally annoying health problems such as their contribution to asthma, eczema, and year-long household allergies.
It’s unpleasant to think about tiny creatures living on your skin, but the good news is that a small amount of these mites won’t hurt you — and they can actually be helpful to maintaining healthy skin and oil glands. If you’re suffering from a Demodex infestation, that’s when you can start noticing symptoms like red, scaly skin, and Demodex blepharitis. It’s important to treat these issues right away or they will get worse.
Who Is Affected by Demodex Blepharitis?
Older people have a much higher incidence of developing Demodex blepharitis due to their naturally weaker immune systems as compared to younger people. Interestingly, children do not commonly suffer from this condition. It’s more common to develop Demodex problems in your late teens, early 20s, and early 30s as well due to the higher concentration of sebum, or oil, on your face.
Those who have rosacea have also been found in recent studies to have a higher incidence of Demodex mites in their facial hair follicles — and they also may be suffering from a reaction to either the mites themselves or their waste products. Rosacea patients have a higher incidence of blepharitis and eye problems in general such as swollen eyelids, itchy eyes, or a bloodshot appearance. Associating Demodex blepharitis with rosacea can be helpful in some patients who need to treat both problems at once.
How Does Demodex Blepharitis Affect Patients’ Life?
Unfortunately, Demodex blepharitis can cause a huge financial and emotional strain on patients’ lives. It’s often difficult to diagnose a Demodex problem if the physician or eye doctor is not intimately familiar with Demodex blepharitis. Treatments tried can fail, and it’s important to recognize that Demodex problems often return if the treatment does not work (or even if it does) due to the fact that there will always be Demodex mites living on the patient’s skin. Some people may have more problems with these mites than others, and older people and those with compromised immune systems may suffer frequent bouts of Demodex blepharitis and other infections until they find the correct product that can minimize symptoms and suffering.
Up to 80% of patients in this study say that Demodex blepharitis has a negative impact on their quality of life. This makes sense, as the symptoms from eyelash loss to pain, sensitivity, and burning can get in the way of everyday tasks such as reading, socializing, and living in a brightly lit world. Vision problems, at the severe end of the spectrum, can be extremely concerning for obvious reasons. If a patient arrives with a sudden blurriness to their vision with swollen eyelids, it would be reasonable to suspect a Demodex-caused inflammation of his or her eyelids. Effects can include low self-esteem, work problems, difficulty driving at night, and difficulty applying eye makeup such as eyeliner, mascara, or eye shadow due to the uncomfortable eyelid sensations and pain caused by the inflammation.
Recommended Solutions for Demodex Blepharitis
It’s often recommended that Demodex blepharitis patients use a warm compress to reduce symptoms. Do common approaches clear up the problem? Maybe, maybe not. Below are a few treatments that are recommended to Demodex patients:
- Using a high-quality, gentle cleanser to wash the eyelid and eyelash area
- Using eye drops to provide lubrication and to decrease the sensation of a foreign body in the eye
- Using warm compresses to provide soothing relief from the inflammation and to unclog glands and stabilize tear ducts
How 4-terpineol Can Provide an Effective Solution
When you think you’ve tried everything — and you may have — don’t despair that you will never be rid of your Demodex blepharitis. 4-terpineol is the functional and most active ingredient in tea tree oil, which is commonly used as an alternative treatment for Demodex infestations. Tea tree oil for demodex blepharitis has antimicrobial properties and can be used to reduce the number of Demodex that live on the skin and in the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes. According to a 2018 study, using this compound showed efficacy in killing off Demodex mites. Other treatments patients may consider at a later stage are often only available by prescription and can have undesirable side effects. Using a compound derived from a natural substance such as tea tree oil can help patients treat their ever-returning Demodex mites with efficiency and fewer side effects.
Learn More About T4O and How It Can Help You
Get in touch with us to learn more about T40, or 4-terpineol, and gain an understanding of how it differs from the most common treatments on the market today. Let us know how we can help you get rid of your blepharitis and Demodex mites as soon as possible!
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