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Demodicosis is a parasite that causes a disease called demodicosis. It is very common because most adults carry Demodex. However, due to its scant symptoms, demodicosis is sometimes confused with various types of skin and eye diseases and allergic reactions. What are the symptoms of demodicosis? What tests should be performed to detect it? What is the treatment?

Demodexis a small arachnid that causes a disease calledDemodex . Demodex feeds in the hair bags and sebaceous glands, and nourishes itself with lipids and sebum.

The greatest number of Demodex mites are found around the nose, around the eyes, on the forehead, chin, in the nasolabial crease.They can also be found on other parts of the body, e.g. on the hands or feet, on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and also in the intimate areas.

Demodex (demodicosis) - how can you get infected?

The infection may occur during direct contact with a sick person, touching the same objects as the sick person (e.g. using their clothes or combs, or even cosmetics, e.g. cosmetic testers in drugstores).There is an increased risk of infection, especially when using the services of beauticians and hairdressers.

People who deal with microscopic examinations on a daily basis or students who work in microscopic laboratories are also at risk of infection, as it is also one of the gateways to infection. Parasite eggs spread with dust and air currents, which is why they are also potential sources of infection.

Consequently, most adults carry Demodex, with the percentage of people infected with this parasite increasing with age. Due to the fact that children's skin produces a small amount of sebum, demodicosis is very rarely diagnosed in them. In turnthe percentage of infected people over the age of 70 ranges from 70 to 100 percent.

Although most people have this parasite, only some demodicosis causes demodicosis.

People with increased risk include allergy sufferers, people with weakened immunity, lipid or hormonal disorders, the elderly, exposed to constant stress, as well as struggling with recurrent skin inflammation and withseborrheic or combination skin

Demodex (demodicosis) - symptoms of infection

In some people, demodicosis can be asymptomatic. In others, it causes a variety of skin symptoms, such as:

  • redness
  • peeling
  • eczema
  • itching
  • acne-like papules and pimples

Demodex can also contribute to the development of blackheads and blackheads. It can accompany acne vulgaris and rosacea, inflammation of the mouth corners, seborrheic dermatitis, etc., and usually aggravates the symptoms of these diseases.

Sometimes the person attacked by Demodex has hair loss, which is sometimes confused with alopecia areata.

If the parasite feeds in the eye area, it can lead to eyelid margin inflammation, dry eye syndrome and allergic inflammation of the eye surface. Then symptoms such as:

  • persistent itching, burning, redness and swelling of the eyelids (you can often see dilated blood vessels)
  • dry eye and a feeling of sand under the eyelids
  • deposits / scales on the edges of the eyelids
  • deposits around the base of the eyelashes (cylindrical dandruff)
  • discoloration of the eyelashes, which are brittle, fall out very easily
  • sensitivity to light, dust or smoke
  • bacterial superinfection, manifested by barley, chalazion

Demodex lives with most people. However, in most cases its presence is asymptomatic.

Demodex is active mainly at night, so during this time the symptoms may get worse.

Important

Demodicosis is easy to confuse with another disease

Ocular demodicosisis often diagnosed as allergic, bacterial, or viral conjunctivitis.Demodicosis of the face is also often confused with allergies, eczema or seborrheic dermatitis . to exclude them, laboratory tests for the presence of Demodex should be performed. However, these are commissioned very rarely.

Demodex (Demodex) - tests to detect the parasite

In order to detect the parasite, a scrap of skin lesions is taken, or a few eyelashes or eyebrows (they usually fall out easily, so there is no problem with collecting them).

The collected material is sent to the microbiological laboratory.

Testing can be done privately.

On the day of the examination, the face cannot be covered with cream, powder or fluid, and the eyelashes with mascara. It cannot even be cleaned with cosmetics (tonic, milk or micellar fluid).

This should be done the day before the test. People who had close contact with the sick should also be examined.

Demodex (Demodex) - treatment

A doctor can prescribe anti-inflammatory ointments, creams and preparations - most often metronidazole. Hot baths with plenty of hexachlorobenzene soap are also recommended. Some people recommend Peruvian balm, spirit solutions of pyrogallol, pyrocatechin, naphthol, menthol-camphor mixture and acaricides based on benzyl benzoate to treat demodicosis.

During the treatment, it is very important to remove mites from the body by washing, but remember to use disposable towels and scrubs to remove dead skin.

In the case of the eye form, prescription eye ointments are used. Additionally, the eyelids must be properly cleaned every day - first they should be warmed up with warm compresses (4-10 minutes), which allows the solidified secretion to be liquefied, then the eyelids should be massaged, and finally cleaned with the selected preparation. In the case of dry eye syndrome, it is also necessary to use eye drops with a moisturizing effect.

Treatment of demodicosis is long-term and may take up to several months, but it allows the annoying symptoms to disappear. However, people who are at risk of developing demodicosis, even effective therapy does not protect against periodic relapses of this disease.

Worth knowing

Nużeniec and tea tree oil

In the case of demodicosis, it is also recommended to use tea tree oil, e.g. in the form of shampoos and face cleansing gels. This oil has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. The conducted studies showed a very high effectiveness of treatment (lasting 4-6 weeks) after applying 50% of the treatment. oil for intensive massage of the eyelids and daily hygiene using a shampoo with tea tree extract.

Category:

Parasitic diseases