Itching of the edges of the eyelids, a feeling of dryness or burning in the eyes, recurring chalazions, barley, and even the feeling that something is piercing the skin of the eyelids - these are the effects of the activity of Demodex. The disease it causes - demodicosis or demodecosis - is treated for months. In addition to infected, are their relatives and co-residents also treated?
The infection with Demodex most often occurs during direct contact with a sick person. Touching the same objects as the carrier of the Demodexist (e.g. using his clothes or comb, or even cosmetics, or e.g. cosmetics testers in drugstores) are the main risk factors. There is also an increased risk of infection when using the services of beauticians and hairdressers. Working with a microscope also increases the likelihood of infection - especially when other people use the same device.
Does treatment of Demodex affect relatives of the infected?
Doctor Mariusz Rowiński - an expert and specialist who treats demodicosis patients on a daily basis in the Eye Laser Microsurgery Center in Warsaw - talked about the treatment of the disease caused by this parasite. He also referred to the issue of treating relatives and co-residents of the patient:
In the case of roommates, you need to answer a few questions. First, assess whether there are keratin-fat cuffs on the edges of the eyelids of other residents? If they are located, for me it is an indication to deepen the diagnosis and examine my fellow residents. If they also have symptoms: itching, burning the edges of the eyelids, recurrent chalazions, barley, dry eye feeling - then this diagnosis should be performed all the more. The important thing is that when home mates have Demodex without being aware of its presence and only one person is being treated, their treatment will never be effective. Even if we achieve some therapeutic success consisting in the elimination of the parasite from the edges of the eyelids in a given patient, still having a carrier at home - may be asymptomatic - sooner or later, the tedium in the person who healed will reappear.