Are your eyelids itching up a storm? Have you been tearing up so much that you can barely see? If you’re a senior, you may have a Demodex infection. Here’s what eye health experts recommend.
You can’t avoid growing older, and sometimes, you also can’t avoid the health hassles that come with age. That includes eye issues like Demodex, which affects over 25 million adults in America alone! As you can imagine, older Canadians face the same issue. But if you’re one of them, how can you treat it? Eye health professionals like mEYEspa are here to give you the answer.
First, let’s take a look at what Demodex actually is. Demodex is an ectoparasite that infests hair follicles, with a common infection site being the eyelid. One literature review in the Eye Contact Lens journal found that the prevalence of Demodex increases with age, affecting more than 80% of individuals over 60 years old.
If you’re in this age group, there’s a high chance that you and your contemporaries have these hitchhikers living in your eyelids. Infestations typically present as blepharitis, or inflammation of the eyelids, which may lead to excessive tearing and other dry eye symptoms, so if that sounds like what you experience, it may be time to see an eye doctor.
Ocular issues caused by Demodex infections may be difficult to diagnose, as the parasite does not cause pain or permanent changes to vision. However, experts say that itchiness and irritation in the eyelid, specifically around the eyelashes, are usually indications of an infestation, which can be detected with examination from an Eye Care Professional.
Once the cause of your symptoms has been determined to be Demodex, you can begin a treatment regimen specifically designed to combat the parasite.
Let’s look at a case study by mEYEspa, which follows a 65-year-old man who suffered from a Demodex infection. Upon being diagnosed, the patient was advised to use tea tree oil wipes that are to be left on the eyebrows and lashes overnight - Lid n’ Lash PLUS Cleaner and Belphadex Eyelid Wipes are two effective products that Dr. Morris of mEYEspa recommended for this purpose. This was to be followed by a morning treatment with a specialized soap solution, such as Lid ‘N Lash Daily Cleaner; additionally, throughout the day, the patient was told to use I-DROP MGD anti-evaporative eye drops to prevent dryness.
Within two weeks, the patient saw a significant improvement in his symptoms and could reduce the intensity of his treatment while occasionally applying hypochlorous spray for maintenance. The success of the treatment indicates that the products recommended were highly effective; however, experts say that you shouldn’t try to self-diagnose, even if you have all the same symptoms. That’s because treatment for Demodex is aggressive and should only be undergone under the guidance of a professional.
If you want more information or professional recommendations on Demodex, mEYEspa has compiled a list of other resources you can take a look at.
