Demodex can never completely be eliminated, but the infestation can be controlled. Can we ever get rid of Demodex when it inhabits the lid area?Ī. If six or more are found on 16 epilated lashes, there is an overpopulation. Cantania says.Įpilation of several lashes, when floated on viscous fluid under light microscopy, will reveal the mites. You will observe a concretion or an exudate surrounding the lash, Dr. Left: Typical collarettes seen in blepharitis.Īccording to Jacksonville, Fla., optometrist Louis Catania, Demodex, like other forms of blepharitis, appear as collarettes around the base of the lashes (which can be seen by the naked eye if there are enough of them) and therefore, make the hair follicle appear as a puckered pyramid. And if I should notice a large group of eyelashes missing and an ulcer or eroded spot on the lid, I am going to consider masquerade syndromes like basal cell carcinoma. If a patient has red eyes, thickened eyelids at the margin, redness along the margin, perhaps a loss of lashes and complains of itching and burningwhich may be exacerbated during warmer weatheryou should immediately suspect lid disease, says Bobby Christensen, O.D., of Midwest City, Okla. Some infestations may be related to poor hygiene, perioral dermatitis, rosacea and diabetes, though incidence of Demodex apparently increases with age, mostly affecting the elderly.
1 Demodex, which is a form of blepharitis, lives between 18-24 days, during which the females lay 20-24 eggs. Demodex folliculorum is a four-legged, elongated and semi-transparent parasitic mite, which resides in the ducts of the sebaceous glands that are near or connected to hair follicles.
What is the life cycle and how do I diagnose it?Ī. I suspect a 78-year-old aphakic lens wearer with itching and burning eyelids has Demodex.