Burning, Itching Eyes?

Mrs. Jones sat in my office and I said to her, "I'm sorry, but you have mites in your eyelashes."

This 50-year-old had complaints for years of her eyelids and eyebrows itching, especially in the morning. She had lost many eyelashes and the burning, scratchy sensation was driving her crazy, and making her eyelids puffy, red, itching and flaking.

What are mites of the eyelashes? Sorry to say it, but these mites are similar to the same mites that cause mange in dogs!

A recent study has shown that humans have mites in the roots of their eyelashes and often in their eyebrows and pores of their facial skin: 20% of 20-year-olds, about 50% of 50-year-olds, and almost 100% of every patient over 90 years old has eyelash infestation with these Demodex mites.

The identification needs to be made by the microscopic exam in the eye doctor's office. There are treatments that are available once the diagnosis is made. This can be a chronic problem for your entire life and even the best treatment may never "cure" this.

These mites are also on your pillows and sheets. The instructions should be to immediately wash sheets and pillow cases in hot water and dry them on a high heat dryer setting. If you have a new dryer, they should be steamed for sanitation. Otherwise, you may need to discard your pillow.

All current eye makeup should be discarded. Do not use new makeup for at least one or two weeks.

Make an appointment for your spouse/partner to have an evaluation, since they are also frequently infested.

The treatment at home involves thorough scrubbing of the eyelash margins with a warm washcloth. Even scrub the eyelids and eyebrows. The friction to the eyelashes should be done about twice a day for forever.

Another added improvement comes from using OCuSoft Plus lid scrub pad or the foam. I prefer to recommend the foam. Thoroughly work it into the eyelash margins, the eyelids and the eyebrows and let it dry. You can choose to rinse or not rinse.

If the eye doctor has prescribed an antibiotic or steroid ointment, then this could be applied as directed. Remember, do this before going to bed and then in the morning. The eyelashes and lids should be scrubbed again in the morning and rinsed well.

See your eye professional if you have these symptoms!