Demodex mites will be more active in low immunity individuals
Demodex mites live inside the follicles of the hair on your face, the type of Demodex known as D. folliculorum. The eyelashes and the eyelids are most prone to demodex mites. As, the mites are very small, microscopic rather, in size, you cannot spot them with naked eyes.
These are naturally occurring mites, but they start causing problems when they multiply and become large in number. Demodex mites also exacerbate some preexisting skin conditions such as rosacea.
Some of the symptoms of demodex mites are:
- Rough skin
- Scaly skin
- Itchy skin / itchy eyes
- Redness of facial skin or eyes or both
- Burning sensation in eyes
- Blurring of vision
- Skin sensitivity increases
- Rosacea
To protect yourself from demodex mites’ infestation, you should clean your eyes regularly with Tea Tree Oil based eyelid wipes such as Oculeaf Eyelid Wipes, which has been found very effective in combating demodex mites. Using these eyelid wipes regularly will help to keep the numbers of demodex mites down and reduce symptoms.
Some studies have shown that immunity and demodex mites seem to be linked. People with less immunity seem to have a greater infestation of the pesky mites.
One of the studies done by The Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland (Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Dessau, Germany.), named “Demodex mites modulate sebocyte immune reaction: possible role in the pathogenesis of rosacea”.
The aim of the study was to determine the role of the demodex mites to interact with the person’s immune system and increasing the occurrence of rosacea. Study subjects were those with normal skin and those who had rosacea.
The study concluded that demodex mites secrete bioactive molecules which has an effect on the immune reactivity of the sebocytes and higher number of mites has a controlling effect on skin cells and immunity. The people who had rosacea had lower immunity and thus demodex mites had a greater effect on them.
Another study by Akilov, Oleg & Mumcuoglu, Kosta. (2004), Immune response in demodicosis, was published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV. 18. 440-4. 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2004.00964.x.
29 people suffering from demodicosis and 13 healthy people participated in the study. The presence of the demodex mites was determined via microscopic inspection of the secretion from the sebum glands. The immune response was evaluated. It was found that increased density of the mites caused a parallel increase in the readiness of lymphocytes undergoing apoptosis (dying). The study authors concluded that this might be the result of the immunosuppression caused by mites.
Thus, demodex mites might cause more problems in people who have low immunity, and they may even be the cause of lowering immunity in certain people.
To be safe from demodex mite infestation, you must work on improving your immunity through food and supplements.
On the other hand, to prevent demodex mites lowering immunity, you should try to keep their population in control or try to eradicate mites which are lodged in your eyelashes and eyelids. To do this, you can start with a routine cleaning of your eyes and face with special, soft and gentle but effective eyelid cleansers such as Oculeaf Eyelid Wipes and Oculeaf Soft Eyelid Cleanser.
As demodex mites spread to the facial skin, cleaning your eyes and face daily with the specially formulated Oculeaf Eyelid Wipes will gradually reduce the number of mites, and provide relief to the symptoms which might be causing you much discomfort.