Eye mites: hundreds of thousands of people have them and do not know it

CBS Miami reporter Ted Scouten started searching into the trouble after he become diagnosed with eye mites -- known medically as Demodex Mites -- alongside the bottom and lid of his eyelashes. He wanted to proportion his tale to help others keep away from his destiny.

"I had in no way heard of eye mites so whilst he stated eye mites it became simply honestly gross, so yeah, I freaked out a little bit," Scouten said. "but then [the doctor] explained that there are a variety of people who have those, and a variety of people who very own pets get them."

So what are eye mites? they're microscopic parasites, unfold with the aid of pets and people, and spend maximum of their time buried in hair follicles. They thrive at the herbal oils produced via the body -- they specially love faces -- wherein they crawl, consume and reproduce.

Norman Herskovich, an optometrist at Elite family Eye Care, in castle Lauderdale, stated the mites are maximum lively at the same time as humans sleep.

"they try to avoid light, so what ends up taking place, as awkward as this sounds, whilst we visit mattress at night time they come out and that they mate, and they'll truly reproduce. they have got a two- to a few-week cycle and will eventually die, but their offspring will retain the process," said Herskovich.

The mites do not always motive any issues, however having too many can reason infection or infection of the attention region.

Scouten turned into recognized with eye mites two months ago. He followed up through cleaning his eyelids twice an afternoon using tea tree oil wipes. the next step in his remedy involved having his eyelids wiped clean in his eye physician's office.

Herskovich defined, "The real manner lets in me to exfoliate particles that might in any other case hinder the meibomian glands, which produce a factor of our tears referred to as the lipid layer, or oily layer. The oily layer is essential to retaining our tears from in advance evaporating."

The manner takes approximately 20 mins.

"these little mites, Demodex, are determined anywhere," Herskovich stated. "they're without question on floors. So we are able to step on those mites -- switch them from one region to some other. And as some distance as pet owners, as i've visible in my enjoy, puppy owners generally tend to have more Demodex of their eyes than non-pet proprietors although it's absolutely viable to not have touch with pets and nevertheless get those."

Scouten says he's now a good deal extra cautious with his pets, no longer letting his cat sleep close to his face. "it's not a count number of getting rid of your pets; it is just a remember of being more conscious, I assume, of washing your arms."

according to Herskovich, it is vital to get your eyes checked regularly, to make sure the glands that produce oil, placed in the higher and decrease lids, are healthful.