Eyelid itching, why my Eyelids are itching

Think of the most sensitive point of your body…….and stop right there!!! I’m talking of the place most sensitive to permanent damage. Namely, your eye!!!

The rule is true for the entire animal kingdom. From the heavily armoured crocodile to the cute hammer head shark. The eye is sensitive and prone to irreparable damage. So you will be saddened to lean that it is a hotbed for Demodex mite breeding. There are 65 species of Demodex skin mite, two of which love the taste of humans.

They are the cause of a whole host of skin conditions, such as dermatitis, rosacea, reddened face skin, acne, itchy eyebrows, itchy eyelids, oily skin, hair loss, cysts, brandy nose and wide pores.

They are known to cause eyelid itching which can lead to blepharitis. The mites responsible are called “Demodex Follicular” which cause the nastiest eyelash disorders and “Demodex Brevis” which causes conjunctivitis through messing up (damaging) the glands around your eyes. There are certain treatments that help, such as tea tree oils used as a scrub in a 50+% solution, or a five percent solution eyelid massage. This may help reduce the inflammation in some people, as well as removing some of the mites too.

The Demodex mites are sometimes the cause of eye lid itching and sometimes the result of eye lid itching.
Cause:
The Demodex mites may dig deep into your eyelash follicles and cause damage which itches. They can also get into your glands within the eye and make them swell up. Then to make matters worse, when they die, they clog up the follicles, pores and glands, cause more swelling and help feed their brothers and sisters. All of which causes discomfort, swelling and itching.

Result:
Sometimes the eye may experience irritation causing itching, or irritation through bacterial or fungal infection. This will cause the eye lid to itch as the infection causes damage. The Demodex mites will be attracted to the damaged skin and “set up shop”, eating, breeding and spreading.

Blepharitis is the name of the condition you may have when the inflammatory process affects the eyelid margins. It is very common and tends to become chronic i.e. prone to relapse. It may cause your eyelids to mis-shape, it may cause a burning sensation, itching or general irritation around the eyelid edges.

The condition known as hyperaemic you will find the edges of the eyelids are reddened, slightly swollen and the eyes are almost red-rimmed and scaly. The scales of skin are often are close to the lashes and appear in very thin films that can be removed easily but are just as easily re-formed. The eyelashes are often stuck together in a morning. Further symptoms of Demodex mites may be an ulcer which affects your eyelid thanks to exposure to the “Staphylococcus Aureus” bacteria. It is characterized by the formation of small abscesses which come about thanks to the damage that Demodex mites cause.

In summary, if your eyelids are itching, then Demodex mites may be either the cause, or the end result.