Human Demodex Symptoms

Demodex mites alone cause no particular problems. Humans and animals alike will have mites on them in great numbers at some point in their lives, but most people and animals are healthy enough to withstand these little attacks. There are occasions however when the mites will set up shop and cause a lot of problems. This will often happen when a person has a lowered immune system through stress or illness, or when a person has some form of damage to their skin, or a mild skin condition. The mites may take advantage of this and use it to multiply in great numbers.

Blepharitis happens when the mites dig their way deep into your eyelash follicles. Your eyelid margins will often swell up and go red. This because the mites have set up shop deep in your eyelash follicles. Your body tries to fight them by tying to flush them out with oil and sweat, however if there are enough mites they will turn this into food and swell their numbers and your eyelids.

If you have a very strong immune system then there have been cases where the body has tried to fight the mites by cutting of blood and fluid to hair follicles. This kills the mites but also your hair, making it drop out.

Itchy and flaky eyelashes often happens if the mites are breeding as quickly as they are eating. They will damage the cells, so it turns to dust, which they then eat. This causes itchy flaky skin around your eyes. In more severe cases this can spread to the face and scalp too.

Your immune system may try to fight the mites by flushing them out with oil, however the mites often adapt and start eating the oil. This then causes acne and cysts which become breeding grounds for bacteria. Sometimes the mites will take advantage of the damage caused by acne bacteria and start breeding too, so as to make the situation worse.

Mites have been linked with Perioral Dermatitis and Pityriasis Folliculorum which is dry, scaly and rough skin. If the mites congregate around one area for long enough then they will cause bleeding just underneath the skin, which the mites eat. This is more commonly known as Rosacea and can be very difficult to get rid of.

Some people will get a slightly red and swollen nose, known as a brandy nose. This often happens with people who have a weaker immune system and thinner blood. This is one of the reasons it happens to older people. The nose often becomes slightly colder than the rest of the face whilst remaining moist, which is just right for the mites to start breeding.

Finally, you may notice that you have wider skin pores if you are suffering from Demodex mites. Quite often in this state the mites are living quite nicely on your skin but are not causing any damage. They are laying eggs and living in your hair follicles, pores and oil glands. When they die their little corpses will clog up your pores and make them wider.