Today, demodicosis is not a very common disease, but sometimes it still occurs in both humans and mammals. It is not difficult to recognize the signs of demodicosis, however, for an accurate diagnosis, it is still strongly recommended to contact a medical institution where a qualified worker will confirm or deny the presence of this pathology.
The disease affects the sebaceous glands, as well as the hair follicles on the human body, and most often it occurs when certain malfunctions occur in the body. The ailment can become chronic, and also begin to proceed with exacerbations. Further in the article we will talk about what are the main signs of demodicosis, and also learn how to treat this disease with various methods. Carefully read the information provided in order to protect yourself and arm yourself as much as possible.
What is demodicosis
The described disease is characterized by damage to the skin with a special kind of tick - demodex. Sebaceous glands and hair follicles are home to this parasite. This means that signs of demodicosis can be found in the face, in the ears, on the eyelids, in the nasolabial folds, on the eyebrows and so on. The named parasite chooses for itself those places in which the sebaceous glands work as actively as possible.
If the human immune system is in excellent condition, then the tick can be located directly in the upper layers of the skin, while feeding on dead cells. But as soon as the body's defenses are weakened, the tick penetrates deeper, and then you can notice the first signs of demodicosis.
In fact, more than seventy percent of the world's population are carriers of this parasite. At the same time, women with delicate fair skin are affected much more often than representatives of the stronger sex.
Especially good signs of demodicosis can be seen if you look at the hair follicle under a microscope. There you will notice just an incredibly huge accumulation of colorless ticks that have already managed to attack your body.
Causes of occurrence
As mentioned above, more than seventy percent of people are carriers of this ailment. However, some of them do not even realize that they have such a disease, while others no longer know what to do to eliminate the signs of demodicosis on the face. Of course, the reason for the sharp deterioration is the fact of active reproduction of parasites. This can happen if the human body is under stress, as well as with a significant deterioration in the functioning of the immune system.
If the disease began to actively progress, then in each hair follicle more than ten representatives of demodex can be found. Consider the main reasons leading to the appearance of signs of demodicosis on the face:
- prolonged exposure to nervous tension, as well as constant stress;
- non-compliance with the diet and the use of an excessively large amount of sharp and fatty foods;
- a provoking factor is a visit to tanning salons, saunas and baths;
- excessive abuse of cosmetic products that have a very oily and oily base.
All of the above factors contribute to the intensification of the enhanced work of the sebaceous glands, which in turn contributes to the appearance of signs of demodicosis in humans. Skin with increased fat content is an excellent habitat and reproduction of ticks.
A very common cause of pathology is a malfunction in the immune system. Even the most common cold can spur the tick's active work. Also, a violation of metabolic processes in the body can provoke an ailment. This is especially true of the fair sex, using hormonal contraception methods.
By the way, for a person infected with a tick, daily use of cosmetics from the same package will contribute to constant self-infection. To avoid this, doctors advise picking up drugs placed in a tube, and not in a jar. So the risk of constant self-infection will be minimal.
As practice shows, it is not very difficult for a person to get rid of the signs of demodicosis, especially if the disease is at an early stage. But if various bacterial infections also join the tick, then the treatment process will be longer and tedious.
Most often, the signs and symptoms of demodicosis can be found in people with oily, sensitive and loose skin. In women, as we have already said, the ailment is much more common, since the fair sex uses a large number of various cosmetics.
Signs and symptoms of demodicosis
In fact, it is not very difficult to recognize a pathology. After all, it is characterized by certain symptoms. Consider, by what signs, it is possible to understand that such an unwanted resident has settled in your skin integuments and hair follicles:
- The presence on the face of various pimples, blackheads and ulcers. The more the disease begins to progress, the greater part of the skin it affects. Gradually, the rash can also pass to the neck, back and chest.
- The skin becomes incredibly oily, and the pores become enlarged. The greatest fat content can be seen on the nose, forehead, and also the chin.
- The skin becomes tuberous. A special tissue begins to form under them, which gives the skin an unhealthy and groomed appearance.
- If the disease is severely neglected, then the nose can begin to change its shape and increase in size. Sometimes the skin on it acquires a bluish tint.
- A clear sign of demodicosis in the ears and on the face is a feeling of mild itching. However, most people do not pay absolutely no attention to this symptom, and simply automatically scratch one or another part of the body. Most often, this symptom is significantly enhanced at night. This suggests that ticks begin their activity and mate.
- Severe itching is also observed in the scalp. In this case, the disease can be accompanied by significant hair loss.
- The same goes for eyelashes. A person feels a strong burning sensation at their roots, which indicates the active activity of demodex. A clear sign of demodicosis of the eyelids is eyelash loss.
As you can see, there are just a huge number of signs that indicate the presence of a tick in your body. If you notice at least one of them, contact a dermatologist for a diagnosis, and begin timely treatment.
Signs of eye demodicosis
Most often, the described disease affects only the skin on the face, but sometimes it goes on forever. This form of pathology is considered the most severe and is characterized by special symptoms. Usually people are not sufficiently aware of such manifestations of the disease and do not even realize what kind of work Demodex undertook.
Consider what are the main signs of eye demodicosis in humans:
- The appearance of severe redness, inflammation and swelling of the eyelids.
- In some cases, white-yellow discharge from the eyes is noticed, which are also foamy in nature.
- Small white scales appear at the base of the eyelashes, and the eyelashes themselves begin to fall out rapidly.
- The patient feels a constant burning sensation, therefore combing the eyelid very strongly. As a result, his situation is even more complicated. He may also have a feeling of having a foreign object in his eye.
- Signs of human visual demodecosis also include the frequent occurrence of barley and other diseases, such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and many others.
- Significant visual impairment was observed in some patients.
Stages of the disease
Symptoms of this disease primarily depend on the number of ticks, as well as on the speed of their reproduction. The very first and main sign of the presence of the described pathology is acne not only on the face, but also on the skin of the eyelids and throughout the body.
There are several forms of the disease that are characterized by the type of rash. Consider the main stages and forms of demodicosis.
Erythermal form
This type of pathology is manifested by the appearance of erythema in certain areas of the skin. Most often, these rashes can be found on the nose and cheeks. Moreover, they are characterized by clear boundaries and slightly raised edges.
This form of demodicosis is very similar to rosacea, so for its differentiation it is necessary to take comprehensive diagnostic measures.
Papular-pustular type of disease
The next type of demodicosis is characterized by the appearance of papules and pustules. Such phenomena occur when the sebaceous ducts are simply overflowing with fat, and they become clogged with ticks. At the same time, pustules can acquire quite impressive dimensions and are painted in red and burgundy.
Hypertrophic stage of the disease
This stage of the pathology develops with the active progression of the disease, which is not subjected to any therapeutic measures. In this case, the patient may experience hypertrophic processes in some areas of the skin. This is usually the chin, nose and cheeks.
Is it possible to develop complications
If you do not start timely treatment of demodicosis, then serious complications may occur. Moreover, if you independently remove pimples at home, you can only aggravate your situation, because a purulent infection will begin to spread rapidly, and besides, there is simply a huge risk of introducing other infections. Just imagine what can happen to your skin, with self-mechanical extrusion of acne.
Consider the consequences of this disease:
- Demodecosis, the signs, treatment and symptoms of which are described in this article, can lead to very advanced forms of acne, which will lead to the development of scars and scars.
- Serious chronic inflammatory processes (rosacea) can develop on the skin (especially on the face).
- Since the disease is accompanied by excessive secretion of sebum, this can lead to many other pathologies, such as seborrheic and perioral dermatitis.
- A complication of the disease is also considered to be eye damage. It's hard to believe, but small parasites can lead to blindness if a person does not begin to heal on time.
If the pathology was detected in the early stages, and the patient began treatment in a timely manner, then complications can be avoided.
Demodecosis in dogs
Not only people are faced with such an unpleasant disease. Quite often, the demodex tick settles in various mammals. However, most often the parasite prefers dogs.
Signs of demodicosis in a pug, as well as in other breeds of dogs, are easy to notice. The main thing is to carefully examine your animal. And we will tell you by what symptoms you can determine the presence of a tick in a dog:
- Pathological hair loss. In this case, this process begins with a small area of the skin, after which it spreads throughout the body.
- Animals form skin flakes, scabs, rashes, acne and some nodular formations.
If the disease has a localized form, it does not pose a particular threat to the animal. In this case, the pet’s body does not have large lesions, and the disease does not spread throughout the body. According to veterinarians, in this case there is no need to resort to the use of antibiotics or other serious medicines, since the ailment can disappear on its own. The main thing is to be patient.
But generalized demodicosis affects a large surface of the skin. At the same time, such a disease is most often inherited by posterity. To eliminate it, it is very important to take urgent medical measures.
How is the diagnosis
The first signs of demodicosis on the face are easy to notice. The main thing is to consult a dermatologist for diagnostics. To identify the parasite, the doctor will take a scraping of the epithelial tissue in the place where the lesion of the skin was noticed. Moreover, the difficulty lies in the fact that before conducting such an analysis, the patient should not be washed for several days, as well as the use of cosmetics.
According to statistics, during the first analysis it is not always possible to detect adult mites and its larvae on the skin. Therefore, to establish accurate results, it is recommended to pass it several times.
The doctor will determine the presence of pathology if at least five adult ticks were found on the skin, with an area of 1 cm². In this case, you will have to immediately begin treatment.
How is the treatment process carried out?
To get a good result, it is very important to use an integrated approach to treatment. Demodecosis, the signs and methods of treatment of which you can find in this article, is treated using drugs for the local destruction of parasites, as well as using complex means.
Features of topical drugs
Sometimes the photos of the signs of demodicosis are really striking, since the patient's skin can change beyond recognition and it will be very difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to restore their previous appearance. In many respects, everything will depend on the actions of the patient himself.
Topical medications are usually used in short breaks. So, the mild stages of the pathology can be completely eliminated in one to two months. But if the disease has already begun to actively progress, then it may take you more than one year to treat it.
Most often, for therapy, doctors recommend that their patients use various ointments for external use. So, preparations containing zinc, sulfur, and also mercury or tar have an excellent therapeutic effect. Means based on these components can stop the activity of ticks.
The drugs most commonly prescribed to patients include the following:
- ointment "Ichthyol";
- "Metragil";
- Sulfuric ointment;
- yellow mercury ointment ;
- "Demalan" and many others.
Each of these medicines is very effective. However, it is worth remembering that treatment can be prescribed only by an experienced dermatologist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body of each patient.
If pathologists began to spread to the eyes, then additional treatment should be prescribed. It is very important to use special drops for the eyes. From the best side, such preparations as Armin, Tosmilen and Physostigmine showed themselves. And in order to restore the growth of hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, it is recommended to rub burdock oil into the skin.
Systemic treatment
First of all, in the presence of demodicosis, a specialist should prescribe a course of systematic therapy to his patient. With this disease, it is very important to establish the activity of the immune system. To do this, it is necessary to normalize the diet, enable sports, and also train your body to harden. An additional measure may be the use of immunomodulatory drugs. They can have both a natural base and a synthetic one.
It is also recommended that the patient take a course of vitamins and minerals. It is especially important to take such a measure for those people who constantly suffer from seasonal colds.
If necessary, doctors recommend a course of treatment with antiparasitic drugs. Good results can be achieved by taking Ornidazole and Metronidazole. However, note that such drugs have a rather strong effect on the body, so before using them, you need to make sure that they really suit you.
Additional measures
We have listed to you what clinical signs are most often observed with demodicosis. But before you begin to treat any disease, you need to correctly diagnose it. Therefore, if you have the first symptoms of demodicosis, go to a dermatologist to confirm or refute your doubts.
By the way, during the course of treatment, doctors recommend adhering to additional skin care procedures. So, it is worth abandoning washing with water with chemical cleansers. It is better to replace the usual procedure for washing with the use of decoctions of chamomile, sage or calendula. Use tar soap once a day. Avoid oily-based creams. If necessary, replace them with lighter gel formulations. During the course of treatment, it is not recommended to perform any cosmetic procedures, including a trip to the solarium.
Preventative measures
To prevent tick infection, be sure to follow personal hygiene.Wet and wash your home as often as possible. Launched items are recommended to iron.
Pay attention to your nutrition. Eliminate sweet, fatty, fried, and spicy foods from your diet. Be sure to include meat, vegetables, fruits, cereals and vegetable oils in the diet.
Do not start any fungal and viral diseases. Always proceed with their timely treatment. In this case, be sure to monitor the state of the immune system, and then the demodex simply will not be able to exist normally in your body.
conclusions
Only you are responsible for your health, so start doing it right away. If you notice even the slightest signs of demodicosis, immediately go to a dermatologist. Quickly started treatment will save you from many unpleasant consequences.
Start leading a proper lifestyle, eat well, avoid stress, monitor the immune system, and you can protect yourself from many dangerous and unpleasant diseases. Take care of yourself and you will be spared from many health problems.