Tick in the skin: manifestations, causes and consequences, diagnosis and treatment of demodicosis
Human demodex is a skin mite on the face that causes demodicosis disease, manifested by itching, purulent pustules, hair loss, eyebrows and eyelashes. However, most people are asymptomatic carriers of Demodex. Treatment is complex and lengthy.
Content
- What does a subcutaneous tick look like in humans?
- Etiology and pathogenesis of demodicosis
- Clinical picture of the disease
- Risk Factors
- Demodex human tick: diagnosis
- Subcutaneous mites in humans: a complication of the disease
- How to treat a subcutaneous tick
- How to get rid of a subcutaneous tick with folk methods
- Human ticks: prevention
- Question-answer on the disease
What does a subcutaneous tick look like in humans?
Demodex is an arachnid related to ticks. The parasite is about 0,4 mm in size, has an elongated body shape and a white-yellow color. The female lays about 20 eggs, the parasite lives in the human sebaceous glands.
For demodexes, the habitat is most often areas with a large number of sebaceous glands: cheeks, forehead, nose, nasolabial furrow, eye area, as well as hair follicles of eyebrows, eyelashes and scalp. Infection occurs through contact with the host or infected objects.
| Ticks under the skin: egg | The female demodex lays eggs under the skin, in the sebaceous gland or hair follicle. Their sizes are up to 0,1 mm, the larvae appear already on the 2nd or 3rd day. |
| Subcutaneous mite in humans: larva | The larva is the second stage of development of the Demodex mite, it looks like a thin worm, no more than 0,3 mm long. She is not moving anywhere yet, but is already actively eating and harming a person. |
| Next step: protonymph | A couple of days later, a protonymph grows out of the face, it is a little larger than the larva, but still does not know how to move. After 3 days, she grows into a nymph, her body length is already 0,4 mm, the leg segments have fully grown and she can actively move. |
| Tick under human skin: adult | After a couple of days, an adult demodex appears from the nymph, which has 4 pairs of leg segments on its belly. In this case, the female and male have differences. The female is slightly larger than the male, its size is 0,3-0,44 mm, the mouth is also better developed, the segments of the legs are almost the same. After she lays eggs in the follicle, she dies. The male has a length of 0,3 cm, most of the body is the abdomen. After mating, he also dies. |
Etiology and pathogenesis of demodicosis
Demodex feeds on sebum secretion of the sebaceous glands and exfoliated cells of the epidermis. In most cases, demodicosis is asymptomatic, but people with reduced immunity, allergies, acne-prone people with endocrine disorders, as well as the elderly and those living in conditions of chronic stress, may experience unpleasant ailments. Demodex causes a skin disease called demodicosis.
Clinical picture of the disease
Demodex symptoms on the face are caused by blockage of the sebaceous glands. The accumulated sebum and dead skin are a breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to itching, blackheads, papules, pustules and inflammation. The rash tends to clear up. The skin becomes dry and irritated, tends to peel.
Demodex on the face often accompanies and exacerbates the symptoms of major acne, rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis.
Demodex near the eyes also causes demodicosis. The disease is most often caused by mechanical transfer of the parasite from other parts of the body to the eyelids. Due to this, inflammation of the edges of the eyelids develops. Signs of a subcutaneous tick:
- redness of the eyes and eyelids;
- sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the eye;
- burning and itching;
- loss and discoloration of eyelashes;
- increased sensitivity to light, dust and smoke;
- the appearance of deposits and scales along the edges of the eyelids and at the base of the eyelashes.
Human demodex on the head leads to weakening of the hair and increased hair loss, which is often confused with alopecia areata. The scalp itches (especially at night when the parasite is moving), becomes oily, discolored, sometimes spots and inflammations appear (with blockage of hair follicles or sebaceous glands). Under certain conditions, subcutaneous mites can appear on the hands.
Risk Factors
Demodicosis of the skin can be aggravated as a result of adverse external influences, although they are combined with internal ones:
- Ticks multiply actively at elevated ambient temperatures. Therefore, it is undesirable to visit the bath, solarium, sauna, sunbathe.
- Incorrect food.
- Stress.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Bad ecology.
- Wrong choice of skin care products.
Demodex human tick: diagnosis
Demodex testing can be done at any age, including children.
As part of the preparation, you should stop taking any drugs and therapeutic procedures at least 7 days before the visit to the laboratory.
The face must be washed with warm water and a small amount of soap; creams or cosmetics should not be applied to the skin before the examination. It is also forbidden to dye eyelashes and eyebrows.
Subcutaneous tick: analysis
Demodex examination is a microscopic evaluation of material taken from the skin of the face, eyelids, eyelashes or eyebrows. The sample is viewed under a microscope at 20x magnification. Infection with Demodex is diagnosed in the presence of adults, larvae or eggs in the test material. An analysis is considered positive if more than 5 individuals are found per square centimeter of skin.
Subcutaneous mites in humans: a complication of the disease
It is necessary to treat demodicosis only in a clinic or beauty parlor where there are qualified doctors. If you ignore this problem or try to deal with it yourself, then this will not only not bring results, but will also result in complications.
A sick person constantly experiences itching, combing the skin. This leads to the appearance of pustules and an increase in the focus of inflammation.
Causes
The reasons can be very different and each person has their own. Common factors that may be predisposing to the development of the disease are:
- increased secretion of subcutaneous fat;
- unprofessional skin care, wrong choice of cosmetics;
- taking corticosteroids;
- excess weight;
- hormonal disbalance;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- low immunity;
- unbalanced diet, abuse of fast carbohydrates and carbonated drinks;
- frequent stress.
Subcutaneous tick in humans: symptoms
Demodicosis affects different areas, so the symptoms are slightly different. With demodicosis of the skin of the face, the following signs appear:
- acne appears, which can manifest itself from small pustules to persistent expansion of blood vessels on the face;
- there is severe itching;
- sebum is intensively secreted, which provides a breeding ground for ticks;
- red spots appear on the face;
- the nose may even enlarge.
Demodicosis of the eyelids manifests itself in a different way:
- there is redness of the eyelids;
- eyelashes stick together and fall out;
- eyes get tired quickly.
How to treat a subcutaneous tick
Treatment of demodicosis should be complex.
First of all, the causes and external symptoms that cause the disease must be determined.
At the end of treatment, prophylaxis is used, which helps to fix it and prevent relapse. Treatment of demodicosis should be carried out only by qualified doctors, the sooner it starts, the better, since the disease is contagious and the person is a danger to other people.
Treatment is aimed at eliminating the infection and consists of several stages.
| Diet | It is necessary to abandon fast carbohydrates, fatty and spicy foods. The diet should be dominated by low-fat varieties of fish, meat and poultry, vegetables and fruits. |
| Care | Cosmetics containing antibacterial and antiparasitic components. |
| Treatment | Visiting narrow specialists in order to find out the presence of hormonal imbalance or metabolism in the body. Perhaps the appointment of antibiotics or hormonal drugs. |
| Preparations | The appointment of drugs that eliminate itching, redness, pain. |
| Physiotherapy | Electrophoresis, ozone or laser may be prescribed. |
Subcutaneous tick on the body: topical preparations
The market provides a huge selection of effective remedies for demodicosis. They must be selected by medical professionals. The most effective means are described below.
Ointment for subcutaneous ticks in humans
The best ointments for demodicosis are as follows.
How to get rid of a subcutaneous tick with folk methods
The treatment of demodicosis with herbs is widely used:
- Infusion of tansy. 1 tbsp herbs pour boiling water, insist 2 hours. Moisten cotton pads and apply them to areas affected by demodicosis. Fresh infusion is prepared daily.
- A tincture of juniper berries, marigold and eucalyptus is prepared and applied in a similar way. You can not use hot infusion.
Human ticks: prevention
Demodicosis of eyelashes and other parts of the body can be prevented. To do this, it is enough to follow simple preventive rules:
- Compliance with personal hygiene (regular showering, thorough washing of the face, washing of the head and hair).
- Eat varied, rational and correct (include fish, vegetables and fruits in the diet).
- Increased immune defense.
- Proper selection of decorative and care cosmetics.
- Do not use someone else's cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
Question-answer on the disease
Here are the questions that are most often asked by people, patients and the answers of specialists.
Yes, such an infection is possible. Moreover, infection is possible by contact, through kisses, handshakes, hugs. And also household, using a common towel, bedding, clothes. However, an infected person will not necessarily get sick. Demodex mites are present in most people, but do not cause skin disease in everyone, but are simply carriers. The impetus for the development of the disease can be a weakened immune system.
No, animals carry a slightly different type of tick. Once in the human body, they simply die. Therefore, it is unlikely to become infected from a pet.
Yes, you can try to prevent the occurrence of the disease by the following methods: strict hygiene, a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, strengthening the immune system.
What procedures provoke exacerbation
Skin exposed to Demodex mites is vulnerable to some cosmetic treatments:
- Phototherapy - increases skin temperature and increases blood flow, increases the production of sebum. This creates ideal conditions for the development of subcutaneous mites.
- Chemical peeling - should not be used in the acute stage of the disease, but can be effective for the elimination of residual skin effects after treatment.
What else can not be done during an exacerbation of demodicosis
With an exacerbation of the disease, in no case should you visit the bathhouse and sauna, solarium, as well as pools where water is chlorinated. Do not use decorative cosmetics, creams with fatty additives, such as mink oil. In no case do not squeeze acne on your own, the infection will spread throughout the face.
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