Ocular Symptoms in Pre- and Perimenopausal Woman Infected with Demodex spp.

The aim of this study was to determine the subjective ocular symptoms in pre- and perimenopausal women infected with <i>Demodex folliculorum</i> and <i>D. brevis</i>. Eyelashes were taken from pre- and perimenopausal women aged from 45 to 69 years (n = 253) and younger women aged from 3 to 40 (n = 204) from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship located in Poland. The prevalence of mites was analyzed according to age and subjective ocular symptoms. <i>Demodex</i> spp. were detected in 75/253 (29.64%) of pre- and perimenopausal women and in 25/204 (12.25%) of younger women. <i>Demodex folliculorum</i> or <i>D. brevis</i> was observed in 72/252 (28.45%) and 1/253 (0.4%) of pre- and perimenopausal women, respectively, but the coinfection of <i>D. folliculorum</i> and <i>D. brevis</i> was noted in 2/253 (0.79%) of women. In young women, only <i>D. folliculorum</i> was detected. Single <i>Demodex</i> spp., multiple parasites, and numerous mites were reported in about 75%, 17%, and 8% of the examined women, respectively. There was a statistically significant relationship between <i>Demodex</i> spp. infestation and the occurrence of dryness of the eyes. Changes occurring in the female body during the pre- and perimenopausal periods lead to an increased incidence of <i>Demodex</i> spp. infestation. Women who report dryness of the eyes should have their eyelashes microscopically examined for <i>Demodex</i> spp.