Mites Are Pooping on Your Eyes in Your Sleep

If you’re like me and you suffer from what seems to be year-round allergies, there might be something other than allergens attacking our eyes. It might be poop. Eye mite poop, to be exact.

Demodex, also known as eye mites, are tiny arachnids living on the base of your eyelashes, quietly feasting on your eyelid oils while you sleep. These nearly invisible critters are shaped like little eight-legged tubes with mouths designed for eating sebum, the crusty oil produced by your eyelids, and they’re way more active at night, which means that the irritating morning itch might not be allergies after all.

It sounds disgusting, and you might be wondering, “Why me?” But rest assured, knowing that it’s not just you. About 60 percent of people have them. Having them might sound like a freakish abnormality, but they are a normal, if gross, part of human existence.

What Are Eye Mites and How Can You Treat Them?

Just because they are a normal part of life doesn’t mean you can’t or even shouldn’t fight back against them. If you’re having trouble determining whether your eyes are infested with mites or if you’re being bombarded with pollen being moved around by your AC unit, allergies usually hit throughout the day and come with watery eyes and sneezing. Eye mites are a little sneakier. Symptoms include:

• Intense itching and inflammation, especially in the morning
• White, waxy debris (aka mite poop) at the lash line
• Blurry vision that comes and goes
• Missing or misdirected eyelashes
• Styes or dry eye flare-ups

And while they’re mostly harmless freeloaders, in some folks, they can cause Demodex blepharitis, eyelid inflammation that feels like someone dusted your eyeballs with sandpaper.

Eye mites can be a nuisance to anyone, but are especially fond of people over 60, contact lens wearers, and individuals with rosacea, blepharitis, or diabetes. Your optometrist can spot them during an eye exam and may prescribe a medication.

Until then, prevention is boring but practical: wash your eyelids, remove your contacts before bed, take off your makeup, and change your pillowcases.

And if that mysterious morning itch won’t quit? Don’t just assume it’s seasonal sadness in eye form—see an eye doctor and make sure it’s not mites throwing a midnight rave on your lashes.