Demodex as a Potential Reason Why Existing Soft Contact Lens

Approximately half of those who use contact lens report having dry eye symptoms. People who wear contact lenses but are not completely satisfied or experience even a little pain sometimes opt to limit their usage or stop wearing them entirely. About 50% of abandonments are due to discomfort, mainly xerophthalmia, which is the main cause of discontent with using soft contact lenses. Knowing the root causes of this high incidence rate might have a significant impact on its reduction.
Demodex mites are one of the primary contributors to this pain. Demodex obstruct the Meibomian and Zeiss glands' exit points, which results in a stagnation of holocrine gland secretion and an abnormal tear film composition. The presence of chitin and parasite metabolites leads the host to have a persistent inflammatory response that increases the amount of immune proteins in the tear film, which in turn causes the fast formation of lipid and protein deposits on the hydrophobic surface of the contact lenses.