Doctor warns over parasitic mites that have sex on our faces at night - and how to avoid them

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Dog owners can often be found curled up in bed with their loving pets at night - particularly as the weather gets colder and a idea of having a furry hot water bottle tucked in with you is ever-more appealing.

However, a leading eye expert has warned against sharing your sleeping space with man's best friend, as it could lead to a serious infestation of parasitic mites.

Most people have a small population of demodex folliculorum - the 0.3mm long mites live in hair follicles on the face and nipples, eat sebum (the oily secretion produced by our bodies), and move between follicles at night looking to mate.

The mites are passed on during birth and carried by 90 percent of humans, with their numbers peaking as we become adults and our pores grow bigger.

However, some people can end up with their eyelashes absolutely crawling with the parasitic creatures - and sleeping with your dog is the main culprit, LadBible reports.

Dr Dan Friederich took to TikTok to warn his followers about demodex infestation. He's a certified eye doctor from the US, and his warning went viral, racking up millions of views.

In the video he says: "There is a common mite called demodex that we see in the eyelashes that is a parasite. And the minute I see it in someone's eyes, the first question I ask is, 'do you sleep with your dog at night?'."

He goes on to explain: "Because that's a really common cause of having these parasites in your eyelashes. Don't sleep with your animals if you can help it."

Dr Friederich responded to questions from viewers, explaining that in high numbers, "(Demodex) can cause eye irritation, blurred vision and sometimes loss of lashes."

He also reassured people that "they’re easily treated with Cliradex when people actually have infestation."

Many commenters reacted with horror - not about the threat of parasites having a nightly orgy on their faces, but instead to the very idea of not letting their dogs share their bed.

One person said: "You could tell me that sleeping with my dog will give me mega ultra bone cancer and I'll still cuddle next to my sweet bois."

Another agreed: "Yeah I’ll take the bugs if it means my best friend can stay for snuggles."

There is some good news, though. Cats don't harbour demodex folliculorum, so its fine for your feline bestie to share your bed. Not that cat owners tend to have much choice about that, to be fair.

More eye health stories

• What you can do to avoid sight loss
• Scots eye hospital closes for six months
• Optician issues urgent bacteria warning
• Warning over 'sungazing' TikTok trend

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