Document Type

Theses, Ph.D

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

3.3 HEALTH SCIENCES

Publication Details

Successfully submitted for the award of PhD.

Abstract

Introduction: Blepharitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the eyelid margin. Blepharitis patients routinely present to and are managed by optometrists and ophthalmologists in practice. Demodex folliculorum is associated with anterior blepharitis. Presently, treatment with 50% tea tree oil is recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for Demodex blepharitis. However, over-the-counter products have been developed and marketed at being effective for treating Demodex blepharitis. Purpose: To examine the efficacy of over-the-counter lid hygiene products and warm compress therapy for the treatment of Demodex blepharitis. Methods: Two hundred and forty-six participants were examined at multiple visits over four studies, for the presence and quantity of Demodex folliculorum. OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub® PLUS, dr.organic® tea tree face wash, Johnson’s® No More Tears® baby shampoo, MGDRx EyeBag® and the OPTASETM Moist Heat Mask were examined for treating Demodex blepharitis. Results and Conclusions: OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub® PLUS significantly reduced the quantity of Demodex folliculorum when used over two and four weeks. Dr.organic® tea tree face wash significantly reduced the quantity of Demodex folliculorum when used over four weeks. The OPTASETM Moist Heat Mask significantly reduced the quantity of Demodex folliculorum when used over eight weeks. The MGDRx EyeBag® did not demonstrate a significant reduction in the quantity of Demodex folliculorum over the duration of the study. Johnson’s® No More Tears® baby shampoo had no effect on the quantity of Demodex folliculorum and demonstrated a significant increase in tear film instability when used over an eight-week treatment period.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/6yf9-6g68

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