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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Eight-legged mites live in your eyebrows and can cause serious sight problems
While many of us dream of having fluttering eyelashes and well-shaped eyebrows, there is actually a far more pressing reason to keep on top of your most visible facial follicles. Indeed, few may know that their lashes and brows could well serve as a breeding ground for tiny cigar-shaped arachnids, known as Demodex mites or eyelash mites, that thrive in hair follicles and oil glands, where they feast and flourish on dead skin. Commonly found on a person's eyelids and eyelashes, and elsewhere on the face, these eight-legged parasites cannot be seen with the naked eye and are usually harmless in small numbers. However, should an infestation grow out of control, this can result in issues with your skin and eyesight. So, how do we know when there's an issue? As explained by MedicalNewsToday, given that eyelash mites occur in healthy people, many may not even know that their eyelids are providing food and shelter for a miniature population, with symptoms only arising once an infestation really takes hold. Symptoms may include blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids that can result in itching, burning, dryness, irritation, watering, and blurred vision. Sufferers may also experience the sensation of having heavy eyelids. As well as blepharitis, these mites could result in conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the delicate membrane covering the eyeball, or Keratitis, the inflammation of the cornea. Findings published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology also determined that infestation can result in madarosis, or eyelash loss, due to hair follicles becoming inflamed. According to Healthline, if left untreated, vision problems can occur. You should seek out a doctor if you experience any changes, to rule out any additional causes. Your GP may prescribe a medicated ointment to trap mites to stop further spread, while addressing any underlying skin conditions, including dermatitis, inflammatory acne, and alopecia Some studies show that 50 per cent diluted tea tree oil is effective at banishing mites in the eyelash area and reducing inflammation. You can pick this up over the counter at your local pharmacist; however, do make sure to consult your doctor first before applying this, bearing in mind the sensitivity of the eye area. In order to keep mites at bay, there are a few daily habits you can implement into your existing hygiene routine. Firstly, make sure to avoid sharing mascara or make-up tools, and steer clear of oily or greasy makeup. Make sure to wash your face twice daily with a non-soap cleanser, taking care to gently cleanse the eye area with just water. Periodic exfoliation, thus removing those oh so tempting dead skin cells from the reach of parasites, could also work wonders. Given that Demodex mites are widely underdiagnosed, it can be tricky to know if those around you have them. If you suspect this to be the case, however, do make sure to avoid close contact, as these pests can very easily jump to another hospitable-looking host, should they wish.
Economic Times
29-05-2025
- Economic Times
‘Dead' friend turns up alive: How a mushroom triggered an 'emergency' panic call to 911 by lost hikers in NY
A hike in New York's Adirondack High Peaks took a bizarre turn when two men, under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms, called 911 to report their friend's death. Forest rangers later discovered the 'dead' friend was alive and well — while the callers themselves were disoriented and lost. The incident unfolded on Cascade Mountain and ended with a rescue mission that involved no fatalities, only a sobering ambulance ride for the two hallucinating hikers. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A false alarm at 4,098 feet Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mushrooms, not mountain missteps Stewards on the summit Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A walk that ended with a ride Two hikers in New York's Adirondacks sparked a dramatic emergency response last week after calling 911 to report a tragedy that never occurred. The men, found on Cascade Mountain on 24 May, claimed their hiking companion had died and they were lost. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the rangers quickly launched a what they discovered wasn't a body — it was confusion, hallucinations, and a still-very-much-alive friend.'The two hikers were in an 'altered mental state' and had ingested ' hallucinogenic mushrooms ,'' stated the DEC in a press Ranger Praczkajlo responded to the distress call at 9 a.m., near the summit of Cascade Mountain in Essex County. The trail, sitting at 4,098 feet above sea level, is the 36th-tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks. According to it's considered a 'challenging route' that is 'very popular for hiking and snowshoeing.'But for this group, the danger came not from the terrain, but from what they had placing the emergency call, the two hikers encountered the Cascade Summit Steward. In addition to reporting the supposed death, they also said they were lost. The steward immediately noticed something was off and flagged their mental state to the authorities.'Rangers eventually found the third person sober and uninjured and walked with them back to the group's campsite,' the DEC source of the panic was not altitude sickness, but psilocybin — the chemical compound in certain mushrooms, often referred to as 'magic mushrooms.' According to Medical News Today, psilocybin can cause effects ranging from euphoria and distorted thinking to full-blown seems the two hikers had taken these mushrooms during their Memorial Day weekend trip, unaware of just how far from reality it would take DEC added, 'Forest Ranger Praczkajlo escorted the two hikers who had ingested the hallucinogenic mushrooms to a waiting ambulance and a New York State Police unit.'Their friend, who had been presumed dead, had simply gone on ahead and was later found alive and Mountain is regularly visited by volunteers and professionals under the Adirondack Summit Stewardship Program . Started in 1990 with only two staff members, the programme now includes five full-time stewards, three botanists, and 20 volunteers (as of 2024). Their role is to assist hikers, conduct scientific research, and help maintain the ecological integrity of the this case, the steward's presence helped avert further emergency call ended not in grief but with a reunion — and an ambulance ride for the two men under the influence. No charges were reported, and the DEC has not released the identities of those was, in the end, a false alarm rooted not in injury or misadventure, but in the forest officials put it, the hikers had mistaken 'tripping' for tragedy.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lost Hikers Call Police to Report Friend's Death — Only for Police to Discover They Were on Mushrooms and Friend Was Alive
On Saturday, May 24, two hikers called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party on New York's Adirondack High Peaks had died, per a press release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation The two hikers who made the 911 call were in an "altered mental state" and had ingested "hallucinogenic mushrooms," per the press release The third friend was not injuredTwo friends had the trip of a lifetime on New York's Adirondack High Peaks over Memorial Day Weekend. According to a news release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Forest Ranger Praczkajlo responded to a call for a reportedly deceased hiker on Cascade Mountain on Saturday, May 24, at 9 a.m. local time. Two hikers had called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party had died, said the agency. When the two hikers encountered the Cascade Summit Steward, they also advised that they were lost. Cascade Mountain is the 36th-tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks, according to describes the area as a "challenging route" that is "a very popular area for hiking and snowshoeing." "You'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime," the website states. For the friends, though, it wasn't the trail that caused the trouble. According to the news release, the steward determined that the two hikers who made the 911 call were in an "altered mental state" and had ingested "hallucinogenic mushrooms." Medical News Today explains on its website that Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical compound in certain mushrooms known as magic mushrooms that contain psilocybin can have various effects, ranging from euphoria to hallucinations, according to the agency. Ranger Praczkajlo escorted the two hikers who had ingested the hallucinogenic mushrooms to a waiting ambulance and a New York State Police unit. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As for the third member of their party, the news release states they "called and was not injured." They were escorted back to their campsite by Praczkajlo. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lost Hikers Call Police to Report Friend's Death — Only for Police to Discover They Were on Mushrooms and Friend Was Alive
On Saturday, May 24, two hikers called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party on New York's Adirondack High Peaks had died, per a press release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation The two hikers who made the 911 call were in an "altered mental state" and had ingested "hallucinogenic mushrooms," per the press release The third friend was not injuredTwo friends had the trip of a lifetime on New York's Adirondack High Peaks over Memorial Day Weekend. According to a news release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Forest Ranger Praczkajlo responded to a call for a reportedly deceased hiker on Cascade Mountain on Saturday, May 24, at 9 a.m. local time. Two hikers had called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party had died, said the agency. When the two hikers encountered the Cascade Summit Steward, they also advised that they were lost. Cascade Mountain is the 36th-tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks, according to describes the area as a "challenging route" that is "a very popular area for hiking and snowshoeing." "You'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime," the website states. For the friends, though, it wasn't the trail that caused the trouble. According to the news release, the steward determined that the two hikers who made the 911 call were in an "altered mental state" and had ingested "hallucinogenic mushrooms." Medical News Today explains on its website that Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical compound in certain mushrooms known as magic mushrooms that contain psilocybin can have various effects, ranging from euphoria to hallucinations, according to the agency. Ranger Praczkajlo escorted the two hikers who had ingested the hallucinogenic mushrooms to a waiting ambulance and a New York State Police unit. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As for the third member of their party, the news release states they "called and was not injured." They were escorted back to their campsite by Praczkajlo. Read the original article on People
Medical News Today
28-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Vitamin D supplements may help slow down aging by 3 years
Vitmain D supplements may impact etelemore length and helo slow down aging, according to new research. Bowery Image Group Inc./Stocksy Telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, are an important component of healthy aging. One study found that vitamin D supplementation helps to minimize the shortening of telomeres, which happens as people get older, and thus may protect against diseases tied to age and biological aging. This data adds to the potential protective components of vitamin D, which experts should consider alongside potential risks and additional research. As the authors of this study explained, telomeres help protect the ends of chromosomes. Telomere shortening might increase the risk of death and certain diseases. David Cutler, MD, a board certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that 'When telomeres become too short, cells enter senescence (a non-dividing state) or apoptosis (programmed cell death). Either condition of cell inactivity or death is thought to contribute to aging and age-related diseases.' The researchers found that vitamin D supplementation helped minimize telomere shortening in white blood cells, which could help slow down biological aging. For this study, researchers used data from the VITAL trial. This trial included a representative sample of adults in the United States who received vitamin D3 supplements, omega-3 fatty acid supplements, or both for around five years. It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, so some participants received the supplements while others received the placebo. All female participants were at least fifty-five years old, and all male participants were at least fifty. This data specifically examined a cohort that visited the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Centre. At baseline and follow-up visits, participants participated in in-person assessments and provided fasting blood samples. Researchers examined telomere length in leukocytes , which are the body's white blood cells, among participants who received supplements and those who received the placebo. Researchers were able to analyze over 2,500 samples from over 1,000 participants. They examined telomere length at baseline and at two- and four-year follow-up, though some data was missing. They conducted a statistical analysis using models to adjust for various covariates. They also did an exploratory subgroup analysis to see how different factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, impacted results. Aside from a higher body mass index in the omega-3 fatty acid supplement group, the placebo and intervention groups had similar baseline characteristics. Missing data was also similar between the two groups. Vitamin D appeared to have a positive impact on telomere length. Among participants who received vitamin D, there was only minimal shortening of telomere length at two and four years. In contrast, there was substantial telomere shortening in the placebo group at both time points. Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation appeared to have no significant impact on telomere length. The subgroup analysis further suggested that the effects of vitamin D on telomere length were significant for participants not taking medication for cholesterol, but not for participants who were taking cholesterol medication. Vitamin D also minimized telomere shortening at a statistically significant level for non-white participants. There was no significant interaction with body mass index, but researchers did observe that participants who were not obese had significantly minimized telomere shortening. Also, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements did not appear to impact the role of vitamin D on telomere length. This analysis of telomere length in this study population does have some limitations. First, most participants were white, and all participants were at least fifty, so it may not be possible to generalize the findings to other groups. Researchers acknowledge that this was a post-hoc analysis of an already completed study and that the study was not originally designed to look at the effects of supplements on leukocyte telomere length. The analysis also excluded participants who did not have data on leukocyte telomere length. It's possible that unaccounted-for factors influenced the results, and the study also has any other limitations found in the original study. Regarding exploratory subgroup analysis results, researchers encourage caution, note limited power, and say people should look at the data as 'hypothesis-generating.' After four years, there were about 37% missing cases. Researchers acknowledge that this reduced power and could be why they did not find omega-3 fatty acid supplementation affected leukocyte telomere length. Future research can explore why vitamin D may have these effects on telomere length. For example, it could be related to an enzyme called telomerase that helps to lengthen telomeres and how vitamin D may protect against DNA damage. Cutler also noted the following limitations of the study: 'The present study involved only a relatively small number of people, looked only at telomeres in white blood cells, and did not look extensively at the health impact of these telomere changes. So, the clinical implications one can derive from this study are quite limited.' This study suggests the potential benefits of vitamin D in relation to aging. The authors suggest that the preservation of telomere length in this study 'could mean a 3-year decrease in aging.' 'As we know already, vitamin D supports bone, immune system and reduces inflammation, but this study is linked directly with telomere preservation which ties into aging and disease prevention. This [study] gives more of a general idea that vitamin D3 could do more than just helping your bones but actually slowing down the cellular age, impressive!' 'If this is confirmed in future studies, this could mean that daily [vitamin D} supplements could actually help reduce risks for age-related diseases. This is a door for new medical guidelines in the future and will be a huge deal for preventive medicine.' — Yoshua Quinones, MD However, it's also important to note the potential risks of vitamin D supplementation. 'While 2,000 units of vitamin D is unlikely to have any negative effects, there may be some risk to vitamin D supplements as they can cause kidney damage and other adverse effects in excessive quantities. Since vitamin D is fat soluble, it can accumulate in our bodies, causing toxicity. So, any potential, as yet unproven benefits of vitamin D need to be weighed against its known risks,' Cutler said. Supplements Nutrition / Diet Seniors / Aging antiaging
