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If your eyes frequently feel gritty, itchy, burning, or irritated, you may have tried all kinds of over-the-counter eye drops looking for relief.

But sometimes dry-eye symptoms aren’t telling the whole story.

There is a common eyelid condition that can contribute to dry eye and irritation, and it has an unusual cause: microscopic mites that live naturally around our eyelashes.

Yes, mites.

Before you start scrubbing your face or throwing away your pillowcases, there’s an important distinction to understand. Demodex mites are normal inhabitants of human skin. Most people have them and never experience a problem. The issue is when they become associated with inflammation and a condition called Demodex blepharitis.

I’m Dr. Scott Spector, an eye surgeon, and I see this condition frequently. Understanding what to look for can help explain why some people continue to struggle with irritated, dry eyes despite using artificial tears.

Have you ever noticed your vision becoming blurry, only to have it clear up after you blink?

Maybe you notice it while reading, driving, working at a computer, or looking at your phone. A few blinks make things sharp again, but later the blurriness returns.

It can be easy to assume that your prescription is changing or that your eyesight is getting worse. But when blurry vision comes and goes and improves with blinking, the problem may actually be occurring on the surface of your eye, rather than inside the eye itself.

I’m Dr. Scott Spector, an eye surgeon, and this is one of the most common vision complaints I see. The good news is that when the tear film is responsible, there are several simple things you can do to help.