Knowledgebase
Need help identifying infestation #865832
Asked April 25, 2024, 6:43 AM EDT
Hello, I just read a question that describes exactly what I have been going through- a little more than 6 months ago, I started experiencing an infestation of some sort. To describe the appearance- would be black and white specks that are in my hair and skin- some look like grains of salt, some just like the black dot of a pen. They come out of my skin when k shower and multiply throughout the day- the laundry does not remove them and any new environment I enter, they immediately dissipate and begin to infest clothing and carpets. They live on my phone, and in my bags and I can see them hoo to other people. Bloodwork has been completed and getting more ordered due to suspicion of autoimmune disease. This is not a hereditary issue. High white bc count. Swollen ankles and feet- tingling and numbness when I touch them. Itching and stinging when on my clothing. At the end of the day I will have to shower for a long time to remove most build up of them on my skin and hair. They are in my car and will hop on my outfit in the morning. They will rip and pull the strings out of fabrics and leave white animal looking hairs in environment. I do not have a pet. Holes in clothing and strings hanging. They will rip at my nails and leave them brittle. My quality of life is barely there. Please help
Schenectady County New York
Expert Response
I've carefully read your statement and do not see anything that sounds like an insect, mite, nematode or other parasite infestation/infection. I have dealt with cases similar to yours for nearly 40 years. I have been an professional entomologist for over 50 years and I have considerable training in medical parasitology (i.e., roundworms, tapeworms, flukes, protozoal agents, etc.).
I suspect that you have already seen several dermatologists and other physicians with little relief which is unfortunate as these physicians rarely will take the time to thoroughly investigate all the stress agents in your life. Unfortunately, there are several auto-immune syndromes and neurological syndromes that can manifest themselves as itches, bites, things crawling under the skin, etc. These can be very difficult to medically diagnose. When a person perceives these medical issues as something else, like normal skin flakes, dirt, dust, etc., the patient begins to think that they are suffering from some strange type of infestation or infection. Over time, the symptoms can create obsessing on "normal" things that are in our environments (i.e., black specks, threads of clothing, etc.).
As you can likely tell, I'm no longer a "spring chicken" and it's disturbing to me to see things that are considered "normal aging" processes (i.e., more scalp psoriasis, unusual skin keratosis, brittle finger and toenails, etc.).
When these "obsessions" become life altering, I highly recommend seeking the help of a mental health specialist. Your physicians are not trained to help in these cases, and are often not helpful when they say, "there's nothing wrong with you!"
Again, I don't see anything in your description that would lead me to suspect an infestation of an insect or mite or an infection by a parasite.
