Breathing in a face mask - Page 5

Alison Wonderland · ‎02-05-2018

@Tink814 wrote:
Back in March I had made a face mask out of some cotton fabric I had at home. I really stuggled to breathe in it and I figured the fabric was just too thick. I had been staying home and ordering groceries online. I'd like to be able to go out, so I ordered a mask from Etsy. The seller said it was breathable fabric. I tried it on and struggled to breathe again. In less than a minute I felt like my throat was closing up and I had to take it off. It took a while before I was able to take in a deep breath. Does this happen to anyone else? I really don't understand how other people are able to wear masks.

Do you have any lung conditions, like asthma or COPD? That will make it harder to breathe with a mask on.

It could also be anxiety. You may want to try wearing it for short periods of time at home and build up.

I have asthma and some days wearing a mask is harder than other days. The filter I use makes a difference, too. I have several different types of masks and filters. For some I use paper towel as the filter. One day I doubled the paper towel and that made it harder to breathe. One layer allows me to breathe better.

Effie54 · ‎09-08-2010

@Tink814 wrote:
Back in March I had made a face mask out of some cotton fabric I had at home. I really stuggled to breathe in it and I figured the fabric was just too thick. I had been staying home and ordering groceries online. I'd like to be able to go out, so I ordered a mask from Etsy. The seller said it was breathable fabric. I tried it on and struggled to breathe again. In less than a minute I felt like my throat was closing up and I had to take it off. It took a while before I was able to take in a deep breath. Does this happen to anyone else? I really don't understand how other people are able to wear masks.

Yes, I'm with you. I can't breathe in the surgical blue masks at all. I bought a breatheable one on etsy too and find it a little better, but still hard for long periods of time. My husband works every day - and has to wear a mask, and is tired at the end of the day. He said it feels suffocating - but they are required to do so.

Effie54 · ‎09-08-2010

@MorningLover wrote:
I've noticed a few people wearing their mask right below their nostrils. Could it be they're having trouble breathing with it on! Do they think they just need to cover their mouth!

They are not wearing them correctly. It has to come up to the bridge of your nose, not below it.

Moonlady · ‎03-10-2010

The ones I've struggled to breathe in are the no-sew homemade ones where you fold the sides to the center, not surprising since that can effectively give you 4 layers of fabric. So I don't use those anymore, and have purchased more comfortable fabric masks.

Most people are not wearing medical grade masks because they're not available. We see a lot of dust masks and surgical masks here. In fact, about ten local agencies/towns held a drive-thru event (with mile-long lines) Saturday, giving away 5 surgical masks per person, and are doing so again today. City residents will have theirs mailed to them. I don't find it difficult to breathe through the surgical masks; most people are wearing that type here.

If ear-loop surgical masks are loose, they can easily be tightened by simply "criss-crossing" each loop. I do that sometimes.

What worries you masters you.

FlowerBear · ‎03-24-2018

i have trouble too in a mask since i have asthma. i wear a mask to clean and never have liked them. at least at home doing that i can take it off any time. but wearing one during all of this out in a store, has been a struggle. i have to force myself to focus on something else and not how i feel when i wear it out, and it helps when im focused on getting the groceries. cant wait to get in the car and remove it though, i put the mask on in my vehicle and sit for about 5 minutes before i go in the store to relax, breathing through your mouth does help. the mask i wear out anywhere is the n95.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

a good friend of mine who is a NICU nurse posted this today.....

carbon dioxide toxicity.jpg

Do not wear your mask all day long. You need to take off every 1/2 hour. You should keep it off for a minimum of 10 min each time. DO NOT DRIVE WITH A MASK ON. When wearing a mask for long lengths of time you are giving yourself CARBON DIOXIDE TOXICITY because all you are doing is breathing in your own carbon dioxide. ALSO, wearing for long periods of time makes your mask moist and then it becomes a collector of bacteria. YOU SHOULD NOT BE WEARING THE SAME MASK OVER AND OVER.

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

MorningLover · ‎10-04-2015

I have a few cloth masks that I wash by hand in very warm water with detergent. I let them soak awhile then rinse adding a small amount of Lysol Laundry Sanitizer to the water. Then rinse again with plain water. Hang them to air dry to avoid shrinking.

germanshepherdlove · ‎04-20-2020

Today I went to a Walmart with my husband and we each took a cart and found a 6 pk of Charmin Ultra Soft as well as a 6 pk of Viva paper towels, among other things.

When we walked in I noticed that the employee who checks the receipts was wearing his mask below his nose and while I realize they can be hard to wear especially all day (it was 7:30am), I saw him wear it that way 45 minutes later when we were ready to leave.

I showed him my receipt from 6 ft away and told him if he was going to wear his facemask incorrectly I was not going to get closer. He said that he hates wearing them and was forced wear one otherwise he wouldn't at all. Unbelievable.

Tessa Mendoza · ‎01-27-2020

@ on the bay (and anyone interested) - I washed my first batch of masks in hot water. There was a little shrinkage. So I washed my next batch in warm water and they came out fine. I used my Tide pod and I do think they are clean but wish hot would have worked. Maybe I'll try hand-washing one of them next time and see what happens.

Grouchomarx · ‎01-23-2019

Let's face it we all hate the masks. I too feel breathing becomes labored when indoors. Outdoors seems better with a breeze blowing. I am constantly adjusting it and picking at it because it creeps up my face and into my eyeballs driving me nuts. My face gets very sweaty. I have to wear contact lenses even just for a quick trip out because every mask fogs up the glasses to the point of insanity. I've tried to breath downward with my mouth to get the fog out through the chin, it doesn't work and makes my jaw hurt. It has made me appreciate people who must wear them all day every day. I notice most folks don't wear the mask correctly and have it on the chin or below the nose. I guess they're only having one due to requirements, not a personal belief in using them. Or they just don't notice. It does annoy me but it's becoming so commonplace I'm just gettng used to it. Yesterday I saw a lady in the grocery store with the mask below the nose, using her cell phone with bare hands and then touching the produce. Clueless!