Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Face mask and people with respiratory diseases

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Muscat: Face masks are certainly going to stay as a part of life for some time. People with chronic diseases as well as children, however, should take some precautions while using masks even as they work as a barrier for potentially infectious droplets, according to the WHO.


The WHO also advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as public transport, shops, or other confined or crowded environments.


Prolonged use of masks by those with chronic medical cases can cause allergy to the material used in the mask while some develop anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and headache.


Some smokers whose lungs are dysfunctional (COPD) suffer from breathlessness. Wearing a mask may accentuate the symptom.


“While wearing a mask he breathes his own exhaled air which is rich in carbon dioxide and this is harmful to a COPD patient who has already a tendency for high carbon dioxide levels in the blood,” said Dr Raman.


"Masks should not be too tight. It may cause breathing difficulty, headache, pressure injury. It should not be too loose, because the purpose of wearing a mask is defeated," he said.


It gives a false sense of security to people who do not follow other measures such as physical distancing and hand washing. After wearing the mask one becomes less audible to other people and so people have a tendency to come closer to each other in order to be heard.


Dr Dilip Singhvi, a Specialist, says that patients of COPD Asthma will have problems as it results in CO2 getting accumulated and gives the suffocating feeling.


"In light of this, I strongly advise people to stay at home and use cloth fabric masks instead of other masks. Also, the mask should be washed after every use to minimise infection and one need not wear a mask at home," said Dr Dilip.


Dr Mathew Varghese says that Hypercapnia or carbon dioxide toxicity can cause headaches, vertigo, double vision, inability to concentrate, tinnitus, seizures, or suffocation among others.


"But in a normal person wearing face masks these signs are generally not seen and the body would respond accordingly and in such cases, you may exhale too often," added Dr Varghese.


Studies suggest that children under the age of two years should not wear cloth face coverings.


"There are places where children above two years should wear cloth face coverings. This includes places where they may not be able to avoid staying six feet away from others."


However, when a face mask impedes a child's ability to breathe normally or when they are unable to remove the mask on their own if needed, a face covering should not be worn. Likewise, any child who is incapacitated or unable to remove the covering on their own if needed should not wear face coverings, experts have said.


Some advice for people with lung diseases:



  1. Stay home, stay safe - limit your outdoor activities and if you or your family members are fine, there is no need for you to wear a mask at home.


  2. If you do have to go outside to the grocery store or pharmacy, wear your masks and make it quick. Limit your time outside the home (wearing the mask).


  3. People with asthma might benefit from using a rescue inhaler before heading outdoors with a mask on. It can open your airways and improve your baseline airflow in the short term.


  4. Consider the type of face mask. If you are not a health care provider, you don't need to wear an N95 mask.



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