Mask issues

 

Mask issues 

It looks a little hazy outside. I am not sure if this is because of the pollution caused by increasing traffic after the lockdown was lifted and the restriction-fatigued people started getting out of the house, or it is the general haze of the winter season. But it seems masks will have to double-protect us this year.

Healthcare workers have been in attendance throughout since the day the virus raised its ugly head. Banks, shops, government and private offices, started functioning months ago and now students are packing school bags to move to in-person learning.

The WHO (we know who it is), the doctors, the government and everyone with a sane mind, keeps drumming the importance of wearing a mask when we leave the house especially so in conditions where good physical distancing is not assured which I think is true of most of our public places, to protect us from infection.

On the other hand, the asymptomatic ones are advised to wear non-medical masks with selfless motive when in public to protect the others.

TOI photo

Why are the two renowned singers  not wearing a mask? Were they uncaring, inconsiderate or  were they doubtful whether people would identify and remember them?

But we are an adventurous nation. Kumaran Silks, a four-storey sari showroom in Chennai, was sealed by the city administration on October 20 after photos of overcrowding flouting social distancing norms, went going viral on the internet. The non-mask wearing crowds at the political rallies for Bihar elections are ample proof that either we have guaranteed fantastic immunity levels or we are past caring. We can’t be stupid after all?

Social distancing? Masks? What are they? Scene of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's election campaign rally in Aurangabad on Oct 20, 2020. National Herald photo

Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive ‘Do it all!’ approach including: physical distancing, avoiding crowded, closed and close-contact settings, improving ventilation, cleaning hands, covering sneezes and coughs, and more.  

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks

Isn’t it possible that a percentage of COVID- 19 cases are due to contamination as a result of mishandling of masks? You take yours off and throw it somewhere, not bothering if the surface is clean, pick it up while going out and sling it on your unsuspecting ears.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) says mask hygiene means washing your hands before putting on your clean face mask which once in place, should cover your nose and mouth.

We have been wearing masks for most of the year now and they are here to stay, it seems. Yet wearing them even for shorter duration starts to irk and create difficulties. I suffer:  

·        itching in the area around the nose, irritation and  even a rash,

·        outbreak of whiteheads/blackheads/acne as sweat and oil build up,

·        glasses fog up,

·        ears feel tugged,

·        after some time own breath does not smell that clean

·        feeling hot and humid inside the mask, start feeling breathless

·        sometimes a headache if the straps or ties are too tight.

I blink my eyes, try to focus sometimes unconsciously tugging or touching my mask. 

"Wearing a face mask makes the exhaled air go into the eyes," Antonio I. Lazzarino, Medical Doctor and Epidemiologist, of the University College London, told British Medical Journal in a letter. "This generates an uncomfortable feeling and an impulse to touch your eyes. If your hands are contaminated, you are infecting yourself."

Dr Lazzarino further wrote, “Moreover, a fraction of carbon dioxide previously exhaled is inhaled at each respiratory cycle. Those phenomena increase breathing frequency and deepness, and they may worsen the burden of Covid-19 if infected people wearing masks spread more contaminated air. This may also worsen the clinical condition of infected people if the enhanced breathing pushes the viral load down into their lungs. The innate immunity’s efficacy is highly dependent on the viral load.”

So he means, if you feel you have COVID-19, you should quarantine yourself and remove the mask. Some relief for the sick and scared person!

Besides every time a mask-wearer comes close to make himself/herself audible, I want to push them away with a three feet pole.

But masks are here to stay, so what do you do? I tried to look for ways to tackle my problems and am sharing them with you here.

Chief resident dermatologist at Corpus Christi Medical Center, Texas (USA) Adeline Kikam gave some tips to Health:  “Constant rubbing and friction from everyday mask use can compromise our skin’s barrier, resulting in dryness, bruises, and scrapes from various mask textiles.”

She advised using a gentle cleanser or cleansing bar to wash face with lukewarm water to clear up the debris, sweat, and whatever you've accumulated during the day. Regardless of your skin type, use a moisturizer containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide or Vitamin B3 for fighting off dryness and irritation.’

Cover irritated skin with a protective ointment before bedtime. Treat irritated skin patches with a barrier-reinforcing ointment or petroleum jelly with zinc oxide or dimethicone before bed for extra protection after moisturizing. “You can also use it before wearing your mask to reduce abrasion.”

In addition, suggests a dear doctor friend- follow the usual skincare regime to prevent acne and skin breakouts- avoid facial make-up, packs or chemicals; keep your skin, earlobes, hands and face clean and take lots of fluids (sorry, friends, alcohol does not count as fluid here) and a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables. 

Have headaches and any impaired cognition? Take breaks and try neck exercises for relief.

Use ear savers i.e. a band with buttons to allow mask straps to rest instead of behind the ears. Those among you blessed with skilled fingers can make your own.

Itchy and dry eyes:  Yes, although the condition can be caused due to various reasons e.g., taking certain medications, laser eye surgery, exposure to windy, smoky, or dry environments, even air conditioner blast, and too much screen time but constant wearing of masks also causes this problem.

Taylyn Washington-Harmon Associate Editor health.com cites National Eye Institute (NEI), USA, that mask-associated dry eye is a thing.

 The symptoms include:

·        a scratchy feeling, like there’s something in your eye

·        stinging or burning feelings in your eye

·        red eyes

·        sensitivity to light

·        blurry vision

Mask-associated dry eye is a new condition, and researchers even point out that there’s no scientific literature on this. So, the exact cause of this hasn’t been studied. 

However, there are some theories. One is that this mask-induced dry eye is caused by an airflow issue. When you breathe out and your mask doesn’t have a tight fit, air can flow up and across the surface of your eyes. That encourages evaporation and can ultimately dry out your eyes. 

But the report’s authors also noted that people who use taped masks for a better seal also had eye issues. Their guess: The tape itself may interfere with the lower eyelid’s normal functioning, leading to dry eye.

An improper mask fit can even interfere with your eyelids’ ability to do their job. “Some doctors have also noted that the masks can pull down the lower eyelids slightly, making it difficult for normal blinking to restore the healthy surface of the eye,” Aditya Kanesa-thasan, a corneal specialist at Wills Eye Hospital, told Health.

If your mask does not have a nose bridge/adjustable ear loops, tuck a tissue under the top of the mask to “add an extra cushion to the top edge of the mask and prevent air from escaping, similar to placing a towel under the door to avoid a draft.” Or use medical tape to seal your mask across your nose. “Take care to use the right tape for this to avoid skin irritation, and tape the mask to the cheek instead of the lower eyelid to maintain healthy blinking,” he says.

Dr Vivian Shibayama, an optometrist with UCLA Health, also suggests:

At night, you can use hot compresses on your eyes (wet a washcloth with warm or hot water, and lay it on your eyes for a few minutes). This can help stimulate your eyelid’s Meibomian glands—which are responsible for the oily outer layer of your tears—and push more oil out of the glands. And, with more oil in your tears, the lubrication on your eyes should be less likely to evaporate as quickly i.e., if you don’t wear contact lenses.

After all this, don’t you feel empathy and sympathy for those shooting long hours in their full face masks for their roles of Spiderman, Ironman (only one among the Avengers), Redhood and Mutant Ninja Turtles? (Batman/Batgirl, The Flash, even old time Phantom besides most others wear domino masks which only cover their eyes like in the carnivals or in case of our old-fashioned bank robbers). 

                                                         Redhood