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How Face Masks Affect Those With Asthma

It is hard to imagine a world where most of the population has to wear face masks, yet this is today’s reality. As someone with asthma, you are probably worried about wearing masks, but the following will help you understand your situation better.

Why The Need For Face Masks?

The reality is face masks are vital right now. There’s a universal consensus that these masks could help slow the spread of COVID-19. This is especially important when you are around other people.

You may not even feel any symptoms, but you can easily spread this dreadful virus to others. There’s no telling who’s going to get sick and die from this virus, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

There’s a lot the CDC doesn’t know about this virus, but the little they do know can at least slow the spread. You don’t want to be responsible for the deaths of others. Still, you are concerned about your medical situation and how these masks will affect you.

Should People With Asthma Wear Masks?

The short answer is you should wear a mask. This is what the CDC and the World Health Organization is asking of the population. There are a few exceptions you should know about. The following people should not wear a mask:

  • Babies under two years of age shouldn’t wear masks.
  • People who sometimes have a problem breathing shouldn’t wear one.
  • A person who cannot remove his or her mask shouldn’t wear one.

If you have asthma, you are already thinking you belong in the group of people who shouldn’t wear masks. The truth is you might or you might not. There are folks with asthma who might have trouble breathing with a mask on.

Those with mild asthma should be able to wear a mask with no problems. People who have their asthma under control should also be able to wear a mask without any problems. If you want to wear one but aren’t sure you can, talk to your allergist. This person should help you control your asthma so that you can wear a mask.

People who have frequent asthma attacks or people who have to go to the emergency room often might need to rethink masks. You might have to wear specific masks that don’t interfere with your breathing too much.

For example, medical masks don’t interfere with your breathing. Now, you do have to use them correctly. If you don’t know how to wear one, it might be a good idea to talk to your health care provider. This person can teach you.

What Kind of Masks Can You Wear?

Okay, you already know about medical masks, but there are other masks you can wear. What you want is breathable masks, especially because you have asthma.

You don’t want to feel like something is obstructing your breathing. The good thing is the World Health Organization has permitted folks to wear breathable masks.

You want masks made out of organic cotton, cotton, linen, or bamboo, just to name a few. All of these fabric masks shouldn’t make it hard to breathe as long as you don’t make them too tight.

You can make your mask if you don’t want to buy one online. People have placed images, political statements, positive statements, and all sorts of other designs on their masks. Wearing one of these to protect your fellow human beings can be pretty fun if you let it. No one is saying you are going to get used to masks overnight. You might even feel uncomfortable wearing them for a while, but it’s a sacrifice people are being asked to make.

What If You Can’t Wear a Mask?

There’s no doubt some people with asthma can’t wear masks. You can talk to your allergist to be sure, but if you can’t do it, then you’ll have to take other steps. You still need to protect yourself and protect others. The following are alternatives you should consider as long as this pandemic lasts:

Stay Home: The easiest way to keep everyone safe is to stay at home. This is a difficult thing to do at times, but there are ways to do it. For example, you can have most of your groceries delivered to your home.

You can even instruct the person who is delivering the food to just leave it at your door. If you aren’t comfortable with this or if there are no grocery delivery services near you, then consider getting help. Friends, family members, or neighbors could do the shopping for you. Maybe you can pay them a little money for their trouble.

Avoid Crowds: It might be a good idea to avoid crowds. The grocery store is crowded, but that doesn’t mean all grocery stores are crowded. Those who are close to a small town could drive there.

You’ll probably find fewer people in the stores. If you want to take things a step further, you can visit small farms or farmer’s markets instead of grocery stores. These types of markets are usually outdoors, making it easier to keep a distance from others.

Additional Tips: If you can’t wear a covering, then consider only wearing a covering when you most need it. If you know you are going to be near someone when you are checking out from a store put your mask on then. You should also avoid going out if there’s a chance of pollen which could make it harder for you to wear your mask. The pollen count is usually lower when the temperatures drop.

Hopefully, this helps you understand your situation. You are in this with the rest of the people surrounding you. Asthma might force you to do things a little differently, but it’s worth it if it means you’ll be saving lives.

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