There are plenty of reasons why most of us would opt out of wearing a face mask if we
could. Masks can pick up and accumulate sweat, makeup, pollen, and whatever particles might
happen to float by. Depending on the materials your mask is made of, wearing a mask could
trigger allergies, itchiness, and possibly even "maskne", yep, that's mask-induced acne.
When you wear masks long enough, the backs of your ears begin to get tender and irritated,
and unless you wear an extender, having a loose mask on may only be slightly better
than having no mask at all. And let's not even talk about what happens in the summer,
when the heat and humidity begin to make mask-wearing a real challenge.
"You want to wear a mask that is light in color, because dark colors will draw, will
get hotter, faster."
But all the inconveniences of wearing masks would be trivial if we found out that wearing
a mask could actually hurt our lungs in the long run. And despite all the memes and spurious
medical claims we've seen being made left and right on social media lately, we're still
left wondering, do they really?
Claims that mask wearing was detrimental to a person's lungs in particular, and possibly
their health in general, began circulating in the spring of 2020, around the time the
CDC recommended the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Internet fact-checking site Snopes appears to have had its hands full trying to debunk
various theories about what happens to your lungs if you wear masks for too long. Some
theories being circulated include the belief that wearing a face mask could trigger hypercapnia,
also known as carbon dioxide poisoning, which would theoretically lead to a whole host of
other harmful symptoms if true. But fortunately, that's not really how carbon dioxide works
in this situation.
In a blog post for Forbes, childhood cancer researcher Victoria Forster dismissed the
idea that wearing a cloth mask can cause you to OD on carbon dioxide, quote, "because carbon
dioxide molecules are simply too small to be controlled by the majority of mask materials
and simply pass right through." She wrote,
"Take surgeons, for example, during long procedures, they wear surgical masks for hours with no
ill-effects on their carbon dioxide levels. Having a surgeon with an altered mental state
would not be in the best interests of either the patient or the surgeon and thankfully,
this simply does not happen."
Despite what users on social media claim, wearing a mask every day will not reduce our
oxygen intake to levels so critical our tissues are deprived, a condition known as hypoxia.
Masks also do not cause hypoxemia, a condition characterized by low oxygen supplies to the
arteries, according to Dr. Daniel Díaz from the prestigious National Autonomous University
of Mexico medical school. According to Dr. Diaz,
"This misinformation may arise from the feeling of lack of air due to mechanical obstruction
depending on the type of mouthpiece we are using. But the feeling of obstruction is because
we are not used to using the mouth mask. But, as such, it will not cause us any kind of
hypoxia."
The CDC's guidelines have always been clear on why people should wear face masks. They
have been equally clear about who shouldn't wear face masks, and these include children
under 2 years of age and persons who might have trouble breathing. The CDC is also clear
about avoiding the use of respirators like N-95 masks, which are only for the use of
medical personnel. And in case you think you can be excused from wearing a face mask because
you have asthma or COPD, Mount Sinai Hospital professor of medicine Neil Schachter says,
"I definitely recommend using a face mask for everyone in these times, especially for
people with asthma and COPD. We need to protect those at risk, in particular those with fragile
airways."
That said, you should always consult your doctor if you're concerned about the effects
of mask-wearing on your lung or heart health.
"If you have lung or cardiac issues, talk to your medical provider before wearing masks."
So, what happens to your lungs if you wear a face mask every day? Just about every licensed
health care professional out there says absolutely nothing. And they should know, because, particularly
in times like these, doctors and nurses on the front lines are called upon to wear face
masks for hours, days, and weeks at a stretch.
"These are very breathable, and they do prevent the respiratory droplets from being spread."
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