Does Wearing a Mask for Prolonged Periods Have Side Effects?

COVID-19 hit us in early 2020, and we were not just forced to stay at home but also wear masks whenever we stepped out. Wearing masks is critical for stopping the spread of COVID-19 and keeping the infection under control, according to medical organisations around the world. The CDC and WHO recommended wearing facemasks to everyone, while healthcare professionals were advised to wear the most effective (95%) N95 masks capable of filtering out airborne particles. However, masks are not all good news.

While wearing a mask can help prevent COVID and other airborne diseases to a great extent, research has shown that wearing a mask for prolonged periods of time can cause a variety of physical and psychological problems that can reduce work efficiency. Research carried out on 343 healthcare professionals in 2020 by Elisheva Rosner of the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, USA, showed that wearing masks for prolonged periods of time caused headaches, acne, skin breakdown, and impaired cognition. Of the 343 participants, 314 had at least one of these problematic effects.

The highest reported side-effect of prolonged wearing of masks was headaches, with 245 participants (71.4%) reporting this problem. 51% of participants (175 participants) reported skin breakdown due to prolonged use of masks. 182 participants (53.1%) reported acne and 81 participants reported impaired cognition as a side effect, making it the least reported effect of wearing masks for a long time.

The world is still dealing with the coronavirus and wearing a facemask is still a necessity. In a situation like this, the participants have suggested several ways to keep these issues at bay. For headaches and impaired cognition, they suggested that frequent short breaks along with neck massages and proper hydration helped them a lot. Participants suggested avoiding facial makeup and skin moisturization before and after shifts to prevent acne. To prevent skin breakdown, the participants recommended an ear saver, a headband with buttons or paper clips for the mask straps to rest on, rather than behind the ears. Such remedies helped the participants tackle these side effects a lot.

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