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Wearing masks at high temperatures also involves risks. Doctors explain what you need to be aware of.
The pandemic and the wearing of masks will keep us busy for even longer and will surely accompany us through the summer. People who are particularly sensitive to heat should pay attention to warning signals when wearing mouth and nose protection or other protective masks. In Canada – where the first heat wave is already underway in parts of the country – doctors are now urging caution.
They advise against wearing masks outdoors in hot and humid weather. Breathing is harder with a mask than without one, explains David Price from Hamilton University. “The second problem is that you inhale some of the exhaled air, which is also heated.” This would further heat up the body.
Indoors…
Colin Furness, epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, recommends that masks should only be worn indoors, such as in supermarkets, where it is difficult to keep a distance. In potentially crowded indoor areas without air circulation – such as non-air-conditioned public transport – the epidemiologist recommends wearing the masks while driving, but taking them off outside.
In any case, you should change your mask when it is soaked, e.g. by breathing, high humidity or sweat. The filter function decreases significantly when the mask is wet. That is why it is advisable to have a spare mask with you, especially in summer
No make-up
Dermatologist Carrie L. Kovarik of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital recommends not to wear make-up under the mask, as this could additionally clog the skin pores. Also, if you have skin problems, you should consider using masks with bands instead of elastic bands behind the ears.
Basically, when wearing masks one should make sure that they fit and are tight but not too tight since this would affect the respiratory tract, specially when temperatures are rising.
- Hector Pascua
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