The pandemic may be quieting down, but masks have become a common fixture for just about everyone at the moment. Even once the crisis is past us, many people will still choose to wear masks while they’re out.

The trouble is, not everyone can wear a mask. Many masks can be uncomfortable and cause issues in people in people who have a respiratory illness or anxiety. What can you do about this if you have these issues?

Masks and Asthma, COPD

Asthma sufferers typically have triggers that set off attacks and make it harder to breathe. Some people are triggered by cold and dry air, which isn’t a problem when wearing a mask. Masks tend to trap in warmer, moist air, which will make it easier to breathe for these people. In fact, some masks are designed specifically to help keep in moisture and warmth and may make life more comfortable for those who suffer from this kind of asthma.

On the other hand, many asthmatics have the opposite problem; warmer, moister air sets off their asthma. This can make it difficult or even dangerous to wear a mask, which is doubly difficult given the social scorn and restrictions put on people who aren’t wearing masks in these trying times.

COPD is another disease caused by restricted airflow due to inflammation. In addition to temperature and humidity, COPD sufferers may be set off by irritants like smoke, dust, and chemicals. Since stores and other public venues are being extra careful with cleaning and sanitizing their environments, the residual chemicals in the air can set off attacks.

If you have asthma, COPD, or other breathing problems set off by wearing a mask, there are some things you can do.

• Watch the weather before going out. A mask will make it harder to breathe, but if you can pick days that are cooler and drier, it will make it more bearable and more comfortable.
• Consider practicing at home, in a safe space. Some people find the trouble is not wearing the mask, but adjusting to the mask. If you put the mask on at home and practice breathing for a few minutes at a time, you may be able to adjust to wearing a mask and be more comfortable wearing it for longer periods.
• Use a less restrictive mask. Masks are typically meant to protect others from you if you’re sick, not necessarily to protect you from others. Unless you’re in a healthcare or other critical role where the risk of infection is extremely high, you won’t need a restrictive N95 or full-filtering mask. A thinner cloth mask can offer some protection while being less likely to set off an asthma attack.
• Limit your time wearing a mask. For example, you don’t generally need to wear a mask while driving to and from a store, or when you’re out for a walk in an open and relatively empty space. Masks are only truly useful when you’re in enclosed spaces with other people and where social distancing isn’t possible.

Of course, make sure you have whatever inhalers and other medications you need on hand in case you do have an attack at an inopportune moment.

Masks and Anxiety

Anxiety can be tricky because it’s rarely controllable. Anxiety can be caused by a wide variety of underlying issues, and everything from physical sensations to unexpected or repetitive sounds can set it off. It can range from mild discomfort to full-on panic attacks. This is made all the worse for some people, who find that the pressure of wearing a mask (combined with any number of external and social issues of living through a pandemic) can make their anxiety far worse than normal.

The key symptom of mask anxiety is, of course, anxiety or panic attacks triggered by wearing a mask. You can test this at home; if you think you have mask anxiety, simply try wearing a mask while at home and in a position where you can easily cope with a panic attack. If you aren’t having issues at home, it’s more likely that your anxiety is triggered by fear of disease or of issues stemming from lack of social distancing or other problems while out. On the other hand, if you have a panic attack at home, the mask could very well be the cause.

So what can you do if you have mask anxiety?

• Use diaphragmatic breathing. The diaphragm is a membrane down in your stomach area; breathing focusing on that area expands your stomach rather than raises your chest and shoulders. This kind of deep breathing is often more relaxing than upper chest breathing, and it takes longer to boot. This can help calm down anxiety.
• Use therapeutic coping mechanisms. In CBT for anxiety, you’re often given coping mechanisms such as mindfulness, grounding, and mantras. Keeping these in mind can help keep your mind off the stressors like wearing a mask and being in a public situation that can set off anxiety. Finding something that works for you might take some time and practice, but it works.
• Look into aromatherapy. Some scents, like lavender, have documented effects at releasing stress and relieving minor anxiety. While it’s doubtful that a dab of lavender oil is going to cure your anxiety, putting a tiny amount in your mask can give you a bit of calming scent and make wearing the mask a little less stressful. Just make sure not to use too much, or the scent can be overwhelming. A single drop, which you let rest for some time before putting on the mask, is all you need.
• Reframe the problem. Instead of thinking of masks as a critical tool for safety, think of them as a fashion accessory. Getting a mask with a bit more panache than a medical-grade N95 or paper surgical mask can help with this.

You can also take steps like using a small handheld fan or cold pack to help minimize the effects of anxiety. Anxiety can often be triggered by hot temperatures, particularly close to the skin, and cooling down your face can help reduce the effects.

Masks and Allergies

Another issue that may come up when wearing a mask is allergies. Many allergies have a respiratory component, irritated by dust, pet dander, and pollen. As the country moves into spring and summer, plants are coming to life, flowers are blooming, animals are shedding their winter coats, and allergies are kicking into high gear.

It’s a tricky situation, because on one hand, if you’re already having trouble breathing due to allergies, wearing a mask and further restricting airflow can make it that much more difficult to breathe and can push things over from “uncomfortable” to “impossible”. On the other hand, wearing a mask is one of the best ways to filter out environmental triggers for allergies.

The solution here is to take steps to minimize an allergy attack before you need to wear a mask, and wearing a mask in a way that it protects you rather than restricts you.

• Make sure to take any allergy medications you normally take. Antihistamines have been developed over the years and are classified by “generation”, with the first generation usually sedating (like Benadryl). Taking second or third-generation antihistamines like Zyrtec or Allegra, or some prescription third-gen antihistamines can be much more effective.
• Clean your mask regularly. Cloth masks can build up particulate as you use them and it can be difficult to breathe through it when it’s dirty. With masks that have replaceable filters, make sure you swap filters regularly; they don’t last as long as most people think and need to be changed to ensure full volume airflow.
• Wear your mask whenever you’re exposed to allergens. In other cases, wearing a mask as little as possible is the best outcome, but with allergies, you’ll often want to wear your mask when you’re exposed to the environment, rather than just inside stores or when near other people.

You may also want to get a weather app for your phone that covers air quality and pollen count measurements for your local area. If you avoid going out when the air quality is poor for you, you can minimize the impact of allergies on your breathing.

General Tips for Picking and Wearing a Mask with Breathing Issues

Regardless of your potential breathing issues, there are some tips and tricks for picking a mask and for wearing your mask to help minimize the problems you encounter.

First, consider picking a mask made out of cloth or a more breathable material than your standard face mask. Many such masks are made of heavy materials and restrict breathing through small openings with filters, and that makes it harder to get the high volume airflow you need. There are dozens of different designs of masks out there now, from high-quality cloth masks to near-medical grade equipment, so pick something that is breathable, comfortable, and works best for your situation.

Next, if your mask has a filter that you can replace, make sure you’re replacing it often. Filters, when they do their job, trap particulate matter in the filter rather than letting it pass through into your lungs. Unfortunately, the filters don’t let that particulate go when you breathe out, so it remains trapped in the filter. That means over time, the filter will clog up, and its ability to pass air will get worse and worse.

The typical lifespan of a filter depends on the filter material and the usage. A mask used in a dusty environment will need to be replaced near-daily (or even more frequently), but the average person wearing a mask to go grocery shopping won’t need to replace it nearly as often. If you notice that you’re having difficulty breathing through your mask when you didn’t before, replace the filter.

Of course, you should also minimize the amount of time that you’re forced to wear the mask. Right now, this means limiting how often you are in public. If possible, using a delivery service or asking a friend to go shopping for you is probably a good idea.

As mentioned before, for people with breathing problems other than allergies, you don’t necessarily need to wear a mask every time you leave the house. You only need a mask when you’re going to be in close proximity to people who aren’t regularly with you. When driving alone or with a roommate to the store, for example, you wouldn’t need to put a mask on until you’re actually at the store. Likewise, short walks around the neighborhood shouldn’t require a mask unless you live in an area where the streets and sidewalks are typically crowded.

Consider Not Wearing a Mask

While many state governors are issuing mask orders that require residents to wear masks when out and about, they tend to have clauses that acknowledge not everyone can wear a mask.

For example, in Connecticut, the executive order has a statement that reads:

“Nothing in this order shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition.”

While it’s recommended to wear a face mask whenever you can, if you have a medical condition, it may be against your best interest to wear a mask in certain situations. If wearing a mask is more dangerous than not wearing one, you may want to practice social distancing and stay at home so you can take a break from wearing one. Listen to your body and your breathing. If you feel like you’re breathing through a straw or are feeling panicked, take a breather without your mask and resume wearing it when you are able to do so.

Do what you need to in order to remain safe, healthy, and comfortable, in that order. You may simply find that a pleasant aromatic scent on your mask will help calm you, or that wearing a more comfortable mask is much more tolerable.

Have you found any tips that reduce your anxiety or improve breathing while wearing a face mask? Let us know in the comment section below!