Adverse effects of the use of the face mask

Adverse effects of the use of the face mask.
Face masks are useful protection against infection. They limit the spread of infective agents from the infected person wearing the mask as well as the rate of transmission of the infective organisms to the uninfected person wearing the mask.
 The medical face masks are designed to serve these purposes perfectly. The N95 face masks can filter 95% of airborne particles unlike the ordinary medical face masks.
 The ability of the nonmedical face masks to protect depends on the size of the pores of the materials and the nature of the fabric of which the mask is made. However, they are cheaper and reusable for a longer period after washing. (Medical facemasks are not reusable except for N95 which can be reused after re-sterilization).

Some adverse effects of face masks are:
1. False security: Masks only reduce the risks of transmission of infection. They do not give absolute protection. There is real risk that a false sense of protection may make those wearing masks to ignore other more effective preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene thereby cancelling the gains of the face mask.

2. Face masks are generally uncomfortable to wear. There may be need for regular adjustment necessitating regular touching of one's face which is counterproductive as far as infection prevention is concerned.

3. There may be a sense of suffocation from prolonged use of the face mask. This arises from limited inhaled air and re-breathing of CO2-rich exhaled air. This may lead to progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia. If this is not addressed, it may lead to cerebral hypoxia, loss of consciousness and even death.

4. Especially for those using eye glasses, exhaled air in mask users may form a fog on the glasses and limit vision. Again this may be a reason for more frequent touching of the face with its implications for disease transmission.

5. Masks muffle speech with the risk of breaking the rule of physical distancing for effective communication.

6. Depending on the fabric of which the nonmedical mask is made, particles from the mask may be inhaled causing a form of pneumoconiosis with a long-term risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Having identified these risks, how do we curtail them?
 Face masks should be worn only when necessary e.g. outdoors and when one is in the company of others but not when one is alone in his house or when one is  sleeping in his house.
Despite face mask, one should not be complacent with the other measures of infection prevention.
presented  by 
Dr Leo.Chuwuali