With the continuous spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a face mask has been required in all public places and transport for months. Being a precautionary measure to help prevent the spread of the virus, this led to many speculations whether it is harmful when worn for a long time. 

Fact check: Wearing a face mask will not harm your immune system. It won’t lead to a lack of oxygen and you won’t inhale too much carbon dioxide. You are NOT poisoning yourself by wearing it, in fact, you are protecting yourself and helping stop the spread of the virus.

Nakakalason nga ba ang pagsuot ng face mask nang matagal? Ang tagal nang pagsuot ng anumang uri ng face mask ay hindi nakakalason sa mga malulusog na tao. Face masks do not fit tightly on your face to a point that oxygen won’t be able to come in and carbon dioxide can’t get out. There are rare cases when inhaling high levels of carbon dioxide can be harmful and life-threatening. It may cause several complications like vertigo, hyperventilation, double vision, loss of consciousness, and headaches. Hindi ito mangyayari sa pagsuot ng face mask dahil hindi naiipon ang carbon dioxide sa pagsuot nito.

Nakakaapekto ba ang pagsuot ng face mask sa inyong paghinga? Ang surgical mask at cloth mask ay puno ng maliliit na butas na nagpapahintulot para sa normal na paghinga. When you breathe wearing a face mask, air can still come in and out through the pores and the sides of the mask. Halimbawa, ang 3-ply surgical mask ay ginagamit lamang ng isang beses, hindi dahil sa mahihirapang huminga, kundi dahil sa laway, uhog, bacteria, at virus na na-absorb na nito (read for more info on surgical masks). Ang mga may malalang sakit sa baga ay dapat maingat sa pagsuot ng masisikip na mask tulad ng N95. But ultimately, breathing problems that occur when wearing a face mask might be caused by other issues like panic attacks, which may feel like you are breathless and suffocating.

Dapat nga ba bawasan ang pagsuot ng face mask? Gawing habit ang pagsuot ng face mask tuwing lalabas ng inyong bahay. Bukod sa ito ay nasa batas, ito rin ay tutulong sa pagpigil ng pagkalat ng virus. What the mask is doing is that it’s blocking out and absorbing bodily fluids coming out of your mouth and nose when you cough, sneeze or talk. Coronavirus particles are really really small but it can still be blocked by the mask while carbon dioxide and oxygen are gaseous so they can pass right through it.

When wearing a face mask, make sure that it is covering your nose and mouth properly but no need to make it too tight. Check out There is Only One Right Way of Wearing Surgical Masks to know how a surgical face mask works and how to properly wear it.

See our latest resources for this topic: health.com | ucc.org | dailymail.co.uk