This is one of our most frequent questions we have received from our patients in the past month or so. A couple months ago we gave you some tips and tricks to keep you glasses from getting foggy. but they do not address the this specific question.
In order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, health experts are now recommending that people should wear face masks in public places when social distancing is not possible such as when grocery shopping or using public transit. Though wearing a homemade facial covering/non-medical mask in the community has not been proven to protect the person wearing it (it is not a substitute for physical distancing and hand washing), it can be an additional measure taken to protect others around you, even if you have no symptoms. But if you wear glasses, like many of our patients, you may have notice that wearing any type of masks is causing your lenses to fog up.
These are our recommendations to avoid fogging lenses when wearing a face mask.
1. Fit of your mask to your face:
Properly fitting your mask around your nose and cheek will make a difference. Some surgical and medical masks comes with a wire or metal strip that allows the wearer to mold the mask to their nose and cheeks that way the moisture gets trapped into the masks and do not come back up into the lenses. If you are using home-made masks, try to sew or get the ones with the wire strip option. Additionally adjust your mask’s straps or ear loops so they masks to create a properly fitted mask. When the mask fits properly, most of your breath should go through it, not out the top or sides.
2. Use your Glasses and pull your mask up
The trick to avoid foggy lenses is to let your breath go through the mask not out of the top where your lenses sit. A simple solution to foggy glasses is by pulling your mask higher on your face and use your glasses to block the air flow. This trick will work depending on the type of your glasses; thick frames or frames with nose pieces are really effective.
This trick will mostly reduce the amount to fog that will come into your glasses
3. Use Anti-fogging wipes, spray or cream
As previously stated in our last blog, the alternative solution come in the form of gel, spry or wipes. All these products are specially designed to prevent condensation and moisture from building up on the lenses surface.
If you opt for this option, we suggest to follow the steps directed in the packaging as to prevent scratches in the lenses.
Our stores, Robson Skylight Optical and Richmond Skylight Optical, do carry anti-fog wipes and sprays and our associates will help you apply the spry or cream for the first time. You might need to re-apply the spray or cream and replace the wipes in the future.