How to stop your glasses from fogging up when wearing a mask
The use of a facemask is one of the guidance measures in place currently to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Using a facemask can protect from virus particles. Facemasks can also help in containing particles inside your mask and prevent you from unknowingly spreading these particles to anyone else.
Your eyes are considered to be one way for COVID-19 particles to enter your body, this could be if someone coughs or sneezes near your face, or if you touch an infected surface and then touch your eyes. Glasses whether prescription or non prescription can add an additional protective layer in front on the eyes.
There is no evidence to show a direct risk of Covid-19 to people that wear contacts. You should ensure that you adhere to a rigorous hygiene regime (washing hands etc) and stick to the cleaning protocol and wearing guidelines advised by your practitioner.
A common complaint of people that wear glasses is that face masks can cause spectacle lenses to fog up. This happens because your breath is warm so when it hits the cooler surface of the lens, the result: annoying foggy glasses.
Read on for our tips and tricks on how to fix this issue.
Put your glasses over your mask A simple trick to get your glasses to stop fogging up because of your mask is to just pull your mask up closer to where your glasses sit then wear you glasses on top of your mask material. Your breath should miss your glasses when you do this. The result: no more foggy glasses.
Wash your glasses with soap and water If your glasses don’t have a special coating on them you could try washing them in soapy water and then let your glasses air dry. The soap should leave behind a film that prevents your glasses from getting fogged up. Avoid using soap with lotion when you’re doing this.
Get a nose bridge for a tighter fit Your glasses fog up when your mask fits loosely over your nose. There are lots of masks that are being sold with flexible strips (nose bridges) sown into them that you can bend for a better fit. Aside from being much more comfortable, having a nose bridge would also keep your breath inside the mask making it much more effective in protecting you and others. There are lots of resources available online that teach you how to make a nose bridge for your mask using flexible wires, like the ones found in pipe cleaners and twist ties. If you aren’t that fussed you could even use tape to close the areas around your nose where the air is escaping.
Put a tissue on the inside of your mask Taping a folded tissue under your mask might seem like a strange idea but it’s another low effort method to stop your glasses from fogging. The tissue will absorb any moisture that might be escaping from your mask, helping your lenses to stay nice and clear.
Get an anti-fogging product There are lots of them available on the market. You could get anti-fog wipes as well that work really well.
Contact your optician For any concerns you might have about your eyes contact your nearest Vision Express optician. They will be able to assist you in choosing the right products to stop glasses from getting foggy. You could also opt for a change in lenses to start using ones with anti-fog coating, along with other similar alternatives.
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