Tips for breathing easier while wearing a face mask

Helping face mask irritation

There are some things to do to keep your mask from irritating your skin.

ORLANDO, Fla. - One of the biggest complaints about wearing a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic is that it can be difficult to breathe. Now that more cities are making it mandatory to wear them in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it looks like face masks won't be going away any time soon.

The Florida heat can make it very tempting to go without the mask, but the risk you bring to yourself and to others is not worth it. To make it a bit more bearable, experts are offering tips to make wearing a face mask more comfortable during the pandemic.

According to Dr. Tania Elliot, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, do not use an N-95 mask. They are supposed to be reserved for health care workers anyway.

While they’re the most effective at blocking virus particles compared with other kinds of masks, they’re also more difficult to breathe through, CreakyJoints.org reports. Your mask should be made of moisture-wicking and breathable fabric. If you are still having trouble breathing comfortably, a better solution for you might be a bandana or neck gaiter.

Men's Journal recently recommended the Feeke Bandana because it's made with 95-percent polyester and 5-percent spandex, which they say allows you to "breathe easy no matter what you are doing."

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

"They are more breathable since they are open at the bottom but still provide a protective barrier," Dr. Elliot says.

A more simple solution may be to check the weather. Since many find it more difficult to wear a mask when it's hot outside, try running your errands in the early morning when it's cooler and make the trips shorter.

On Saturday, Florida saw another spike in daily reported coronavirus cases of more than 4,000, bringing the total to nearly 94,000 in the state. Orange County ordered a face mask mandate in place beginning Saturday.

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