According to a new study, even in patients with lung disease, exposure to carbon dioxide is unlikely to worsen the face mask, refuting statements linking toxicity by exhaled gas to mask-wearing. The study, published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, assessed problems associated with changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in healthy individuals, as well as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before and while using surgical masks.
In “Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with COPD,” Michael Campos, MD and co-authors assessed problems with gas exchange, that is, changes in oxygen level or carbon dioxide levels in healthy individuals as well as veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD before and while using surgical masks. People with COPD, according to the ATS Patient Education Fact Sheet on the disease, “must work harder to breathe, which can lead to shortness of breath and/or feeling tired.”
“We show that the effects are minimal at most even in people with very severe lung impairment,” said Dr Campos of the Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Miami.
“If you’re walking briskly up an incline, for example, you may experience feelings of breathlessness. An overly tight mask may also increase the feeling of breathlessness,” the scientists noted in a statement. They said the solution is to slow down or remove the mask if one is at a safe distance from other people.
Dr Campos stressed the importance of wearing a face mask to prevent COVID-19 infection. If a surgical mask is not available, a cloth mask with at least two layers is recommended by the CDC. Patients with lung disease, in particular, should avoid getting infected and should wear a face mask, which, along with handwashing and social distancing, is proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. “We acknowledge that our observations may be limited by sample size, however, our population offers a clear signal on the nil effect of surgical masks on relevant physiological changes in gas exchange under routine circumstances (prolonged rest, brief walking),” wrote the authors.
“It is important to inform the public that the discomfort associated with mask use should not lead to unsubstantiated safety concerns as this may attenuate the application of a practice proven to improve public health.” “The public should not believe that masks kill,” added Dr Campos.
