Can anyone recommend a particular type or brand of mask?

[Jazzajon]

Can anyone recommend a particular type or brand of mask? I have mild asthma but also nasal polyps that make breathing through my nose impossible. I wear glasses and breathing through my mouth makes my glasses constantly mist up. Ive bought some gel that scuba divers rub on the glass of their masks to prevent them misting but it doesn't stop the problem. I currently use the paper disposable type. I find I have to breathe more heavily when wearing a mask which makes the problem worse. Would another style or brand be better? Even though I've survived and recovered from covid, I want to wear a mask because I know how scared some people are when they see people without them.

[Troilus]

Hi Jazzajon,

I wear a two layer cotton mask. It has a pocket for a filter which I don’t use, so I suppose it is three layers in places!

It is the beak type, so it leaves space between my mouth and the mask. I can also position it so that, while it covers my nose and mouth but leaves gaps either side of my nose to let the air in.

While I appreciate this does not offer much protection from the virus, it does offer protection from dirty looks, tuts and abuse.

[lakelover]

I use a mask from the smart mask shop. My only problem with it has been when climbing stairs. I surreptitiously pinch it & pull it away slightly when this happens & get a good dose of fresh air. I forgot my mask when I went to Asda yesterday & they gave me a disposable mask, but I didn't like it at all. The smart mask is at least comfortable on the face. I, too, wear glasses & read that if you put your glasses on over the top of the mask it helps with condensation. It does help but I've not found that it completely solves the problem. Maybe I just didn't do it right!

[Poobah]

When I was shopping yesterday, I noticed one of the ladies that work on the bakery section had something underneath their mask. She showed me a plastic frame that held the mask away from her nose & mouth. She said she can breath much better with it.

I Googled it and they are available from Amazon and other outlets. You can find them by the descriptions "mask support frame" or "breathing bracket for mask. "

I have nasal polyps too and am now able to control them with Beconase. I know how difficult it is to breath when they're at their worst. I used to get a sore throat for weeks because of all the mouth breathing and don't mention the headaches. It took me well over a year to tackle the polyps - unfortunately, one of my GPs had prescribed Otrivine to tackle them and it just made things worse over time.

All the best.

[alexa_s]

I have an Allergy mask from Respro. I tried to use the cotton ones, but my asthma was not happy. The disposable ones are OK for a few hours, but then I cannot breathe properly. The mask from Respro is the only one that allows me to breathe comfortably throughout the day. It was quite expensive though, £40. I also bought a silicon shell to put underneath the mask, also from Respro, and now I cannot tell the difference when wearing the mask or not. It was quite an investment, but worth every penny. Also, my glasses never get foggy because the mask follows the line of my face and there is no air coming out at the top.

[Petergee]

I found I couldn't use the face masks for very long at all. The solution is a: get a exemption card and lanyard or b: use a face shield. I just found one that clips to your glasses (Ebay) but doesn't cover the eyes so you can see without the blurry effect of the full face shield. They do the full face clip-on as well.

[robert1957]

N 100