Due to COVID-19, everyone is scared. In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, wearing a mask has been mandatory. Wearing a mask and covering your face might interfere with speaking, breathing, people admiring your face. However, maintaining social distance, covering nose and mouth with a face mask, and sanitizing the hands helps keep you and the community safe. It is mandatory to wear masks in public spaces as well as on public transport.
Face masks have become a significant part of everyone’s wardrobe. However, for individuals with glasses, putting these items can be annoying. You might wear glasses for fashion, or it is hard to see things clearly without glasses. No matter what the reason is, it can be challenging for you to wear glasses and a mask as you need to wipe off the foggy glasses.
Why Does Wearing Masks Make Glasses Fog?
Usually, the plastic lenses and glasses attain a temperature that is close to their environment. When you are at a cool place and exhale into the mask, it blocks as well as redirects some of the breath upwards toward the mask’s top edge and under the glasses. However, when your warm breath hits the cool lens, the warm moist air reaches the surface of the lens and causes the lenses to fog.
Along with being annoying, the problem with foggy glasses is that the wearer needs to grab the glasses to wipe off the fog. Or, lift away the glasses temporarily from the face so that they can defog before the wearer applies them. Doing so breaks the key rule that prevents the spread of coronavirus i.e., avoid touching your face.
Ways to Avoid Foggy Glasses
Masks tend to direct the exhaled air upwards. When you exhale, the warm water vapors from the breath hit the cooler lenses. The vapors produce tiny droplets that reduce the ability of the lenses of transmitting contrast. In case you are an eyeglass wearer and struggling with the problem of foggy glasses here are tips that can help you avoid the problem
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Adjust the Glasses
In case your glasses have the nose pads, try to tweak the pads as this would help the frame sit slightly away from the face. It is important to note that altering nose pads might change your vision slightly, in case you wear glasses with progressive lenses. If this happens, you might need to keep your head at a different angle in order to compensate for vision change.
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Mold the Mask
A variety of face masks is available in the market like a mask with a nose adjuster, mask for glass wearers, reusable cotton mask, etc. In case you bought a mask that fits loosely on the nose, the breath would certainly escape to the glasses. Several masks being sold in the market have the nose bridges sewn in them. You can use the masks having a nose bridge in them. The flexible strips allow you to bend as well as shape them to ensure they fit your nose.
These serve many purposes such as they make masks effective as the less moisture can easily escape, they make the mask comfortable. And, these help to prevent the breath from landing on glasses. In case you do not have the masks with a nose bridge in them, you can make that yourself with the help of pipe cleaners or twist ties. To get the same effect, all you need to do is add the pipe cleaner to the fabric mask’s top.
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Tighten Your Mask
A tightly fit mask is a must to keep yourself protected from airborne particles and stop breath from escaping as well as fogging the glasses. For the right fit, it is important that the mask snugs against your cheeks and nose. Ensure there are no slack or any gaps for the escape of air. In case your mask is too big, tighten it by adjusting the ties or ear loops. You can consider buying the smaller or no fog face mask.
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Tape the Mask
Another smart way of avoiding foggy glasses is to tape the mask. Using medical tape or an adhesive bandage, you can seal the mask’s top. Many medical students learn this technique while using their eye protection classes. With the help of tape, you can close the gap between the top of the mask and the bridge of the nose.
However, it is advised not to use nonporous household tapes such as duct tape or packing tape as these could cause irritation. In case you have sensitive skin, test the tape on your hand, or consider buying a specs friendly mask.
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Pull Up the Mask
Using the glass’s weight is a great way to block the air. Pull your mask up over the nose bridge and keep the glasses resting on the mask’s top. This would keep the mask high and the flow of air downwards.
Try Home Lens Treatments
In case tightening or sealing the mask does not work, you can opt for the anti-fog remedies, to coat the lenses. The list of remedies includes
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Soapy Water
Cleaning the glasses with soapy water; wiping with a soft cloth and letting them air dry could work. Soap acts as the surfactant and the soapy water leaves a thin film on the glass that stops water molecules from creating droplets that result in fog.
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Home Remedies
It is worth noting that glasses could be an investment. In case there is a special coating on the glasses, the soapy water could ruin the coating. You can consider using baby shampoo or shaving cream. In case you still have a doubt, check it with an optician before cleaning with any solution to avoid the lens from getting blurry.
In case these remedies do not work, you can invest in the new glasses having an anti-fog coating. The anti-fog coating provides a hassle-free solution. In case you are not willing to spend on anti-fog glasses, you can opt for anti-fogging sprays or wipes. Many health workers, firefighters, professional skiers who wear protective eyewears use the wipes as these wipes leave a thin layer that resists fogging. In case you find these options costly, you can consider using the anti-fog face mask.