Foggy Glasses
You may wear your glasses for fashion, or simply wear them because you can’t see without them. Regardless of the reason, you’ve probably managed to find a way to wear your glasses comfortably each and every day. Then, masks happened. Wearing a mask and glasses can sometimes be frustrating. We obviously need to wear our masks at all times to protect ourselves against the virus, but it’s also not fun not being able to see as you’re walking through a store when your glasses fog up. Who wants to consistently take their glasses off, wipe them down, and continue the process over and over while the non glasses wearing people are giggling at your expense?
We’ve researched many different ways to help this inconvenience and there’s really no perfect solution. A mask allows moisture from our breath to be directed through the top of the masks onto the glasses. The moisture collects on the glasses and results in the fog. When warm air hits a cool surface, condensation forms. The amount of fogging depends on the mask, the glasses, and on the facial structure of the person. Due to this, some people have more issues with it than others. Some activities also cause more fogging than others such as working out and doing strenuous activities that require heavy breathing. You may have heard of special anti-fog sprays, cloths, creams, and wipes. Be careful with these because chemicals can remain on the glasses and if they enter the eye could cause irritation to the cornea or chemical conjunctivitis. There are also many home remedies out there like dishwashing liquids or shaving creams that have touted results. However, soapy water and shaving cream also creates a thin film on the lenses that protect your glasses from temperature changes, which temporarily prevents what’s called surface tension, which causes glasses to fog up. Focusing on the proper seal is the most important thing rather than finding anti-fogging solutions. The purpose of the mask is to catch droplets and particles that are exiting your nose and mouth when you breath. Here’s some of the tips that we have found:
Before you put your mask on, dip your glasses in warm water to alleviate the fog.
If you’re ok with a film left on your glasses, a soapy water film can act as a fog barrier.
Position your glasses in a way to minimize fog. Wear your mask high on your face so your glasses sit on top of the mask.
Fabric based masks hug the face tighter and make more of a flush seal from nose to chin and prohibits steam from coming up into the eyeglass frame.
Tighten the straps of the mask.
Use a mask with wire or metal nose bridge that bends to the shape of your nose.
Placing a strip of tap along the top of your mask helps to prevent fogging.
Consider a switch to contact wearing vs glasses.
Finding the right mask with the right fit is the best solution.
Source:
webmd.com
Clevelandclinic.org
