face masks and low oxygen: study debunks dangers
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a new mcmaster study proves, once again, that face masks don't have a negative impact of oxygen levels in our blood.
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there’s no getting around it: wearing a face mask can be pretty uncomfortable. it can fog up your glasses, lead to acne and dry eyes and feel unpleasantly restrictive. masks have also created a unique set of challenges for people with hearing impairments or cognitive and intellectual disabilities. but what about claims that wearing a face covering obstructs breathing and depletes oxygen to dangerous levels?
busting mask-suffocation myths
researchers with mcmaster university decided to take on the mask-suffocation myths spreading on social media — misinformation that tends to focus on masks and hypoxemia, a below-normal level of oxygen in blood.
in a letter published in the journal of the american medical association in october, the researchers focused specifically on hypoxemia. they studied 25 people over the age of 65 who didn’t have comorbid cardiac or respiratory conditions that could lead to hypoxia or dyspnea, the medical term for shortness of breath. the 13 men and 12 women were each given the exact same model of mask: a three-layer, plane-shaped disposable non-medical face mask with ear loops. they were also given instructions on how to properly wear the mask to ensure it covered their nose and mouth, as well as a portable pulse oximeter, a clip-like device that measures oxygen in blood.
participants wore the oximeter and measured oxygen saturation levels while at rest and while they were going about their daily activities. in 20 minute intervals, they monitored oxygen saturation before wearing the mask, while wearing the mask and then after taking it off.
“in this small crossover study, wearing a three-layer non-medical face mask was not associated with a decline in oxygen saturation in older participants,” the research letter states.
generally, older people have a lower baseline of oxygen saturation levels. the mean, or average, oxygen saturation level in the study was 96.1 per cent before, 96.5 per cent while, and 96.3 per cent after wearing the mask. none of the participants’ oxygen levels fell below 92 per cent while wearing a mask. according to the mayo clinic, oxygen saturation levels below 90 percent are considered low.
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“these results do not support claims that wearing non-medical face masks in community settings is unsafe,” the researchers said.
mcmaster researchers aren’t alone in trying to stop the spread of the false information. the world health organization and american lung association have also issued statements trying to clarify concerns about oxygen and face masks. in july, a doctor in ireland wore six face masks and measured his oxygen saturation level in a video to prove there’s no harm.
and there are many medical professionals who, even before the pandemic, regularly wore face masks without any issues. the american lung association puts it bluntly: “we wear masks all day long in the hospital. the masks are designed to be breathed through and there is no evidence that low oxygen levels occur.”
jonathan parsons, a pulmonologist at the ohio state university wexner medical center and director of the ohio state asthma center, has also written about why masks definitively don’t harm oxygen levels and are an important tool in stopping the spread of covid-19.
he says that some people may feel panicked while wearing a mask and there can be a real sense of anxiety with wearing one.
“there are those who may experience anxiety or claustrophobia when wearing a mask, the same way some panic when getting into an elevator or ct scanner,” he writes. “this can be hard to combat, especially when you’re in the middle of it.
“but there are a few things you can do to try to calm yourself: long, slow breaths may steady you, as will the knowledge that despite how you’re feeling, your lungs are getting exactly what they need.”
monika warzecha is the home page editor at healthing.ca
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