AIBU to wonder how people with glasses are managing with masks?

[DanceItOut]

Just to be clear from the start I absolutely have face masks and I have been wearing them on the handful of occasions I have been to the shop. I do understand that wearing one is more important than my discomfort.

However. Going around the shop today I literally had to wipe my glasses every time I breathed, I think it was worse today because of the colder wet weather. I cannot see without my glasses. I basically went around the shop intermittently hold my breath for as long as possible to minimise the number of times I was touching my face to remove and wipe my glasses because we aren’t supposed to touch our faces but when I didn’t wipe them I actually walked straight into another persons trolley.

Now quite obviously it MUST be possible to avoid this issue because how else would doctors and nurses manage? So it must be possible but I even brought some spray which apparently is anti fog but it did nothing.

Has anyone else found a solution to this? AIBU to wonder how the medical profession do it and ask them to share their wisdom?

@Sennetti

its no good doing that when working an 8 hour shift

answering the phone is impossible with a mask as well so its glasses off, mask off to answer, then reverse to put back on

Why can't you answer a phone with mask on? I wear a mask and visor for 9 hours a day at work and use the telephone all bloody day, it never stops ringing occasionally! People can hear me fine.

Also people saying put shaving cream and washing up liquid etc on them, please don't. This will eventually damage coatings and could cost you a fortune in new lenses.

I'm not coping. I asked at the opticians - they suggested a tissue between the mask and my face. It doesn't work. Neither does the nose wire bit - this only works if you have a prominent nose bridge - optician showed my why it was an issue for some people / same thing affects glasses fitting. I will not use anti fogging sprays as they can damage glasses coatings. I also find putting my glasses on top of the mask affects the way my varifocals sit and make my vision a bit odd. I hate the masks

Please people, don't use the disposable masks. There is no excuse now as there are loads of reusable for sale and they are a blight on the environment. Literally BILLIONS of them going into landfill and left lying about. Why use disposable? Have we really not figured this out yet?I despair

And what pisses me off more than anything is the fact I now touch my glasses and mask loads because I cannot bloody see properly. I was safer mask free

I was worried about this as without my glasses I am pretty much blind and last time I wore a mask was when we did diy and I could not see a thing so had to give up on wearing one.

I bought masks with nose wire and oh my gosh they are great. Didn't have any problems at all and we were out for almost 2 hours.

I think i have a freaky nose and cheek shape as the wire over the nose hasnt helped. I will be trying tape next but havent had a chance.

I wear disposable because i find the fabric ones even worse to fit with my glasses.

Medical tape helps along the seam.

Be careful about spraying anti fog or using washing up liquid on your lenses. If you've had any coatings on your lenses it could wreck them. I wish people would stop giving out this 'advice'.

@wagtailred you aren't the only one. It is to do with nose structure if you don't have a prominent bridge /certain type of nose it won't work

i sound muffled in a mask,i've had a few difficult calls where the other end keep asking me to repeat myself, the whole thing is just a pain. the masks with vents in the thicker material are the worst for it

also, i'm feeling hoarse and throat is sore, i'm hoping this is normal and temporary

I do think it is also dependent on the shape of your glasses. I have wide/short frames, not the bigger, rounder type that has come back into fashion.

Tomorrow I'm off to Sainsburys.
I have disposable masks.
I need glasses to drive and see where I'm going, tbh
I'm going to try leaving my glasses in the car and fumbling around the store

I'll let you know how it goes if I don't end up in A&E

@IwishIwasyoda

And what pisses me off more than anything is the fact I now touch my glasses and mask loads because I cannot bloody see properly. I was safer mask free

God, definitely. I have to keep touching my face because my glasses fall down or fog up and I can't see. I can't wear contacts either.

My eyesight is bad enough that I qualify for free tests and money towards my glasses - going out without them is not an option!

Washing up liquid on the tips of your fingers, rub into lenses, dry/rub off with kitchen towel. Mine have never steamed up with any mask I've worn.

@Lipz

Washing up liquid on the tips of your fingers, rub into lenses, dry/rub off with kitchen towel. Mine have never steamed up with any mask I've worn.

I wish people would stop recommending this. If you have coating on your glasses, this can totally ruin them.

I can't make it work either so I mostly don't wear my glasses and then I'm really clumsy interspersed with putting them back on and holding my breath. I had to have an eye test and had to keep putting them on / taking them off. Fortunately I don't have to go anywhere very often.

100PCS Aluminum Nose Bridge Strips, 90mm Aluminum Strips Nose Wire, Self Adhesive Metal Flat Nose Clips Nose Bridge Bracket DIY Wire for Sewing Crafts (100) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088YJPMH1/ref=cmswwrcpptai_gQXhFb6F11TEE

We bought these from amazon and have stuck them on to all our existing masks. We have also given them to glasses wearing friends. They have made a big difference when wearing sunglasses and glasses. No more fogging up

I wear glasses and have this problem too.

I saw a YouTube vid about this, where a man folded a tissue into a shape around 4 x 1 inches, then placed that under the mask and pushed the wire to hold it in place. I think that would work, but there was a comment with a better idea - sew a piece of foam across the top of the mask (or if you're making your own, perhaps insert it into the top when you place the wire into the casement there).

I haven't tried these ideas yet, but can imagine if you seal the top of your mask in this way, it would stop your warm breath from reaching your glasses.

Ideally I would like one of those wrap around visors, one which goes completely around and over the head, has a filter and a sort of plastic skirt sround the bottom to stop anything coming in underneath it. Fairly new design and I imagine not cheap, but probably more comfy than a mask. Drawback would be that I'd look like a wanna-be astronaut/totally paranoid idiot. Also, seems way over the top and I think they're really designed for use by medics.

Don't put washing up liquid on your lenses if you have coatings. You'll wreck them.

Masking tape or medical tape on the nose bridge works.

@IwishIwasyoda

And what pisses me off more than anything is the fact I now touch my glasses and mask loads because I cannot bloody see properly. I was safer mask free

This is why I'll try leaving my glasses off and hope I find get back to the car in one piece.

I am looking for a solution to this too because I need to be able to see to drive. I have special anti fog wipe, which helps but only for a few minutes and then it starts again. I can’t use the washing up liquid thing because of coatings, I have the masks with wire, ive tried ear loops and back loops and everything starts steaming up very quickly. I can’t medically wear contact lenses.

We just tried a few different masks till we found what worked.

@ChanklyBore why do you need to wear the mask to drive?is that your job?

A strip of micropore tape along the top edge fixes the problem.

I wear my specs over the top of the mask, plus 1 cm wide elastic attached to the arms has stopped them falling off my sweaty nose when bending forward while shopping.