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?

Nurse here. I've noticed that once you have it on for a while it stops steaming up anyway. Wa having awful problems with my fabric one. But discovered that it's ok if it's sitting on the very end if my nose.

All my colleagues wear the things at the back of the head. But my hair is so straight that they won't stay on my head!

Not only steam - yesterday I went out and just before I put my mask on (at threshold Of shop) I had a mint. Halfway through buying whatever my eyes werE streaming with tears as all of the mint vapours were Going directly into my eyes. I had to leave shop and stand outside with mask off before returning. never again !!

I wonder how much of it depends on the style of glasses you wear as well? I imagine the style, size of lenses, types of coating, whether you've had your lenses thinned etc. all play a part in it.

For me, living in Cumbria, it's the windy, rainy weather that means I struggle. I have to put my mask on before entering a shop, but in the meantime my glasses get wet, so when I go inside they steam up and I can't see due to the raindrops. That happens even without a mask on!

Then I have to take my glasses off, dry them a few times, pop them on again and then they steam up anyway. I have a a metal wire, the mask is fitted properly but it seems to make no difference. I've tried 3-4 types of mask and none are any better than the others!

I resorted to contacts for a prolonged shopping trip yesterday. I don’t really get on with contacts but seemed the less stressful option!

I wonder how much of it depends on the style of glasses you wear as well?

And the size and shape of your nose/face and how high you wear your glasses.

If I put the mask high enough on my nose for glasses to sit on top the damn mask is in my eyes. Just ordered some fabric ones yesterday, hoping they'll fit better than the disposable ones. Obviously at the moment I'm just putting up with the discomfort (or sending DH to the shops if I can.)

We aren't. It's very steamy.

Disposable mask, wire moulded to the contour of the bridge of my nose, mask goes on first, pulled up so that the glasses rest just over the top of it.

No steaming issues at all, no mucking about with washing up liquid, rainex, aftershave etc.

The steaming occurs when you have a low or ill-fitting mask that permits vapours to escape from the top.

www.facebook.com/100007063419231/posts/2760776067501147/?d=n

Double layered white cotton ones I bought from a discount supermarket do not mist my glasses. [Am I allowed to mention the name?] And they fit snugly under the glasses if I want to wear them that way.
However the ones given out by a local business in a black lycra-type material mist horribly and were a nightmare to wear. Only wore them once.

I got some from a company called Stempunk. Go quite high up on your face and wire at the top, so no fogging.

Took ages to arrive in the post though - think they're a pretty small outfit.

Must remember to buy more this weekend!

I have to take mine off because the bloody things steam up when I breathe and I can't see. Luckily I can see OK without my glasses, but it makes reading a bit awkward.

I just put my glasses over the top of the mask. I have the black fabric washable ones. Can't say they've never steamed up but it's not a big problem. My glasses are short of rounded off squares

I think the issue with varifocals depends on whether you have any other vision issues. I have astigmatism so there is huge distortion if I don't look through exactly the right bit ...

@IwishIwasyoda

I think the issue with varifocals depends on whether you have any other vision issues. I have astigmatism so there is huge distortion if I don't look through exactly the right bit ...

Same here.

@IwishIwasyoda

I think the issue with varifocals depends on whether you have any other vision issues. I have astigmatism so there is huge distortion if I don't look through exactly the right bit ...

This is my experience, too.i can get by for distance vision, for short periods, without them, so long as there are no stairs or markings on the floor to contend with, but I can't see what I'm buying, which defeats the object, really.

I also have a large, bony nose and bending the wire to a snug enough fit to reduce the fogging hurts my nose and gives me horrendous headaches, after a while.

I'm currently wearing contact lenses when I go out, distance vision only, and then just wearing reading glasses when I need to read anything. mostly gets around the varifocal bit, but I appreciate it won't work for everyone.

As it's so sunny, I bought some stick on reading inserts to add to my sunglasses, which also help when wearing contact lenses.

@IwishIwasyoda

I think the issue with varifocals depends on whether you have any other vision issues. I have astigmatism so there is huge distortion if I don't look through exactly the right bit ...

Thank you. It's frustrating that just because some people are OK in theirs, that we all have different vision/glasses so will have different experiences.

Glasses steaming up just shows that cloth face masks give nowhere near the level of protection that some people think they do.

Do you have a mask with a wire over the nose? I find if I wear one that does, then tuck the top of the mask under my glasses they don't steam up as much

This. I wore one yesterday for about 10 hours all told. My glasses didn't fog up, and if they did, well, they unfog pretty quickly. It's hardly as bad as in the winter in normal times.

Just deal with it people.

I'm waiting an appt for contact lenses but I'm an hour twice a day on the train

I'm managing just fine thanks - varifocals too. Just make sure you press the wire firmly round your nose.

@Charleyhorses

I'm waiting an appt for contact lenses but I'm an hour twice a day on the train

Good luck. I can't wear lenses every day as my eyes are too dry.

I just tuck mine under my glasses but made my own so slightly bigger x

Just deal with it people

This is very irritating. On a board where people are sharing tips and trying to help each other. I have the wire masks, pinched tightly, but still get fogged up. I also have varifocals so wearing glasses on tip of nose doesn’t work as I’d have to tip my head up to the ceiling to be able to read which doesn’t help when you are trying to read a sign on a shelf. Just looking for any other ideas since we are going to be doing this for a while.