I'm wondering what types of medical conditions prevent people from wearing masks

[lovelemoncurd]

I'm trying to understand the rationale for not wearing masks. Patients with respiratory conditions routinely wear masks in hospital and it's not a problem so what are the conditions that are prohibiting mask use. After all coronavirus must surely trump them?

As I said (maybe not in here..) I do wonder which is more effective. the mask, or keeping distance from others. As it seems to be one or the other for many. I would say if possible, best to do both which would surely make the most sense. Shouldn't be either or.

And the answer is both, though for many people it seems to be one or the other or neither.

I'll be blowed if I'm expected to go back into shielding in order to protect ITU beds for younger people (as was reported over the weekend) while other people are merrily exercising their rights not to wear masks or socially distance.

"Personally don’t see any medical issues that prevent people wearing masks lots of doctors have gave evidence on this"

Anyone who uses "lots of" as their evidence is 99.9% of the time, talking shite.

"I did ask about requesting people not wearing a mask use another till - it's being looked into."

I hope you get that agreed to. It's a reasonable request from someone who has been shielding. A notice that people can see when they arrive at the queue would be helpful.

I finally went to the supermarket today, the first time since the rules came in. Had avoided it because I was scared of being questioned by the same kind of judgemental people as on here. But couldn't get out of it today as alcohol was needed and my husband was away (and kids too young!). It was absolutely fine. I am so relieved.

Out of interest does anyone know why asthma suffers are exempt? How does wearing a mask affect asthma?

I put on a mask. I get an asthma attack. Simple. Once, many years ago, I had an asthma attack due to a mask that was so bad I ended up in ICU.

Out of interest does anyone know why asthma suffers are exempt? How does wearing a mask affect asthma?

Warm air is one of my asthma triggers and wearing a mask quickly causes me to get asthma symptoms of a tight chest and breathlessness.

Out of interest does anyone know why asthma suffers are exempt? How does wearing a mask affect asthma?

There’s also a lot of COPD and emphysema that gets labelled as “asthma” to avoid hurting people’s feelings (I am not blaming the patients for this, I’m blaming the doctors - I know several GPs who do this out of misplaced politeness).

If you have severe COPD, and retain CO2, anything that impedes gas exchange could stop you breathing. Even too much oxygen can stop you breathing (because it turns off the “low oxygen” drive to breathe).

So I can see that it’s easier to just give everyone with airways disease a pass than to run that risk.

I wear a mask on public transport and shops but might stop as i really become unwell. I have ocd and anxiety and cannot bare anything touching my mouth and face to the point i actually fainted in the supermarket this week because of the mask.

I have 3 conditions that would exempt me, including COPD.
I've worn a mask in shops since march.
I have a pulse oximeter and I've proved a mask makes no difference to O2 stats.
Since there is no chance now to contain the virus we have 3 means of reducing risk - social distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask.
Until they make a vaccine, and until we know it will be available worldwide, that's all we've got!

@DianaT1969

I'm amazed at how many people start threads about masks. It's an obsession on MN. It's a covering that medical staff and dentists have worn for years. You'd think we've been asked to put a badger's fanjo over our faces.

Yes, I wore one as a dental nurse for years. I would find it very easy to wear one now.

But your comment is SO ignorant and your assumed thinking of some sort of correlation between medical staff wearing them and so civilians being able to wear them is laughable.

My autistic daughter, who has debilitating SPD would not be able to cope. I can't even get her to wear sanitary towels each month and it has taken me a over a YEAR to get her to wear modibodi underwear for her period, so this time next year she will be ready to go with face masks. But because I wore them, it should be easy for her, right??

"I have 3 conditions that would exempt me, including COPD.
I've worn a mask in shops since march."

If you can wear a mask you are not one of the people who are exempt.

All these people pointing fingers and judging. You do realise these little pretty cloth masks that people wear day on day out and rarely wash are probably worse than useless? They are there to make people feel better and kick start the economy. The way you judge is disgusting and also pointless, too

I've worn a mask in shops since march.

You can wear a mask so you're not exempt it's that easy.

I hate wearing one, but I can wear one so I'm not exempt either.

Some people can not wear one so they are exempt.

It's that easy.

@YNK it’s CO2 levels that are the issue with COPD. From rebreathing expired air around the mask.

May not be an issue for you, but as you are aware COPD is a spectrum, and it genuinely has been a problem for some of our inpatients (confirmed on ABG). We make all dialysis patients wear a mask during treatment, and we have had people become unrousable. The same ones who stop breathing on 0.5L O2 because it knocks off their hypoxic drive.

I agree the ones who don’t want to wear it because it gives them spots, or they can’t be bothered carrying it around, can fuck off.