Sitting in Tesco carpark, worrying about mask and asthma .Please talk me down. I'm sure I'm being daft.

[Dilbertian]

I want to wear a mask. It is the right thing to do. I've worn masks since we were advised to do so. But I've started struggling with them.

My asthma is not well controlled at the moment and I've gone from being fine for up to 1.5 hours in a mask, to starting to feel uncomfortable within minutes of wearing one. Yet I can still cope for an hour if I take my inhaler beforehand - it's just uncomfortable. But because the asthma is problematic right now, I feel uncomfortable many times a day anyway. So wearing a mask won't necessarily make my day any worse than it would have been without the mask.

Sure, I can be exempt from wearing a mask. But I want to wear a mask. I work in education, so am very exposed - I should wear a mask to protect others from me. And I really, really, do not want to have to keep justifying myself. Especially if I cough - which I'm likely to, of course, as I have asthma.

So I'm sitting here in the carpark worrying about doing my shopping wearing a mask, and worrying about doing my shopping not wearing a mask!

oh no, poor you, did you manage to get into the shop?

Ahh you poor thing. What did you do in the end?

If your asthma is going to flare up I really wouldn't wear one or maybe try a visor? I've ditched the cloth masks (was trying to be good for the environment) and gone back to the paper ones which are so much easier to breathe in.

If wearing a mask might make your asthma flare up then please DON’T wear one. I understand your wanting to for the greater good but please don’t do something that’s going to be detrimental to your health.

I struggle with masks as I wear glasses and they fog up. Luckily I’m long sighted so walking around the supermarket isn’t a problem it’s just if I have to read something eg. I need to buy eggs so it’ll take me a few seconds longer to focus on the writing on the egg box to identify whether the eggs are large or medium. What annoys me is non mask wearers coming into my personal space to get their eggs because they can’t wait a few more seconds (5 secs max) until I’ve worked it out. Times are tough at the moment and we all need to be more tolerant of each other needs.

I’ve been making masks with boning inside. They touch my face around all the edges, but have a little protected space inside that keeps the cloth off my nostrils and lips. It really helps.

I hoiked up my big girl pants, took a drag on my inhaler and masked up. TBH the anxiety about feeling rough is worse than the asthma itself. Because if I feel rough I can stop what I'm doing, I can take another puff, I can walk away from the shopping - but I can't walk away from anxiety. So it's better to do something than to worry about which thing to do.

Anyway, I survived. So now I feel slightly tight, but I don't feel anxious. Until next week's supermarket run.

I wonder could you try now to book a click and click slot for next week op?

@GlowingOrb

I’ve been making masks with boning inside. They touch my face around all the edges, but have a little protected space inside that keeps the cloth off my nostrils and lips. It really helps.

That's a good idea. I've made masks in a variety of shapes and sizes, but have had to use disposables since it got cold s they're the only ones that I can tuck under my glasses to reduce fogging. I used interfacing to give shapes masks rigidity, but that of course reduces their breathability. I might try again with lighter fabric and boning. Thanks for the idea.

My asthma is also bad at the moment, on good days I wear the mask on bad days I don't. Asthmatics are exempt for a reason don't feel guilty do what you can when you can

what inhaler are you on and have you talked to your doctor about stepping up?

I struggle with masks and have got some rubber inserts that go under the masks, it certainly makes wearing them better.

I'm asthmatic and it's not well controlled at the moment. I can't cope with fabric face coverings but am fine with disposable surgical masks. Less kind on the environment but needs must. Have you tried them?

If obstructing your airways is affecting your breathing, then it is not to the greater good to wear a mask. A legal exemption applies with good reason.

I tried and had difficulties within a minute or two. Twice, I've even had difficulties with the visor that I wear in most environments. I often have to remove all additional clothing to avoid overheating on my own breath before my breathing goes and last week I ended up hyperventilating in the 3-4 minutes or so that it took to pick up DS's inhalers in the pharmacy. Oh the irony!

I don't take the visor to the DCs' swimming lessons because the humidity and noise isn't far from sensory overload anyway. The chances of going into distress there are very high, and hyperventilating within minutes is just going to breathe out more aerosol than calmly breathing with a bare face.

At the supermarket, I go at quiet times in the evening where there are few people around, a more effective measure than covering your face anyway. I go to few other indoor environments anyway.

You're doing brilliantly, and it's been so much more of an effort for you than for most people. I really applaud your attitude and your achievement.

Now that everyone who wants a Christmas slot has got one (or given up) and that we're out of lockdown, the availability of delivery slots has improved quite a lot. Perhaps you could try to reduce the number of times you need to be indoors with other people by using that? And click and collect for as much other shopping as possible.

Also, consider something like wearing a buff pulled up over your face. I know the protection it offers others is not terribly good, but it might make things easier for you.

Don't bother with a visor - that really doesn't offer worthwhile protection (everything except splatter goes straight round the edges)

Also have asthma and hate wearing masks as l feel like l can't breathe, l dare not wear one though in case people moan at me. So what l did was make a mask that ties at the back of my head, l then tie fairly it loose and l find that helps. Good luck with your next shopping trip.

if you have 23 quid and don't mind looking like darth vader, the masks (respirators) from the diy stores are easier to breath in as they are off your face. the only problem is your mask comes round the corner five minutes before you do. It is huge!

I've been having a similar problem recently - asthma has flared making mask wearing harder. So I've moved away from my cloth mask at the moment and using a paper one instead. Not great for the environment but better than me collapsing in a heap in the baked bean aisle...

Click and collect.

You’re right you can’t walk away from anxiety but to avoid putting yourself through it can you try getting shopping delivered it by click and collect? Or if you want to go to the shop can you get a sunflower lanyard to show you’re exempt? I know it’s not required and shouldn’t be necessary, but it might reduce your anxiety about being challenged or getting dirty looks.