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Original poster

Is anyone exempt from wearing a mask but feels that they should try their best to wear one?

131 replies

girlbaby85 · 16/12/2021 19:20

I'm asthmatic and take two different coloured asthma pumps making me exempt from wearing a mask. When the mask wearing rule came into effect, I tried so hard to wear a mask even though I could barely breathe. I tried the fabric ones and the medical ones and neither worked for me. I then got pregnant and eventually gave up because I was constantly out of breath😂

When I had my baby I was very cautious of my surroundings so tried to wear my mask again as I didn't want to get ill. Some days were easier than others but I eventually gave up yet again. Fast forward to now and I'm pregnant again and with the new variant I've tried so hard to keep wearing a mask but it's literally hell!

DP says he doesn't know why I keep putting myself in this position of doing this when I know it makes it harder to breathe but I wondered if there's anyone else about that shares my pain? I think the reason why I keep trying to wear the mask is because I want to feel as if I'm doing my bit by keeping myself safe and other people. I find it so annoying that I can't wear one even though there's nothing I can do about it!

(I know there's bigger things to worry about so this is kind of lighthearted)

OP posts:
DynamiteFilledRadish · 17/12/2021 10:22

I'm not saying conditions don't vary, of course I know that - I'm not against you. I would consider you exempt. I'm talking about the people who simply say 'I have x' and don't wear a mask, when really they probably could wear one

Who are you to say "I would consider you exempt"?! It's nothing to do with you. If you want to wear one, do. That is where your involvement ends.

DynamiteFilledRadish · 17/12/2021 10:24

@Draggondragon

How do I know? How do you think? Maybe I work in a government position? Maybe I am a CMC officer? I'm not exactly going to move thousands of miles away to be a housewife Grin
Oh my god this is just embarrassing.

I bet you're SO grateful there is a name-change function!!

JemimaMuddledUp · 17/12/2021 10:24

I'm severely asthmatic (bad enough to have put me on the shielding list). I can wear a mask sitting down, but struggle if my asthma flares up to wear one walking. A lot also depends on the mask - I can't walk far in an FFP2 for example.

I try to wear one as much as I can, and if my asthma is bad I tend to just steer clear of indoor/crowded places where one would be needed.

santasmuma · 17/12/2021 10:25

Who are you to say "I would consider you exempt"?! It's nothing to do with you. If you want to wear one, do. That is where your involvement ends.

Oh goodness, in the context of the thread. I wasn't meaning anything other than that. Please don't think I am cutting about making judgment because I am absolutely not. This is part of a discussion on masks and exemption though and I was trying to show my initial comment had been misunderstood.

languagelover96 · 17/12/2021 10:27

I'm quite small and feel that way but I still wear a mask.

Comefromaway · 17/12/2021 10:33

Dd tries to wear a mask when she can but it causes sensory overload. She tries to wear one as she works in central london in a public facing position with lots of young children and she wants to try and avoid catching covid again.

But sometimes its just too much for her.

RebeccaManderley · 17/12/2021 10:34

I have asthma and get quite breathless but do wear a mask. I find the disposable ones are best. There are times I have to leave a shop in order to get out and take the mask off so I can catch my breath.

Holly60 · 17/12/2021 10:35

@girlbaby85

I'm asthmatic and take two different coloured asthma pumps making me exempt from wearing a mask. When the mask wearing rule came into effect, I tried so hard to wear a mask even though I could barely breathe. I tried the fabric ones and the medical ones and neither worked for me. I then got pregnant and eventually gave up because I was constantly out of breath😂

When I had my baby I was very cautious of my surroundings so tried to wear my mask again as I didn't want to get ill. Some days were easier than others but I eventually gave up yet again. Fast forward to now and I'm pregnant again and with the new variant I've tried so hard to keep wearing a mask but it's literally hell!

DP says he doesn't know why I keep putting myself in this position of doing this when I know it makes it harder to breathe but I wondered if there's anyone else about that shares my pain? I think the reason why I keep trying to wear the mask is because I want to feel as if I'm doing my bit by keeping myself safe and other people. I find it so annoying that I can't wear one even though there's nothing I can do about it!

(I know there's bigger things to worry about so this is kind of lighthearted)

OP I’d be more concerned about how uncontrolled your asthma is that a mask is making you breathless. That’s not right at all.

I’ve got chronic asthma that is controlled by a reliever and a preventer inhaler and a mask has never made the slightest bit of difference to how well I can breath.

I would recommend speaking to an asthma nurse as soon as you can.

You might find that once your asthma is under control, you can wear a mask….

TheVampiresWife · 17/12/2021 10:38

@RachC2021

Exempt but wear one.
If you can wear one you're not exempt. If your condition is fluctuating, and on some days you're able and some days you're not, on the days you can, you're not exempt.

There isn't a list of conditions which confer exemption - everyone experiences health issues differently.

What's unhelpful about posts like yours is, they give the impression that some (if not all) exempt people could wear masks if they only tried harder.

Comefromaway · 17/12/2021 10:41

I'm asthmatic and actually find wearing a mask in winter helps me because it's the cold air that makes me wheeze.

It gives me awful headaches as I get dehydrated but I can deal with that by sipping water a lot (of course I have to lift my mask for that)

But everyone is different.

TheVampiresWife · 17/12/2021 10:46

@Comefromaway

I'm asthmatic and actually find wearing a mask in winter helps me because it's the cold air that makes me wheeze.

It gives me awful headaches as I get dehydrated but I can deal with that by sipping water a lot (of course I have to lift my mask for that)

But everyone is different.

Exactly!

Some people with TN find masks beneficial, because cold winds can be a trigger. Some can't tolerate any touch at all to their face or head.

That's why there's no exhaustive list of exemptions, I think. And also why it's so unhelpful when people say 'I have X condition and if I can wear one, anyone can'.

Original poster
girlbaby85 · 17/12/2021 10:49

@Holly60 well if you're asthmatic you'll know that asthma impacts everyone differently. I recently had my asthma review and my asthma is already well controlled. Similar to what a PP said, it's even harder to wear a mask when I'm inside a building or in a shop as I feel like there's less air, that's what makes it so difficult. If I'm on a bus and hardly moving I feel okay, if I'm walking for a long period of time I start to struggle. It really just depends tbh

OP posts:
Holly60 · 17/12/2021 10:57

[quote girlbaby85]@Holly60 well if you're asthmatic you'll know that asthma impacts everyone differently. I recently had my asthma review and my asthma is already well controlled. Similar to what a PP said, it's even harder to wear a mask when I'm inside a building or in a shop as I feel like there's less air, that's what makes it so difficult. If I'm on a bus and hardly moving I feel okay, if I'm walking for a long period of time I start to struggle. It really just depends tbh[/quote]
Out of concern for you, it really does sound like your asthma isn’t well controlled if walking for a long period is making you breathless. As you will know, asthma flair ups are caused by the airways becoming swollen and irritated. This cannot be exacerbated by a mask as a mask will have no impact on your airways. Your feeling breathless is therefore caused by whatever makes your airways constrict, not the mask. Please get this checked out.

Holly60 · 17/12/2021 10:59

If your asthma was genuinely well controlled your airways would function like someone who doesn’t have asthma, and you would therefore have no problem wearing a mask

Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:03

What I am basically saying is that I totally agree that there is no way I could possibly wear a mask if I was having an asthma flair up. But because my asthma is well controlled I don’t tend to have many flair ups so I can wear a mask.

Wearing a mask will never CAUSE a flair up.

Original poster
girlbaby85 · 17/12/2021 11:06

Maybe you consider being breathless a 'flair up' but I don't. As I said, I had my asthma review recently and all was well. I used to have frequent asthma attacks and now I hardly do because of how well my asthma is managed. I'm overweight, pregnant AND I have asthma. Of course I'm going to be out of breath when I walk for long periods. A mask just makes it 10x harder. I never said wearing a mask causes anything, just that it makes things more difficult for me @Holly60

OP posts:
Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:08

@girlbaby85

Maybe you consider being breathless a 'flair up' but I don't. As I said, I had my asthma review recently and all was well. I used to have frequent asthma attacks and now I hardly do because of how well my asthma is managed. I'm overweight, pregnant AND I have asthma. Of course I'm going to be out of breath when I walk for long periods. A mask just makes it 10x harder. I never said wearing a mask causes anything, just that it makes things more difficult for me *@Holly60*
Being overweight and pregnant would probably cause you to be breathless, yes. But if your asthma is well controlled, it shouldn’t be making you breathless.

And if your asthma isn’t making you breathless, it’s just that you are overweight and pregnant, then you aren’t mask exempt, I’m afraid.

Original poster
girlbaby85 · 17/12/2021 11:15

Why are we having a debate on whether I'm exempt or not😂 I am very much exempt thank you. I've spoken to both my nurse and GP about wearing a mask and how it affects me and they've both advised to stop wearing it. Just because I'm overweight and pregnant doesn't mean that these thing's aren't having a knock on effect on my asthma which in turn then makes it more difficult to wear a mask. It's very simple so please go on someone else's thread and try to explain to them why/how they're not exempt @Holly60

I still try to wear a mask anyway so I'm not sure what your problem is

OP posts:
Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:21

@girlbaby85

Why are we having a debate on whether I'm exempt or not😂 I am very much exempt thank you. I've spoken to both my nurse and GP about wearing a mask and how it affects me and they've both advised to stop wearing it. Just because I'm overweight and pregnant doesn't mean that these thing's aren't having a knock on effect on my asthma which in turn then makes it more difficult to wear a mask. It's very simple so please go on someone else's thread and try to explain to them why/how they're not exempt *@Holly60*

I still try to wear a mask anyway so I'm not sure what your problem is

I don’t have a problem, it’s just that I see so many people using asthma as an excuse not to wear a mask, and the simple fact is that people who have well-controlled asthma should be able to wear a mask as they wander around the shops, as I do.

The fact is that you are overweight and pregnant is making you feel breathless and you don’t really like wearing a mask. It’s not really got anything to do with your (self confessed) well controlled asthma.

I would think your GP and the nurse couldn’t be bothered to fight you on this, and to be honest I’ve tried to explain asthma to you and you’ve not listened so I can sort of see why.

You carry on doing what you need to do.

Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:25

Also I would say there is a really easy way to tell if it’s your asthma or just general fitness. Breathing hard and deep - general fitness.
Wheezing and not being able to get air into your lungs - asthma.

If you are breathless because you are unfit you are not exempt.

If you are wheezing it’s badly controlled asthma.

Next time you are out ask yourself which it is and if it’s the former you should think about getting fitter at some point.

If it’s the latter you should see your asthma nurse.

Original poster
girlbaby85 · 17/12/2021 11:28

@Holly60 Every person I know that has asthma struggles to wear a mask and finds it more difficult to breathe than usual. Is that so hard to comprehend? I'm so sorry we don't feel as great as you do when out and about and wearing a mask! Bloody hell.

And where did I say I don't really like wearing a mask?? You're literally making things up to fit your own narrative, so delusional. Bye

OP posts:
Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:32

[quote girlbaby85]@Holly60 Every person I know that has asthma struggles to wear a mask and finds it more difficult to breathe than usual. Is that so hard to comprehend? I'm so sorry we don't feel as great as you do when out and about and wearing a mask! Bloody hell.

And where did I say I don't really like wearing a mask?? You're literally making things up to fit your own narrative, so delusional. Bye [/quote]
Who likes wearing a mask though? No one likes wearing a mask so I don’t think you can really tell me you DO like wearing a mask.

I could get away with not wearing a mask and claiming I’m exempt because of my asthma. In actual fact what I do is make sure I take my reliever with me. If I feel wheezy I pull my mask down, take my inhaler, and put it back on.

Holly60 · 17/12/2021 11:34

And yes if course it feels more difficult to breath through a mask- it’s a bit of material over your mouth and nose. That’s the same for everyone who is wearing a mask.

Innocenta · 17/12/2021 12:17

Asthma means you need to wear a mask more, not less. Hmm

Innocenta · 17/12/2021 12:20

[quote girlbaby85]@Holly60 Every person I know that has asthma struggles to wear a mask and finds it more difficult to breathe than usual. Is that so hard to comprehend? I'm so sorry we don't feel as great as you do when out and about and wearing a mask! Bloody hell.

And where did I say I don't really like wearing a mask?? You're literally making things up to fit your own narrative, so delusional. Bye [/quote]
Of course masks are uncomfortable and unpleasant. But it's better than dying of Covid, surely? I have bad asthma and an obstructive lung disease, am CEV, and was already needing to wear masks even before Covid! I'm not the only person in this position. It's totally normal to expect people with infectious respiratory illness to mask in hospital, as well - they did this long before Covid to reduce spread between patients.

I'm not trying to change your behaviour; obviously it's up to you what you actually do. But saying asthmatics can't or shouldn't wear masks is literally misinformation.