Respirators are one more complement to our daily attire. As of today, Thursday, May 21, the use of face masks is mandatory for people over 6 years old if the safety distance cannot be kept. There are still those who are not used to wearing it and those who wonder if it really serves as protection.
Dr. Joaquin Lamela López, pulmonologist and specialist in respiratory pathologies, reminds us that its use responds to the need to keep us protected against a health risk and adds that masks are always used for a reason.
To avoid contamination in a polluted environment, for certain jobs in dusty environments or to avoid infection in the case of a pandemic such as the current one, and concludes that continued use may cause discomfort, but does not damage the lungs.
First unknown is: masks do not damage the lungs.
Now, in recent days, symptoms have appeared that could be associated with the prolonged use of masks, such as dizziness, discomfort or tiredness, but Dr. Lamela López maintains that it is difficult to measure and objectify and, therefore, to associate directly to the use of the mask.
For example, two people enter a hot place and one complains of a feeling of being overwhelmed and the other does not. All of us, in any imaginable situation, can have different sensations. What is clear to the pulmonologist is that there is no risk of hypoxia, reduction of oxygen in the tissues, because we breathe ambient air through the masks and these do not reduce the oxygen pressure of the ambient air. There is also no risk of acidification of the blood or increase of lactic acid.
If air does not enter and exit normally through the mask, as happens when breathing through a plastic or paper bag closed at throat level, then the carbon dioxide that leaves the body with exhalation could stop being eliminated and rise in the blood, giving rise to respiratory acidosis, but this does not happen.
There is also no risk of lactic acid increase because there is no hypoxemia (decrease of oxygen pressure in the blood) or elevation of carbon dioxide pressure in the blood (hypercapnia).
Does oxygen saturation decrease?
Many people wonder if the use of surgical masks could decrease oxygen saturation, but the specialist assures that oxygen saturation can decrease with or without a mask, if the person voluntarily hypoventilates, i.e. decreases the number and/or depth of breaths.
As for patients suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems, the use of surgical masks is recommended. Finally, when asked about the use of these masks during sports practice, he warns that it is not necessary to use them as long as there is no risk of contagion.
Beware of illegal masks
The European Union’s Rapid Alert System warns about the marketing of filtering face masks that do not comply with protection regulations. These are masks type FFP2 or equivalent. In Spain they come from the company Garry Galaxy and were distributed among health personnel and workers in residential homes.
At the time they were labeled as medium protection masks, FFP2, but after the results of the report requested by the Hospital Universitari Parc Raulí, it has been concluded that they do not meet the requirements of the European standards set by the Spanish Association for Standardization. Now that the extent of its danger is known, the Ministry of Health has ordered its withdrawal.
Finally, remember to protect yourself with appropriate masks.