![]() It's important to note that the majority of the time, with health care workers as an exception, the general public is not wearing face masks for prolonged periods of time, meaning a dangerous build-up of CO2 is unlikely.Īdditionally, the CDC told Reuters, "The CO2 will slowly build up in the mask over time. Other cloth face masks typically are even more porous. The same Facebook post claimed face masks "block your exhaling of carbon dioxide and then you breathe it back in … it destroys lung tissue." The viral meme suggests wearing a mask can increase a wearer's chance of carbon dioxide poisoning.Īs noted, surgical masks are porous, allowing for normal respiratory function. Will face masks cause carbon dioxide toxicity?Ĭarbon dioxide toxicity, or hypercapnia, is a condition that results from too much carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, which can be caused by rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide. "This misinformation may arise from the feeling of lack of air due to mechanical obstruction depending on the type of mouthpiece we are using. But the feeling of obstruction is because we are not used to using the mouth mask. But as such it will not cause us any kind of hypoxia," Dr. Daniel Pahua Díaz, an academic from the Department of Public Health at the National Autonomous University of Mexico medical school, told Animal Político earlier in May. Will a mask give the wearer hypoxia? Simply, no. ![]() it is not healthy to have your oxygen level at that." The post did not specify which type of mask it was referencing.Ī healthy oxygen intake level, or the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood, ranges from 95-100%, with anything below 90% considered low, according to Mayo Clinic. One Facebook post claimed "wearing a mask for an 8 hour shift can reduce your oxygen intake level to a 93 if you have healthy lungs. Will face masks cause hypoxia?Ī reduced oxygen intake level may lead to hypoxemia, a condition where there is low arterial oxygen supply, or hypoxia, a condition where the supply of oxygen in tissue is insufficient. The CDC does advise that cloth face coverings should not be placed on children younger than 2, those who have trouble breathing or anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the mask without help. The CDC has requested the general public reserve N95 respirator masks for health care workers, but members of the public and other industries do still have access to them.ĭespite the N95 mask's proven filtration effectiveness, research has found that the masks can inhibit the wearer's breathing if worn for extended periods of time, particularly in cases where the person has an existing respiratory illness. Neither the CDC nor the World Health Organization has issued warnings suggesting the use of surgical face masks would result in dangerous oxygen level depletion within the general public. It is common for surgeons and other scientists or health care workers to wear face masks, particularly N95 respirators, for prolonged periods of time. Non-N95 masks also are porous, allowing air to flow in and out and permitting normal respiratory functions, while limiting the release of respiratory droplets. Surgical masks, which are disposable, and other types of cloth face masks are looser fitting, making it highly unlikely that wearers would see significant depletions in their oxygen intake. ![]()
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