The mask appeared a very long time ago, at a time when the Spaniard was raging around the world. At that time, the device looked intimidating - like the beak of a huge crow, in whose bowels a bag of medicinal herbs was put.
Nowadays, a rectangle of non-woven material is worn by both employees of medical institutions and those who care about their own health. How to wear a medical mask to protect yourself from infections? Let's figure it out together.
Who should wear a mask during infections
There is a lot of controversy about this: during the period of the spread of infections, those who are sick and those who do not want to be sick try to wear protection. And who should wear it first? After many studies, epidemiologists concluded: a medical mask worn on a sick person will not affect the spread of infection in public places. From this we conclude that protection is needed for healthy people so as not to catch the virus while in public places. So if you do not want to get infected, there is nothing else to do but to put on a medical mask for your own health.
Which side to wear a medical mask
Disposable products are divided by purpose: for dentists, surgeons, procedures and for general use. In order to make it easier to wear, mask manufacturers supply their products with a nasal retainer, thanks to which it fits more tightly to the face, thereby maximizing the blocking of microbial exit from a sick person.
The essence of the application is clear, but the question remains: which side and how to wear a medical mask to the patient. After all, usually it is two-tone. It turns out that there is no significant color difference. The main guideline is the nasal retainer. Its manufacturers are necessarily sewn inside the product. That is, from the side that should be adjacent to the face. Usually this is the white side, and the color is turned out. In addition to these definitions, the manufacturer indicates important information on the packaging of the product. That is, if the manufacturer made, for example, the inner layer absorbent, and the outer one water-repellent, then he will definitely indicate this on the packaging of the product. If these characteristics are indicated, then the mask will be effective only with the correct position on the face.
Why wear a medical mask if you do not know how to wear it? If you fix the product on your face incorrectly, it will not be able to fulfill its task and will be completely useless.
How long should wear a mask
Medical masks differ in the components that were used in the production. Some manufacturers supplement them with properties such as a water-repellent layer, antibacterial or moisture-absorbing. But even these modifications do not allow the product to be worn longer than the prescribed time. So how much can you wear a medical mask?
The manufacturers, based on the calculations, summing up the humidity, purity and physical activity, voiced the following requirements:
- a mask that is treated with an antibacterial agent can be worn for up to five hours;
- equipped with a simple paper filter change every two hours.
But if your mask is wet from breathing, coughing or sneezing, then it should be changed immediately, with whatever filter or layer it is. During epidemics, it needs to be changed every hour for those who are sick and those who do not want to get infected. It is very important not to touch the used mask with your hands. If you need to change it, grasp only the earloops, but in no case the protective layer in which microbes and viruses have accumulated.
What a disposable medical mask consists of
The modern medical mask is very different from those that were used literally fifteen years ago. Previously, they were a gauze rectangle folded in several layers and fixed on the crown with four ties.
These impractical masks have been replaced by more effective and lighter disposable ones made of polymer, hypoallergenic materials. They are very comfortable to wear and also the absence of a foreign smell. You can wear this medical mask as much as you like without fear of allergies or shortness of breath. A modern product usually consists of three layers, the middle layer is filtering. It is attached thanks to thin ear gum very easily. Products are produced both for adult size (175 x 95), and for children (140 x 80).
How to wear a mask: recommendations of doctors
Medical mask for single use only.
- The mask is placed on the face so that it covers the nose, chin and mouth.
- The plastic fastener sewn into the product is tightly adjusted in the shape of the nose to a full fit.
- The folds on the mask must be straightened in order to give a streamlined shape that does not allow the infection to penetrate from the outside.
- After you have fixed the product on your face, it is not recommended to touch it with your hands.
- During the spread of infection, the mask should be worn continuously in crowded places.
- After you touch the product on your face, wash your hands with antibacterial soap.
- It is strictly forbidden to shift the mask to the chin or neck while wearing.
- If blood, mucus, or anything else has spilled onto the product, immediately dispose of it and put on a new one.
- To remove the used mask is necessary only for the earloops or ties, and not for the protective layer.
- Change the product every two hours.
Forewarned is forearmed
Despite the fact that many are skeptical about the effectiveness of medical masks, practice has shown that the proper use of this protective agent helps to slow the spread of the epidemic.
Now you know how much medical masks are worn, how they are changed and what they consist of. This knowledge will help you minimize the risks of infection during the rampant epidemics and infections.