Simple trick can stop glasses from fogging over with coronavirus mask, says Winnipeg optometrist

As more and more people start wearing face masks, more and more people with glasses are running into a not-so-clear problem — foggy glasses.

But there are things you can do to clear things up, according to Winnipeg-based optometrist, Dr. Nadine Shelton.

Shelton says there’s actually a couple tricks, depending on the style of mask you’re wearing.

Some masks have a thin layer of metal on the top that can be pinched, creating a tighter seal around the nose. Shelton says to definitely take advantage of that feature if you can.

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“You just want to make sure you pinch it as tight as you can,” she said.

“But if that’s not enough you can also do a sort of weather-stripping trick.”

Shelton’s “weather-stripping trick” can be used on all types of masks, including homemade ones, and involves using a Kleenex to further stop any of your breath from heading up up your nose and under your glasses.

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“You take a little bit of Kleenex that you fold up, you’re going to put that into the very top of the nose part,” she said.

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“That kind of stops the air from going up into the glasses.”

If all else fails, you can also make sure the top of your fabric mask rides up as high as it can go over your nose, Shelton suggests.

“So that it’s actually close to your eyes, but your glasses are actually pushing down on the mask and that’s going to stop it from fogging,” she said.

“It’s not perfect all the time, but it works.”

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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

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