What kind of mask should you wear in hazy days?

Many people wear masks when going out in hazy weather. Experts also emphasize that citizens should wear masks when traveling. However, there are now a wide variety of mask products on the market, which makes us feel dazzled. We can’t help but ask: What masks should we wear in hazy weather?

Wearing a mask is very particular. Masks sold on the market are generally divided into two types: rectangular and cup-shaped. When using a rectangular mask, press the wire on the mask to the bridge of the nose, and then spread the entire mask along the bridge of the nose to achieve its effectiveness. Children can be allowed to wear a rectangular surgical mask because it has no fixed shape and can fit snugly against the child's face if tied well. For cup-shaped masks, it is necessary to ensure that the density of the mask is sufficient after being attached to the face, so that the exhaled air will not leak out to be effective. When wearing a cup-shaped mask, you can cover the mask with both hands and try to blow air to check if there is air leaking from the edge of the mask. If the mask is not tightly closed, readjust the position before wearing it again.

In addition to shapes, masks are also divided into styles, including ordinary, sterilized, cotton and activated carbon masks, as well as N95 and KN90 masks, which are hot-selling these days. So what are N95 and KN90 masks? According to professionals, if the mask has a capture capacity of 90% for particles smaller than 2.5 microns, it is KN90, and if the capture capacity is 95%, it is N95.

Doctors suggest that in hazy weather, ordinary people are more suitable to wear KN90 masks. In such heavy haze weather, ordinary cotton masks have basically no protective effect; although N95 can filter 95% of PM2.5, it is tightly sealed and has poor breathability, making it not suitable for ordinary people to wear.

Doctors remind us that wearing professional protective masks such as N95 requires training, otherwise it may cause difficulty in breathing. For special groups, such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, they should choose more carefully. In contrast, the KN90 mask is more suitable for ordinary people. Although there is some stuffiness in the mouth and nose, it does not affect normal work and life.

In addition, the sterilization grade and ordinary grade marked on the outer packaging of the mask are only the cleanliness of the mask itself and have nothing to do with the filtration effect.

Although experts recommend wearing a mask when traveling in haze weather, masks should not be worn for a long time. Because the blood circulation of the human nasal mucosa is very strong, the passage in the nasal cavity is very tortuous, and the nose hairs form a "barrier" for filtration. When air is sucked into the nostrils, the airflow forms a vortex in the tortuous channel, which warms the airflow inhaled into the nasal cavity. If you wear a mask for a long time, the nasal mucosa will become fragile and the original physiological function of the nasal cavity will be lost, so you cannot wear a mask for a long time.