Mask alarm: How wearing a mask can lead to shortness of breath

And how I helped someone who had that exact issue.

It seems that measuring oxygen levels are being used in the mask debate, showing 95% plus when wearing a mask, or when wearing six masks, or even shortly after running while wearing a mask.

Wearing six masks proves the point that masks don’t lead to hypoxia, low levels of oxygen in organ tissues. However, it is vital to know that information rarely helps people who suffer anxiety. The original YouTube video can be viewed here.

For those who genuinely have issues when wearing a mask, these presentations rarely help.

Don’t get me wrong, they are a well intended part of the equation that shows that the masks themselves allow the passage of life-giving oxygen.

What it comes down to is size. The pore size of a N95 mask is around 5,000 nm, whereas a molecule of oxygen is close to 0.3 nm. That’s a size difference of a factor of 15,000 times.

However all these facts don’t address the very real issue that a number of people have when wearing masks: anxiety. And anxiety can lead to a full-blown panic attack.

Anxiety is a very real cause of breathing issues — though not as most think

It is very common with people experiencing severe anxiety to hear complaints of shortness of breath, even dizziness.

Paradoxically the cause usually is hyperventilation: too much oxygen!

The symptoms are pretty much identical to hypoxia, and the subject is often highly aware of taking rapid, shallow breaths.

Drs. Alicia E. Meuret and Thomas Ritz, in their paper on Hyperventilation said:

“Among the most frequent and distressing symptoms reported by panic patients are sensations of shortness of breath, together with palpitations and faintness. Other physical symptoms include dizziness and light-headedness, sensations of chest pain or pressure, as well as tingling sensations in the extremities…