Does your mask have you walking around in a fog?

We are committed to wearing masks to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, but for eyeglass, sunglass, or safety goggle wearers, masks can cause the nuisance of foggy lenses. When warm breath escapes upward from under the mask, the cooler lens surface often mists up. But don’t ditch the mask – the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests some ways to help prevent the fog:  

• Use masks that have a tight seal around your face, especially the top part that goes over the bridge of the nose. Many masks have a flexible wire insert that you can pinch to shape over your nose. A good seal at the top of a mask will help prevent airflow from coming up onto your glasses.
• Also, you can fold the top edge of the mask inward before you put it on, to create a narrow cuff that will help divert breath to the sides rather than upward.
• An anti-fogging solution or even gently washing your lenses with soap and water before wearing them may help.* Gently shake the excess droplets from the lenses and let them air dry. This will create a film that may keep water droplets from building up and fogging your lenses.
•  Put the mask on first and pull it up high on your nose. Then, put your glasses on so they rest on top of the upper edge of the mask, helping to seal the gaps.
• Pushing your glasses forward on your nose will allow more air to circulate and keep your breath from fogging up your vision. 

*Some lenses, especially those with anti-reflective (AR) coatings, may resist the soap and water solution. To beat the daily fog problem on AR or any type of lens, Atlantic Eye recommends this popular product – FOG Stopper – available at our offices. To find out more, call us at (732) 222-7373.