The impact of surgical masks on the nasal function in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Background

The Covid-19 pandemics has obliged to using different types of personal protective devices (PPD) for a prolonged time of the day, especially in the Health Centers, with preference of surgical masks (SM) during the first pandemic waves.

Aims/Objectives

This study was designed to assess the eventual changes of the nasal respiratory condition during continuous SM wearing.

Material and methods

Fourteen healthcare professionals filled a visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire for the detection of eventual nasal breathing impairment or symptoms. Nasal resistance and flow values were obtained via the active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR) that was performed under the basal condition, as well as immediately after wearing the surgical mask (SM) and 3 h after its continuous use.

Results

The increase of inspiratory resistance was significantly correlated to the reduction of the maximum flux, when comparing SM parameters to the basal ones (r = –0.70, p < .05). At VAS evaluation, SM wearing showed to induce itching in 70% of the subjects, nasal dryness in 55%, nasal blockage in 50%, headache in 39%, watery nasal discharge in 20% and sneezing in 18%.

Conclusions and significance

The SMs do not induce evident physiological variations of the nasal function due to a compensatory respiratory mechanism that, despite a progressive increase of nasal resistances, is not inducing significant changes of the nasal fluxes.

Chinese abstract

背景：Covid-19 大流行使得人们在一天中很长一段时间内, 使用不同类型的个人防护用品设备（PPD）, 在健康中心尤为如此。在第一波大流行期间偏向于使用外科口罩（SM）。

目的：本研究旨在评估持续佩戴 SM 时, 鼻呼吸条件的最终变化。。

材料和方法：14 名医疗保健专业人员填写了视觉模拟量表 (VAS) 问卷, 以检测最终的鼻呼吸障碍或症状。在基本状态下, 以及佩戴外科口罩 (SM) 后立即和连续使用 3 小时后, 通过主动前鼻测压法 (AAR) 获得鼻阻力和流量值。

结果：将 SM 参数与基础参数进行比较时, 吸气阻力的增加与最大通量的减少显著相关（r ¼ –0.70, p < .05）。在 VAS 评估中, 佩戴 SM 后, 70% 的受试者会出现瘙痒, 55% 的受试者会出现鼻干, 鼻塞出现于50%, 头痛 39%, 流鼻涕 20%, 打喷嚏 18%。

结论和意义：SMs 不会引起明显的鼻腔功能的变化, 其原因是代偿性呼吸机制不会引起鼻流量的显著变化, 尽管鼻腔阻力会逐渐增加。

Keywords:

• Surgical mask
• COVID-19
• nasal function
• rhinomanometry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).