New Generation Disease: What is Mask Allergy? What are the Symptoms?

“Due to the coronavirus, we all wear masks. Some of us are having problems with masks due to wearing masks. One of the most important problems among these problems is mask allergy. What is mask allergy? What are the symptoms of mask allergy? How can we prevent the development of mask allergy? President of Allergy and Asthma Association Prof.Dr. Dr. Ahmet Akçay answered these questions for you.”

Some of us have problems due to the development of allergies to masks worn to protect from coronavirus. These problems can affect our lives.

What is mask allergy?

Mask allergy is the appearance of abnormal findings such as hives, eczema and breathing problems on our skin against the mask.

What are the causes of mask allergy?

Face masks, including traditional surgical face masks, N95 masks, and reusable fabric masks, may contain chemicals you may be allergic to. Allergic skin reactions to face masks develop against a number of chemical components from which the masks are made.

Chemicals in face masks that cause allergic reactions include:

– Formaldehyde,
– Ethylene urea melamine formaldehyde,
– Quaternium-15.

What are the symptoms of a face mask allergy?

Most reactions to a face mask are in the form of a skin rash. The two most important symptoms are allergic contact dermatitis and skin manifestations in the form of hives.

Allergic contact dermatitis manifests itself in the form of redness, flakes, itching and even blisters where the mask comes into contact with the skin. Allergic contact dermatitis can be seen due to elastic ear floss.

Depending on the mask-induced urticaria reaction, the respiratory system was also affected, and contact urticaria was also observed. Hives are very itchy red bumps that are not flaky and can appear within a few hours. They are like insect bites. Respiratory symptoms may occur, as the allergic mechanism is similar to seasonal allergies. In the worst-case scenario, hives are associated with anaphylaxis, so if respiratory symptoms are significant, it is necessary to see a doctor quickly.

Could you be allergic to reusable homemade face masks?

Reusable masks can also cause allergic reactions. Washed fabric masks can cause allergic reactions to detergent and softener residues left on the fabric. This is usually due to odor in laundry care products and detergent residue left by insufficient rinsing of the laundry after washing. Especially the lungs and noses of those with asthma and allergic rhinitis are very sensitive to smell. For this reason, it can cause nasal congestion due to odor and shortness of breath in the lungs.

Allergies can also occur due to chemicals in dyes and fabrics. Masks cleaned with disinfectant chemicals can cause allergic reactions to disinfectants or irritation from chemical residues.

How can you prevent allergic reactions to face masks?

You cannot avoid it completely. Using a fabric mask can be a solution, but it can also cause an allergic reaction. It is very important that it does not contain chemicals that cause allergies.

How do you wash your fabric reusable masks to make sure you are not allergic to laundry care products?

To prevent laundry allergic reactions to fabric masks, it may be helpful to wash the masks with an unscented laundry detergent for sensitive skin and no fabric softener. Always rinse your clothes thoroughly so that our skin is not exposed to laundry detergent residue.

How should precautions be taken to help prevent allergy to chemicals in fabric reusable face masks?

When you buy a fabric mask, wash it first to remove the fabric’s chemical content and reduce the dye content. If your mask contains elastic, it is better to self-dry to prevent the elastic from deteriorating with the dryer heat.

The dryer heat breaks the elastic, causing the chemicals that make up the elastic to be released.

You can use cotton fabric masks. Choose those with minimal dyes, no antimicrobial additives, and no anti-wrinkle additives, as these can all be allergens. If you are using chemicals to disinfect hard material masks, be sure to remove the chemicals with water before placing the mask on your face.

To summarize;

Mask allergy manifests itself in the form of allergic contact dermatitis and hives.

Especially the chemicals in the mask, detergent residues, paints can cause mask allergy.

Washing fabric masks with scented detergent can also cause nasal congestion and shortness of breath, especially in those with allergic rhinitis and asthma.

In order to avoid mask allergy, it is important to choose masks that do not contain chemicals that may cause mask allergies, do not contain paint, and do not contain latex.

Washing cotton masks with odorless hypoallergenic detergent and rinsing abundantly will be beneficial.