# Breathing Through N95 Mask **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 9, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465 "2020-04-09T22:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465/1 "2020-04-09T22:42:06Z")
The maintenance man where I work, managed to get me a mask. I live about 10 blocks or so from work, so I walk, sometimes I take buses elsewhere. So I was very grateful. Today I put it on for the first time. It fits me very well, but I can barely breathe out of it. I feel like I’m hyperventilating. People tell me you have to get use to it, but I feel like I am suffocating. Anyone else experience this? ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465/2 "2020-04-09T22:54:37Z")
I wore one for 3-4 hours last week, and it was fine. As far as effort to breathe, it was tight through my nose, but not a problem through my mouth. I didn’t notice it making me feel weird. It was more effort to resist the urge to touch it. After awhile I did get used to it, and that urge passed. I only had to walk about two blocks, and then another two blocks later, but most of the time I was sitting in a chair. The biggest problem for me is that it compressed my nose enough to make nose breathing feel restrictive. So, I was mostly a mouth breather in my mask. I did adjust the mask for a few minutes in the car (I didn’t touch it once I was in the dirty zone), to find a position that was still sealed, but not completely squashing my nose. Anyway, yeah, it was uncomfortable, but I did get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465/3 "2020-04-11T12:26:02Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > The maintenance man where I work, managed to get me a mask. I live about 10 blocks or so from work, so I walk, sometimes I take buses elsewhere. > > So I was very grateful. Today I put it on for the first time. It fits me very well, but I can barely breathe out of it. > > I feel like I’m hyperventilating. People tell me you have to get use to it, but I feel like I am suffocating. > > Anyone else experience this? Yes. But also, you need to check: some masks are supplied with the filters sealed: you have to unpack them before the mask is used. And sometimes when the filters are replaced, they aren’t replaced correctly and you can’t breath through them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465/4 "2020-04-11T13:29:46Z")
I find it helps to be conscious of your respiration and remain calm. Avoid speaking. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-through-n95-mask/851465/5 "2020-04-11T16:36:46Z")
Mask don’t go well with glasses as you can’t wear either over the other. I tried and every time I’d exhale my lenses would fog. Also when I took it off the rubber bands had driven the frame into the bridge of my nose so badly it (my nose) hurt for the rest of the day.