Masks wearing may incur physiological and psychological burdens. Some of which can be life-threatening under certain conditions and others interfere with the ability to do work and reduce efficiency.

Physiological effects:

   Masks require more work to inhale and exhale. The lungs have to work harder to breathe, restricts airways and may cause symptoms of asthma attack. The extra respiratory resistance promotes hypoventilation. The extra work may cause an increase in body temperature, which increases the stress on the heart and may put the wearer at risk for a heart attack. The heat trapped inside a mask can cause irritations to skin and an increased skin temperature, which is less likely to be tolerated than other parts of the body. The impediment of a mask the loss of heat from the face and loss of the ability to expire heat from breathing out may cause hyperthermia, which is overheating of the deep body temperature. Hyperthermia may cause disorientation, dexterity, cognition and loss of fine motor skills. The covering of the mouth may discourage a need for drinking, which can lead to dehydration. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness and confusion. 

Psychological effects may include:

  Mask wearing may cause anxiety, a sense of claustrophobia, fatigue. The hot humid conditions of mask wearing may cause discomfort, frustrations and anxieties. The lack of visual cues and vocal impairments increases confusion and abilities to communicate. In fact, there was a 27% loss of the ability of mask wearers to understand each other when standing 2 feet apart. This may lead to increased frustrations, anxieties and social disconnectedness. 

Now, I’m not saying that I will not wear a mask because of these things, nor am I saying that you have an excuse not to wear a mask, but rather, I’m trying to help everyone understand the burden and responsibilities of wearing a mask. It’s not a simple solution, “just wear a mask and we can go back to normal.” Mask wearing imposes more complications into our overburdened, hostile and confused social atmosphere that we find ourselves in. I hope that you will use this information to seriously consider the ramifications of mask wearing and that everyone will be able to demonstrate more kindness and compassion to both those, who do wear masks, and those, who cannot. Also, for those who have to wear masks, I hope you will be more aware of the burden that you carry in order to be mindful of your own health and well-being and to be aware of others around you, lest they may be having more difficulty wearing a mask than they realize and may need help and intervention before irrecoverable harm has occurred.

 A last tidbit, if you are doing heavy physical activity while wearing a mask, it was recommended that for every hour that you work, a ten minute rest period is required to recover. 

My personal advice: Don’t wear a mask unless you absolutely need to or have to.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4748517/