I’m a very old man in very good health for my age, but clearly at high risk from Covid-19. I’m good to walk without a cane or assistance for about half an hour at a time.
A few weeks ago, I went to a store wearing gloves and brand-new standard procedure mask to enter the store.
After about 15 minutes I was exhausted and breathing very fast, and began to feel disoriented, with serious difficulty focusing my vision. I had to get out and left the store.
I immediately removed my mask when I got outside, and felt much better after about 5 breaths of fresh air. I was completely recovered and just fine within 2 minutes.
Hypercapnia (look it up), from wearing a mask, is very real, especially for me.
I know the discomfort wearing a mask. In my case, my glasses fog up and I am putting the wrong product in the cart, only to get the disappointment from my wife for getting the wrong product. The fog on my glasses tells me the mask is not stopping all of the vapor mist. Hopefully that mist is evaporated before the virus is transported its next victim. I think that is happening.
Same here. I make it to the door of a store, I’m already breathing hard. 3 minutes and I’m huffing like I just ran the 50 yard dash. By the time I get out of tbe grocery store, I’m seriously overheated, sinuses draining like a faucet, never able to breathe normally until a couple of minutes after I pull the mask off. 64 and have copd. Almost exactly what you described. I do get light headed at times too.
I finally left it off, that has to be seriously unhealthy. Didn’t know there was a name and specific reason for it till I read your post. I did suspect co2 was the reason though. Rebreathing co2 and otber already exhaled gases cannot be good for tbose with existing respiratory issues.
Fortunately the county where I live has only had under 50 cases total so far, I’m not in a higb risk area like Houston, which is 3 hours away. I was looking at a graph yesterday, looked like just over 40, I’m calling it under 50 to be on the safe side. They didn’t give a specific number of local cases. And that’s cases, not deaths. I know of only one death. Older person with health issues, got it traveling outside our area.
I looked up Hypercapnia, sounds like what happens when I put on a mask. I’m just glad it’s not as high risk around here as some other places...
Glad to know it’s not just me...
I see a lot of people wearing their masks below their noses. What you describe must be the reason. They may not know why they feel better if they do, but I'm sure this is the reason. I have noticed it as well.