The new coronavirus is mainly spread through respiratory droplets and contact. Wearing a mask correctly can effectively block the spread of droplets, protect yourself from being infected by others, and an effective measure to protect others from being infected by yourself. As long as the new coronavirus exists, we must wear masks. Wearing masks for a long time will inevitably cause some "sequelae". Today we will understand how we should alleviate these problems.

Contact dermatitis

Wearing a mask for a long time can cause redness, swelling, pain, and itching on the facial skin for sensitive muscles, which is clinically called "contact dermatitis". According to different pathogenesis, contact dermatitis can be divided into "primary irritation" and "allergic reaction". Among them, "allergic reaction" is also commonly known as "allergic", and contact allergic dermatitis is more common clinically.

The only mild symptoms are traces, erythema, and small bumps. In severe cases, there may be swelling, blisters, erosions, etc., as well as itching or burning. In the face of this situation, in addition to maintaining the cleanliness of the mask and replacing it in time, it is also necessary to discuss the situation separately:

1. Skin erosion

If conditions permit, it is recommended to alternately use protective devices of different styles, such as ear-hook, lace-up, and head-mounted masks to avoid excessive pressure on the same part. You can also use band-aids, etc., to stick to the same compressed area to relieve symptoms. The erosive area should be protected and kept as dry as possible, and topical growth factor gel and antibiotic ointment, such as mupirocin ointment, fusidic acid cream, etc.

2. Allergic skin lesions

Try to avoid irritation, including hot water, soap washing, friction, scratching, etc. For erythema, swelling or papules (no damage to the skin): zinc oxide lotion and 1% peppermint calamine lotion can be used externally, several times a day. For exudation and erosion: 3% boric acid solution or nitrofurazone solution, wet compress, several times a day, each time no more than 30 minutes, remember not to wet compress on a large area. For dryness, cracks (chattered) and chapped: topical urea cream, hand cream.

If the symptoms are severe, please go to the hospital as soon as possible to consult a doctor for authoritative diagnosis and treatment. In addition, during the period of contact dermatitis, try not to eat spicy food and maintain a light and balanced diet. It is suitable to eat foods rich in protein, vitamins, and fruits to promote blood circulation, muscle growth, and help repair inflammatory skin cells.

Bad breath

If the oral cavity stays in a closed environment for a long time, the problem of bad breath will be more obvious than before. Bad breath is divided into physiological bad breath and pathological bad breath. Physiological bad breath is mainly due to the small amount of oral movement and low saliva secretion when we sleep.

Pathological halitosis is mainly caused by disease, and it is usually oral halitosis. When we do not pay attention to cleaning, bacteria will multiply in the oral cavity, especially in difficult to clean dental plaque, dental scum, dental wormholes and other places, and produce unpleasant sulfide as a metabolite. To curb bad breath, oral cleaning is the basic operation. Tooth brushing is the basis of oral cleaning. It is recommended to use the Pap brushing method and brush your teeth at least twice a day.

In order to prevent the new coronavirus, we must wear masks in our daily lives. This is not only to protect ourselves but also the people around us. How to alleviate the discomfort caused by masks? Everyone should have understood from the above. In short, we must take corresponding measures in time to protect ourselves in different situations.