How to Stop Glasses from Fogging Up

There are a number of issues you’d imagine could arise when being hit by a world-wide pandemic. However, a surprising problem that has affected a significant amount of the population is protective masks causing eyeware to fog up. From your daily glasses through to safety goggles worn to protect your eyes when working with dangerous equipment – continually having your visions obscured is inconvenient, tedious and at times, dangerous. Let’s take a look at why this happens and some of the most common and successful ways to combat it.

Why are your glasses fogging up?

Condensation occurs when warm air comes into contact with a cool surface – this is what’s meant by glasses fogging up. When wearing a mask, our warm breath is pushed upward and onto the cool surface of our glasses, causing condensation to form. This would be bearable if it only happened once or twice, but for most people this occurs with every breath and a long term solution is needed.

So what can you do to stop this from happening?

Tighten the mask on the bridge of your nose

The first step to take – and probably the easiest – is to ensure that your mask is fitted securely against the bridge of your nose. If you don’t have a mask that incorporates an adjustable metal nose clip – this would definitely be of benefit to you. Once you have the mask on, adjust the metal clip so that it moulds to the shape of your nose and sits flush to your cheeks. Ensure that the mask straps are pulled tight to maintain this positioning. Place your glasses over the top of your mask to hold it in place and you should see a reduction in the frequency of your glasses fogging up.

Wash your glasses with soap and water

Whilst fogging glasses is a relatively new annoyance to most of us, doctors and nurses have been dealing with this issue for decades. One of the ways they combat this is by washing their glasses with soap and water. If you do this thoroughly and allow your glasses to air-dry, the soap will leave a film on the lense which should help to protect against them fogging up.

There are also anti-fogging products available that work in a similar way, though their effectiveness varies.

Create a seal

The best way to ensure there is no condensation forming on your glasses is by not allowing your breath to reach them. You can achieve this by creating a seal around the top edge of your mask. Be sure to use an adhesive that is kind to your skin, such as surgical tape or bandaids, and secure the top of your mask to your face. The warm air from your mouth will have no way to reach your glasses.

Remove the need to solve the problem

Perhaps the only way to completely solve the problem is by removing the problem all together. Laser eye surgery has been designed to improve your vision and either reduce or remove the need for corrective eyewear all together. The team at NewVision Clinics are the experts in this area and would love to meet with you to discuss if this option is available to you. Reach out and book a consultation appointment today and be on your way to a clearer future.