Wearing a goggle is an important part of eye-protection during managing COVID-19 inpatients. However often due to accumulation of moisture there is problem with fogging. While some tape their N-95 masks, some use anti-fogging liquid-- but none are foolproof. What do you do to counter it?
I use a right fit goggle and mask , never had a problem with fogging.
Also bringing the lower strap in front of pinna allows the vapour to evacuate through lower part of the mask and prevents fogging
D. K. Gupta Thank you. Traditionally, the upper and lower straps are kept above and below the pinna respectively so as to give stability. Keeping the lower strap in front of pinna- will it not lead to instability/higher chance of displacement of the mask?
Yes glasses fog less than goggles, also face shield doesn't fog? Even with the masks.
Use any commercially available anti-fogging marker, which are commonly used by swimmers.
Thank you Dr. Ray. Very appropriate question for the current situation.
Fogging may be due to improperly fitting mask, which tends to redirect the warm exhaled gases upward instead of forward. This warm vapor in condenses on the relatively cold lenses of the goggles and causes fogging.
I do agree with Dr. Gupta. Tight fitting mask and Goggles are of utmost Importance to prevent fogging.
Soap solutions and iodophors have been described as anti-fogging measures for laparoscopic instruments. To date, No report of using these for Goggles.
Recently, Pandey et al. from AIIMS-IRCH, New Delhi have reported the use of Sterillium(2-propanol, 1-propanol, mectronium ethyl sulphate) on Goggles as anti-fogging measures.Full text is available here:
DOI: 10.5152/TJAR.2020.682
Commercial markers are also available as mentioned by Dr. Maitra.
Glasses fog up when you're wearing a face mask because the mask redirects your warm breath upward instead of forward, which forms droplets on the lenses. A tighter seal on the top of the mask, like from a nose clip can help reduce the phenomenon.
Adding a folded tissues to the inside top of your face mask or covering can also help absorb those warm droplets, and reduce fogging.
If those D.I.Y. methods aren't cutting it for you, there are commercial anti-fog sprays you can purchase, like the ones used for swimmers' or divers' goggles.
Using a thin film of sanitiser to the googles also help to some extent
Sharing a practical tip given by my senior Dr. Amit Rai. "Use Johnson baby tearless shampoo. I have been using it for my swimming goggles for 7 years now. absolutely no fogging at all."
Tried and verified by me. Animesh Ray
Personally, we found sterilium inappropriate as it caused burning sensation in eyes despite allowing to dry.
Rest all measures in this thread have been definitely helpful