BreatheHealthy Mask Use to Protect you from Dust & Haze
When you are working in a dusty or dirty environment, there is nothing to protect your lungs from what you are breathing in. While dusting, sweeping, cleaning out a basement or attic, or working with wood, the air we breathe can contain enormous amounts of spores, pollen, mold, plant fragments, human and pet dander, and many other airborne contaminants.
When outdoors, especially when plants are blooming, the air can have a very high pollen count. Pollen can easily trigger an allergic reaction, ranging from the sniffles to severe inflammatory reactions. In the springtime, as well as the fall, pollen counts usually spike dramatically in many seasonal locations. While this usually only lasts for a month or so, the impact on pollen allergy sufferers can be dramatic. Staying indoors with the windows closed is a solution, but not a practical one for most. Medications may relieve the symptoms, and are highly effective for some, but masks actually help prevent the pollen from entering the respiratory system. Masks can make the outdoors bearable again during the “allergy” season or the “dry” season , when pollen and dust counts are high.
Our bodies are designed to handle certain amounts of pollen or dust, but we need protection when we are faced with larger than normal amounts of dust and pollen, and for those of us who are allergic or have certain sensitivities to various other airborne particles.
Breathe Healthy masks were originally designed to be comfortable, effective dust and pollen masks for people with allergies or sensitivities. They filter out the airborne particles down to 1 micron in size that can enter our respiratory system and cause irritation. Also, they can be worn for long periods of time without the discomfort associated with disposable masks. The material that touches your face is about as soft as a common t-shirt. It also has exclusive antimicrobial and moisture wicking properties. Conversely, a paper disposable mask can be hot, rigid, and abrasive, and must be thrown away after each use. Realistically, if we are wearing something that is uncomfortable, it’s probably not going to stay on for very long. A Breathe Healthy mask is dust and pollen mask that you can wear comfortably, many times over.
Haze is a situation on a wider scale. It's cause are numerous such as air polution due to traffic, smoke from burning etc. More recently Southeast Asia suffers from extended periods of haze due to burning of forest in Indonesia. The severity of a haze situation is commonly measured by the density of particles in the air such as PM10 for particles less than 10micron in size and PM2.5 for particles less than 2.5micron. While the bigger particles are are often associated with smell and visibity of the atmosphere, the smaller particles are the ones the can trigger more harmful effects to the body because they can go directly into the blood stream more easily.
Disposable N95 face masks are often recommended if someone needs to be outdoors in a serious haze situation but anyone who have used one would know that they are not very comfortable to use for long periods. Not to mention that there is always the worry of running out of masks. Nobody really know how long a haze will last. It can be just days and some time they can last for months.
BreatheHealthy masks can filter effectively down to 1 micron particles and have been tested to be very effective during such haze situations. The added bonus is that it is reusable, washable, comfortable to use even for children and those with respiratory issues.