How to stop a coronavirus face mask from fogging up your glasses

Washing your glasses with soapy water and air drying them stops them from misting up, but must be repeated a few times a day

Placing tissue on the bridge of the nose under the mask can absorb some of the moisture, but keeping it in place can be tricky

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A man wears a face mask in Caracas, Venezuela. People with glasses know that masks cause the lenses to fog up with every breath. Photo: AP

Published: 5:00am, 22 Apr 2020Updated: 12:19pm, 22 Apr 2020

People with glasses have learned the hard way during the coronavirus pandemic that wearing a face mask causes their glasses to fog up just about every time they exhale. While not a major issue, it’s quite annoying.

Luckily for the bespectacled among us, there are ways to prevent condensation on your glasses while still following official guidelines on how to properly wear face masks.

If you either have perfect vision or wear contacts, more power to you. For the rest of us, here are a few methods to help you maintain a clear view while wearing glasses and a face mask.

A man wearing a face mask sits in a train in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: EPA

Soap and water

Doctors were on the front lines of this innovation long before the coronavirus pandemic, as they wear face masks every day. They figured it out and codified this technique in a 2011 study published in the medical journal the Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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