Coincidence? Wearing mask brings on Afib & high blood pressure?

Not true. Pub Med.gov 2008 showed after 1 hour, basically healthy surgeons had decreased SpO2 and increased heart rate. I've been an RN x 27 years and found wearing masks difficult at best, suffocating at worst. Here's the link. And this one isn't tainted by politics.

Why do you even bring up anxiety?? lindalc didn't mention she was anxious or claustrophobic. Even if NO ONE ever did a study, common sense would dictate at least a slight decrease in SPO2 and an increase in CO2 resulting in an increase in HR and/ or BP with your mouth and nose covered for extended or even short periods of time. Think paper bag for hyperventilating.

Note from the Community Director
This post was removed as per the Terms of Use (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/) and Community Guidelines (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/).

If you have a concern about this action, please contact me using this form: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/contact-a-community-moderator/

@diadem, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.
Here is the link to the abstract to which you refer:
- Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

It is important to note that the study was unable to conclude whether the change in the oxygen saturation of arterial pulsations (SpO2) was due to the facial mask or the operational stress.

Mayo Clinic has conducted research and determined mask wearing is critical to preventing COVID-19 infection.
- Mayo Clinic research confirms critical role of masks in preventing COVID-19 infection https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-research-confirms-critical-role-of-masks-in-preventing-covid-19-infection/

Naturally, there are people who find it challenging, if not impossible, to wear masks due to certain health conditions. Handwashing and distancing remain tactics that everyone can do to help save lives.

Hi,
I recently went on a trip, and I had to wear a mask on the airplanes and in the hotels. Normally, I only wear one for 20 minutes occasionally, but I had to wear it everyday for a week. The first thing that I noticed was that my blood pressure was much higher than normal—210/118 with a heart rate of 112 with no exertion when normally it might be 140/90 with a heart rate of 80 during the day and 120/70 with a heart rate of 60 at night.

Then after a few days of wearing it for hours and hours, I started experiencing chest sensations, not painful, and abnormal heart warnings on my blood pressure machine. The symptoms got worse at night after wearing the mask all day, and I was going to go to emergency when I realized that I hadn’t had any of these issues prior to having to wear the mask for hours and hours at a time.

Fortunately, after a couple of days of symptoms, I returned home and no longer had to wear the mask. The first day home, I was still having the symptoms. Then the next day, the chest sensations were minimal, but my heart rate went from being higher than normal everyday to being too low, 44. I thought my heart was going to stop, and I was still getting abnormal heart symbols on my machine. My husband listened to my heart, and it was skipping beats and pausing. Again, he was ready to take me to the hospital, but I wasn’t dizzy or having any other symptoms as before.

I’ve had lots of cardiac tests over the year and open heart surgery, and I had just had a bunch of tests 6 months earlier which showed normal wear and tear and a strong heart. However, I always fall into the “rare” category, so I firmly believed that wearing the mask interfered with my breathing which stressed my system resulting in higher blood pressure and creating a heart arrhythmia. Fortunately the whole experience didn’t kill me; but until the mask mandates are lifted, I’m staying home because wearing a mask is harmful to my heart. Thanks

Everytime i go to my docs office..they take my bp right away..
Dont wait for me to sit and relax for a few minutes
And of course i have to wear a mask which i feel i cant breath and i get panicky..
My blood pressure is always high at the office
And my bp at home is not bad at all

I have to work in them all day and they are awful!! But I am still for wearing them during flu season...They Do make breathing impossible when doing strenuous work for sure, if people say they aren't then they are NOT working hard at all with a mask on... Doctors do NOT recommend strenuous exercise while wearing one...

Most people are fine if they don't work with a mask on... I work with the public and trust me there is many issues because of them... but I am still for wearing them during flu season...But to say they are completely harmless is not true unfortunately...some people are severely effected by them...

As a teacher I wear a mask all day when in the classroom as do my kindergarten children. They take it off at lunch and outside playing. Presently I am in quarantine as are my students.We are being directed to stay home till May 7 since one of my students tested positive for COVID a week ago. His mom is in the hospital with it! Yes I hate wearing the mask and with asthma find it adds to my breathing issues. But, I have not had pneumonia this year or any respiratory illnesses as I do every year and I attribute that to wearing a mask in class every day with my students.

My young grandsons have also adapted to mask wearing. Now that they have moved from home care to a small, careful center where the kids only are unmasked, their entire family has had 3 different viruses in 3 months!
I believe that until the school year ends, we'll wear masks around them to protect us. I too have managed an entire year without pneumonia or bronchitis while religiously wearing masks.
Sue