2020 Volume 56 Issue 1 Pages 29-33
The present study examined the effect of continuous use of a scented sanitary mask on nasal discomfort due to hay fever. Forty participants who suffer from hay fever wore a mint-scented mask or an unscented control mask for 6 h. Participants were periodically prompted to report their nasal discomfort through mobile devices. The results indicated that the scented mask reduced discomfort immediately upon application. However, the effect of the scent became saturated after 30 min of wear. Reactivating the scent produced no additional reduction in the discomfort level. These results suggest that the effect of the sanitary mask’s scent was volatile and limited to the first 30 min of application.
