Respirator masks are face masks that fit tight over the mouth and nose and dramatically reduce the chance of inhaling airborne particles. They are specifically made, depending on the quality, to prevent you from breathing in tiny airborne particles. Because of how tightly respirator masks are designed to fit on your face, breathing can be more difficult through these flu masks.
These respirator masks are also known as N95 because of it's high filtering ability. These respirator masks work best when designed to fit to a specific persons face. This allows the respirator to sit more tight on the face and forces more of the air to be drawn through the filtering material, protecting the wearer. To have them designed for your face will take time, so plan ahead when buying these respirator masks!
Do not mistake the cheap face masks as respirator masks. The cheap masks do not filter nearly as much material because they do not fit snugly to the face and are not of the same quality material. The cheaper face masks are primarily to protect others. It catches the droplets from the person wearing it and helps prevent the spread of viruses (although not completely).
If you want to filter the air you breath to protect yourself more from airborne viruses, the N95 respirator mask is the mask for you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if they have any recommendations for you when purchasing flu masks. Understand that the better the fit of a respirator flu mask, the better it will work....because fewer particles get through. Again, masks designed to fit snugly on your face are ideal.
These flu masks are not perfect. Respirator masks do not protect against everything, nor can they filter completely. Along with healthy habits like frequent washing of hands, use of hand sanitizer, and common sense (avoid areas with gatherings of potentially sick people!), respirator masks can help reduce the chance of catching a virus. Reduce does not mean eliminate! Health officials warn that you should only use the respirator masks once. They are not designed to be reused, nor shared, for obvious reasons.
Plan ahead. Purchase respirator masks before you need them. Try one to understand how it works and get used to breathing through it. These simply precautions might one day save your life during a flu pandemic!