Treating Chemical Irritants
Written by Anonymous
Summary:
#1: Prevention
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preventing exposure to your mucus membranes (like your eyes, nose, and lungs) is the most important.
Try out different goggles (science class, paintball store- shatter-resistant where you can!). Irritants will become trapped between contacts and your eyes, so do not wear them.
Try out goggles by chopping an onion and seeing if you tear up. The best mask is the one you will actually wear.
See if your mask is for filtering oils (like paint- or most pepper spray) and/or for particulates (like dust- or what most people call “tear gas”).
Always bring spares- if you are sprayed you will be dumping snot and spit into whatever mask you brought. If I know I’ll be sprayed, I wear a half or full-face gas mask. If I’m just risking exposure, I pack a pocket full of N95s and wipes. Prevent exposure to skin and hair with rain ponchos, hats, gloves, and pants. Where you can’t eliminate harm, reduce it.
#2: Treatment - Part 1
★ ONE: Stay calm. Your wits are your greatest asset. If you were intentionally attacked, you need to get out of harm’s way. Ask for help and leave the affected area.
★ TWO: Either alone or with help, remove glasses/mask/etc and prepare for treatment. Chances are you’re in a situation where you want your identity protected: employ your comrades to hold up umbrellas and jackets so your face doesn’t get seen by your attackers. If you have resources, gather them. Get your treatment plan together: wipes, water, willpower.
★ THREE: Treat. Spit, blink, blow your nose. Irrigate with water or saline. Use wipes from the tear duct (the side next to your nose) outward (shown below). Continued on the right —>
#3: Treatment - Part 2
★ Spit, blink, blow your nose. You’re removing something nasty from your body and it has ways of doing it- trust your instincts a bit here.
Irrigate (wash) with plain water or saline. Do not use milk or any other rumor-cure on eyes, you can do a lot of damage.
Use a wipe from the tear duct (the side with your nose) outward and toss them as you go: reusing a wipe just adds the irritant right back in. Repeat.
A big part of pepper spray is the mental effects. Getting someone to blink and breathe takes calm dedication. You can use the classic “smell the roses, blow out the candles” to get a deep breath. Asthma is real, and if someone is getting worse or not improving over time with what you’re doing seek more help and ask if they have an inhaler.
★ The wipes I use are water-based baby wipes soaked in a mix of water and a squirt of baby shampoo (to break up any oils). Why baby shampoo? It’s the same pH as your eyes, so it doesn’t cause further irritation like other soaps would.
#4: Treatment - Part 3
FOR CARE INSTRUCTIONS, LOOK INSIDE - FOR NOW, HERE’S SOME INFO ABOUT PEPPER SPRAY
