FIRST AID FOR TEAR GAS.................... How it Works Tear gas irritates the the eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs. The irritation may be caused by a chemical reaction with the sulfhydryl group of enzymes, resulting to coughing, sneezing, and tearing. Tear gas generally is non-lethal, but some agents are toxic. Symptoms of Tear Gas Exposure Stinging and burning of the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin Excessive tearing Blurred vision Runny nose Salivation (drooling) Exposed tissue may develop a rash and a chemical burn Coughing and difficulty breathing, including a feeling of choking Disorientation and confusion, which may lead to panic Rise in blood pressure and breathing frequency; a drop in the heart beat, Intense anger The disorientation and confusion may not be totally psychological. What to Do Do not panic. Look up when you hear the shot and avoid being in the path of the grenade. Tear gas grenades often explode in the air, delivering a metal container which will spew gas. This container will be hot, so do not touch it. Do not pick up an unexploded tear gas canister, since it could explode and cause injury. The best defense against tear gas is a gas mask, but if you don’t have a mask there are still steps you can take to minimize damage from tear gas. If you are exposed to tear gas in any environment, immediately hold your breath, and do not panic. Almost completely close your eyes, and expect to be blinking a lot. If you are a long way from fresh air, cover your face with a clean cloth – your outer sleeve is probably covered with the stuff so pull your sleeve up or inside out if necessary. If you think you might encounter tear gas you can soak a bandana or paper towel in lemon juice or cider vinegar and store it in a plastic baggie. You can breathe through the acidified cloth for several minutes, which should give you sufficient time to get upwind or reach higher ground. Thus 1.Cary lemon/lemon juice, or vinegar in plastic bottle, Carry the towel soaked in lemon juice or vinegar in plastic bag 2.Carry water in plastic bottle, you can mix it with vineager or lemon juice 3.Once you exposed to the tear gas effect try to cover your face with the towel soaked in lemon or vinegar juice, it will neutralize tear gas 4.Goggles are a great thing to have. You can use tight-fitting swim goggles if chemical safety goggles aren’t available. 5.Don’t wear contacts anywhere you might encounter tear gas. If you are wearing contact lenses, immediately remove them. Your contacts are a loss as is anything else you can’t wash. 6.You can wear your clothes again after you wash them, but wash them separately that first time. 7.If you don’t have goggles or any sort of mask, you can breathe the air inside your shirt, since there is less air circulation and therefore a lower concentration of the gas, but that is counterproductive once the fabric becomes saturated. REMEMBER , Tear gas is wrongly called as gas while it is not. It’s a powder, so it’s relatively easy to stop the stuff getting up your nose. Don’t breathe through your mouth if you can avoid it – it will give you a bigger dose quicker and will cause coughing and possibly vomiting. 1.......Your first priority ...get to fresh air. If you are indoors, get out as quickly as possible. If you are outdoors, try to see where the gas is coming from and get out of the way. 2.....As soon as you get into fresh air, ...........keep moving. Your clothes will be coated with the stuff, but the majority will blow away in the wind, so hold your arms up and turn around. When you get the chance, 3.wash the clothes thoroughly separately from any others. Above all, remember that the effects will wear off very quickly when you reach fresh air, so do not panic. If you anticipate of being coming under attack of tear gas, avoid enclosed places. Leave buildings and try to take higher grounds. What You Should not Do 1.Don’t remove your cloths, minimize skin exposure by covering up as much as possible 2.Do NOT wash your face with water if you suffer tear gas. You should not wet your skin: it increases the effect of the tear gas. Instead, apply vinegar or lemon juice to the skin in order to get rid of the effect of the tear gas 3.Avoid swallowing as much as possible, try to cough up, rinse mouth and spitting 4.Don’t rub your eye and breath slowly 5.Avoid use of oil on face, lotion and detergent they can trap the chemical 6.Avoid drinking water if you inhale tear gas, drink instead lemon juice FIRST AID. First aid for eyes is to flush them with sterile saline or water until the stinging starts to abate. Exposed skin should be washed with soap and water. Breathing difficulties are treated by administering oxygen and in some cases using medication that are used to treat asthma. Medicated bandages can be used on burns.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:49:59 +0000
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