Friday, July 20, 2012

Pepper Spray Antidotes - What to Do If You Accidentally Sprayed Yourself

Pepper spray is one of the most effective and easiest to conceal self defense products in the market today. With crime rates increasing each day, this personal protection spray will definitely help you in deterring any attacker.

Pepper spray contains oleoresin capsicum, a byproduct of cayenne pepper, one of the hottest peppers in the world. When sprayed, it works to temporarily incapacitate an attacker through a painful and burning sensation in the facial region especially in the eyes and more often than not causes momentary blindness. However, it will not inflict permanent damage on your attacker.

When using this self defense spray, you need to understand its concept and how it is used properly. Carrying a pepper spray (or any other self defense device for that matter) without knowing how to use it is just like carrying nothing at all. Your ignorance will certainly put you in graver danger. It is vital that you learn the correct way of using pepper spray if you want to be able to successfully and efficiently protect yourself.

However, accidents do happen when we less expect them. Learning how to deal with unintentional contact with the pepper spray is just as important as knowing how to use it. If you sprayed yourself by mistake, here is what you should do:

· First things first. Don't panic. Go outside so you can breathe fresh air. The spray works to cause difficulty in breathing so you need to get some fresh air to breathe easily.

· Take off clothing contaminated with the spray. The technique is to get rid of the stuff which was sprayed on by the pepper spray since its tendency is to seep through clothing. Remember that the spray is oil-based so don't counteract it with another oil-based product such as lotions and creams.

· Do not rub or scratch your skin. This will only worsen the situation by smearing the spray all over your face causing you extreme burning sensations. Avoid scratching it if you don't want the pepper to seep through your pores and under your skin.

· Wash the affected exposed area with mild detergent and water to help neutralize the effects. You can also use milk, baking soda and honey to eliminate the stinging sensation on your fingers and facial region. Applying baby shampoo sometimes works too.

The effects of pepper usually lasts for about 45 minutes so you need to get yourself distracted within the time frame to reduce the harsh effects of the spray. By using the above-mentioned antidotes, you can effectively lessen the period of discomfort the spray caused you. Remember that you will not be permanently damaged in any way so don't be extremely alarmed.

Knowing the right way of using the self defense spray will not only effectively shield you from an attacker but will also protect you from your ignorance. Accidentally spraying yourself when attacked is something that you should undeniably avoid at all cost. Though most sprays come with safety caps, other factors such as panic and fear will certainly affect your concentration and agility. Most attackers will use the element of surprise so the best that you can do now is prevention and constant practice.



Annabelle Lehoux is the product specialist of Best Stun Gun which provides a wide variety of security products from stun gun, TASER and mace to spy camera, hidden camera and home alarm for your personal protection. To raise the awareness of personal safety, Annabelle also teaches self defence classes in local community center. Please visit http://www.beststungun.com/ and download a free report on Top 10 Self Defense Secrets Everyone Needs to Know now.