3 Ways to Handle Pepper Spray in Your Eyes - wikiHow (2024)

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Medically reviewed byTheodore Leng, MD

Last Updated: March 3, 2024References

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   Remain calm. The symptoms of pepper spray might make you feel panicked and powerless, but try not to scream, clutch your eyes, or make any sudden movements. The pain will subside eventually. Take five deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose for five seconds and out through your mouth for five seconds.

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   Ask someone to assist you. If your vision is impaired, you may injure yourself further by trying to move by yourself. Ask someone to guide you to a place where you can flush your eyes and sit down.

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   Blink repeatedly. Blinking more frequently than usual can help to wash the pepper spray residue out of the eyes.^[4]

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   Do not rub your eyes. The rubbing will make the burning sensation worse.^[5] While many people have the instinct to touch or rub their eyes, do not do this!

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   Make sure any person assisting you is wearing gloves. ^[6] Touching affected skin or clothes could spread the pepper spray to the person trying to help you. Be careful of contamination.

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   See Also

   Guidelines for Treating Pepper-spray/Chemical Irritants — Frontline Wellness UnitedHow Pepper Spray WorksWhat to do if you're pepper-sprayed - PoynterDoes Pepper Spray Cause Permanent Damage?

   Remove clothes with pepper spray on them. Take off the clothes carefully. Seal off the clothes in a plastic bag, if possible.^[7] Try not to let the clothes touch anything.

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   Find fresh air or a breeze.^[8] If you are inside, go outside, preferably somewhere breezy. Blow fresh air onto your face with a fan, if one is available.

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   Call emergency services if you see symptoms of anaphylaxis. Going into anaphylactic shock is rare with pepper spray reactions,^[9] but if you see any of these severe symptoms, call emergency services:

   • Skin reactions, such as hives or itching
   • Flushed or pale skin
   • Warm feeling
   • Having a “lump” in your throat
   • Constricted airway, swollen tongue, and throat, trouble breathing
   • Weak and rapid pulse
   • Dizziness or fainting
   • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

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   Take out contact lenses if you are wearing them. The pepper spray residue will not come out of the contact lenses.^[10] Throw away the contact lenses immediately.

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   Flush your eye, letting the water run from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner. Even though it might be uncomfortable, keep your eyelids open to let the water flow over your eyes. The water temperature should be warm, not hot or cold, and should be a temperature that is comfortable for you to flush your eyes for a long time.^[11] There are a couple different methods you can use to flush your eye:

   • Stand under a shower.
   • Put your face under a faucet with running water.
   • Spray your open eyes with a kitchen sink sprayer or a garden hose very gently.
   • Fill a tub or pan with water and then immerse your face in it with eyes open.
   • Pour water from a pitcher, jug, or water bottle over your open eye.^[12]
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   Continue to flush the eye. If it is still painful after fifteen minutes, consult a physician. ^[13] Some sources, however, argue that pain is normal for up to two hours after pepper spray exposure to the eyes.^[14]

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   Put whole milk on the affected area to soothe the skin. You should first soothe the skin with whole milk and then take away the pepper spray residue with a soap and water solution. While whole milk will not remove the oils causing your skin to burn, it will ease the burn. There are several ways you can apply whole milk to your skin:^[15]

   • Put whole milk in a spray bottle and spray your skin.
   • Pour it on a cloth or towel and then apply the cloth to your skin.
   • Splash it directly onto your skin.
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   Make a solution in a bucket that will take the pepper spray residue off of your skin. The solution should be 75% water and 25% dish soap, like Dawn. Make at least a gallon of this solution.

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   Submerge your face into the soap and water solution. Do this for ten to fifteen seconds at a time, if your face is affected. Do not touch your face. Repeat this until your face begins to feel normal.

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   Immerse your hands in the solution. In removing the spray you may have gotten some on your hands. Soak your hands in the solution to remove the spray. Eventually, you may use your hands to use a solution-soaked towel or cloth to clean other affected parts of your body.

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   Work the solution into affected parts of the skin gradually. The solution may activate the capillaries a little bit, which might be painful; however, this process will take the oils from the pepper spray out of your skin.

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   Continue this process for 15 to 45 minutes. The process of getting the pepper spray out is gradual. Be patient and remain calm.^[16]

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