Chances are if you follow the news, you’ve probably heard of pepper spray. Pepper spray, chemically known as Oleoresin Capsicum, is a derivative of the capsaicin found naturally in peppers. It is most commonly known to be employed as a non lethal weapon by police when subjugating suspects. Here at Revel Technologies, we’ve taken its uses even further, from just self defense to home security as well. To help you understand our product better, we thought we’d go over the effects of pepper spray on the body here.

When You Get Sprayed

When a person gets sprayed with pepper spray, they can expect to experience any one or all of the following symptoms:

  • Inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat
  • Nasal discharge
  • Severe coughing fits
  • Dryness of the eyes
  • Trouble breathing
  • Involuntary Eye Closure
  • Burning and itching of the skin
  • Hyperventilation
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Extreme fear & panic

The appeal of pepper spray is that it’s completely non lethal, and has a better safety rating that other forms of non lethal force such as batons, tasers, etc. However, just because pepper spray devices are non lethal, doesn’t mean they can’t cause harm.

What To Do If You Get Sprayed

If you get sprayed by pepper spray, the most important thing to remember is to stay calm. If you’re not alone, ask for assistance, and keep the following things in mind:

  1. Do not rub your face. This will spread the spray further and aggravate the pain you’re already feeling.
  2. Get to fresh air. Go outside, especially if it’s windy. In a pinch, a fan can be used to circulate clean air to the affected area.
  3. Use a non oil based soap to wash and clean the affected area. Oil and cold cream based soaps can trap OC particles on your skin, prolonging the painful effects.
  4. If pepper spray gets in your eyes, flush them with fresh, clean water for 15 minute intervals. If you have contact lenses, remove them only after completely cleaning your hands.
  5. Remove any clothing items contaminated by the pepper spray. Wrap them in a plastic bag or other container and remove it from the room.

If you follow all of these steps, the painful effects of pepper spray should subside within a half hour. In the moment, it’s important to remember that any effects of pepper spray are only temporary.

Do you feel a little more knowledgeable about how pepper spray works on the human body? If so, you may want to look into our pepper spray home security products. If you have any questions about our pepper spray defense system, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you may have.