Police across America are deploying pepper spray and tear gas against demonstrators seeking justice for Black victims of police violence, such as George Floyd , who died in Minneapolis while a white officer pressed on his neck and ignored his pleas that he could not breathe.

If you go to a protest, you need to prepare for a hostile environment. Some law enforcement officials have responded to protests with violence by charging into crowds, assaulting and arresting peaceful protesters . On Monday, federal police in riot gear used gas and flash-bangs to disperse a peaceful crowd of protesters near the White House, just so President Donald Trump could walk to a nearby church for a photo-op.

To avoid panicking in the moment, you should plan what to do if you or the people around you are exposed to chemical irritants that make you temporarily unable to function. While tear gas and pepper spray are chemically different, the best remedy for both is to flush it out of your eyes with water, and to get the chemicals out of your environment, according to Dr. Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Center and an associate professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

But theres plenty more you need to know.

What is pepper spray?

Pepper spray, also known as oleoresin capsicum, is a combination of chile extracts. Although pepper spray is widely available for purchase, the kind you are likely to face at a protest is a much more concentrated dose of capsaicin, the active ingredient in oleoresin capsicum.

The pepper spray we can buy as citizens of the United States has a much lower concentration than the pepper spray used by law enforcement, said Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, co-medical director of the National Capital Poison Center.

Tear gas and pepper spray both cause intense burning and irritation of the eyes, nose, mouth, respiratory system and skin, Johnson-Arbor said.

If youre exposed to pepper spray, get to high ground and flush it out with as much water as you need.

The very best thing to do if chemical weapons are being used is to stay calm and spread calm, said Ben, a nursing student and a street medic with Chicago Action Medical , a group that provides health support to justice movements. Ben wanted to be identified only by first name for fear of reprisal.

If you are exposed to pepper spray, dont lie down. Pepper spray is heavier than air and will sink toward the ground, so exposures will be higher there, said Johnson-Arbor.

If youre planning ahead, its helpful to bring a change of clothes if you are hit by pepper spray. But first, go to a safe area. First and foremost, get out of the area, get out of the clothes and get clean, including your face and your hair and your hands and anything that may have the spray on it, Calello said. Water and soap is all you need for your face and body.

Ben said that flushing your eyes with a forceful stream of water is the best treatment he recommends using a 24-ounce water bottle dedicated solely to eye flushes but to be mindful of whats already in your eyes before starting an eye flush. In order to safely and effectively flush your eyes, you cannot be wearing contact lenses.

Ideally, folks should wear glasses rather than contacts to protests and direct actions, Ben said.