Apr 09, 2017 09:03 PM EDT By Khaleb Skye A. Cruz, UniversityHerald Reporter

Deadly airstrikes rattled the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Syria last April 4. Sadly, 80 people were killed and hundreds were injured. The gas attack later accounted for the lives of no less than 20 women and 30 children.

While the public sympathized with the people of Syria, none of them really knew what it felt like inhaling the toxic air. Apparently, a modern chemical warfare took place in the said area. Sarin gas is so dangerous that it got the nickname "weapon of mass destruction". Aside from photos and videos posted on social media sites, the victims noted that the horrifying incident made them feel like being stabbed in the lungs with a "knife made of fire".

Now, per IFL Science, there are ways to treat Sarin nerve agent as told by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is actually an antidote for it but first-aid must be applied quickly. Anyone touched by the gas should immediately remove clothing (even tearing it if needed) and put them inside a bag sealed within another bag. Next is to wash the entire body with "excessive" soap and water.

Although no one hopes for another chemical attack to happen, everyone wants Syrians to be prepared in case of another emergency. If they experience blurry visions, they need to flush their eyes for up to 15 minutes. If the Sarin is swallowed, never induce vomiting and do not drink fluids. Lastly, please seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The effects depend on the extent of one's exposure to the gas. In moderate exposures, a person can experience drowsiness and headache plus watery eyes with pain. Also, victims often have chest tightness, excessive sweating, muscle twitching, and abnormal heart rate. On the other hand, lethal exposures include signs such as convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis, and then death due to failure in breathing. 

According to Time, Sarin is clear, colorless, tasteless, and odorless substance in its true form - a liquid. However, when it evaporates into a gas, it can rapidly spread into the environment and kill. It is classified as a "man-made chemical warfare nerve agent." For the record, Sarin gas was first produced by a team of chemists led by Gerhard Schrader in Germany as a pesticide nearly 80 years ago.

He and his team members later lost their sight and muscle coordination due to the effects of the chemical. Adolf Hitler allegedly planned to use it during the World War II but he never did. However, a gas attack using Sarin took place in Japan last 1994. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, meanwhile, first used it against enemies in a conflict last 2013.

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