The main benefit of aromatic salts is to resuscitate a person who has fainted. Although doctors no longer use them extensively, aromatic salts are still effective for this use. Aromatic salts combine ammonium carbonate and perfume and are used to restore or stimulate the senses. Aromatic salts are usually a dilute ammonia solution, while poppers are a broad term for inhalable alkyl nitrates.
It's only legal in the United States for a person to use aromatic salts to help someone regain consciousness after fainting. People have used aromatic salts for hundreds of years to revive someone who has fainted or fainted. Since at least the 13th century, ammonia, the active ingredient in aromatic salts, has been a key component of the doctor's drug bag. In the case of a concussion, aromatic salts would also be ineffective, because concussions are caused by brain injury, not lack of oxygen.
Doctors used to use aromatic salts, but they no longer use them as regularly. Recently, doctors have largely moved away from aromatic salts and have opted for simpler techniques to prevent or reverse fainting. There isn't much in-depth scientific research on how aromatic salts work, because they're actually no longer used for medical purposes. However, some people may use aromatic salts through other means, such as improving athletic performance and increasing alertness.
Respiratory rate is one of the ways doctors judge the severity of a concussion, so applying aromatic salts can alter its assessment and make it difficult to treat it in the short term. When aromatic salts reach the nose of a person who has fainted, ammonia vapors irritate the inner membranes of the nasal passages. People often use aromatic salts to rejuvenate a person who has fainted or to help improve athletic performance. For people without underlying health problems, there is no evidence to indicate that using aromatic salts as directed is dangerous.
According to anecdotal reports, aromatic salts can sometimes cause headaches, especially when used in higher doses. Some medical professionals have expressed concern about the potential dangers of misusing aromatic salts.
