Most people tolerate exposure to around 250 ppm of ammonia for less than 1 hour. However, even exposure to 50 ppm of ammonia for more than 2 hours can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation. Ammonia concentration and duration of exposure increase a person's risk of experiencing adverse health effects. Rule 4: “To awaken inspiration”: Using the above method, excite the nostrils with tobacco or aromatic salts and tickle your throat with a pen.
Rub your chest and face vigorously, and spray cold and hot water alternately on them. The vapors of aromatic salts are strong (think of the pungent smell of bleach when you clean something). When they get close to a person's nose, the vapors irritate the inside of the nose. The irritation causes the lungs to breathe deeply and quickly to clear the nasal passage.
Aromatic salts consist of ammonia alcohols. The use of aromatic salts dates back to the Roman Empire, but they became popular during the Victorian era. They were used to help revive women who were fainting. Aromatic salts can also simply consist of diluted ammonia dissolved in a mixture of water and ethanol, and most of the forms of “aromatic salts” available on the Internet are the latter type of mixture.
However, in modern sports medicine, when used correctly, aromatic salts are unlikely to have significant benefits or cause significant adverse effects in sports-related head injuries. It may seem miraculous to see how a little salt suddenly awakens an unconscious person, but the pungent smell and the surge of oxygen only awaken consciousness. Aromatic salts are used to awaken consciousness because the release of the ammonia (NH) gas that accompanies their use irritates the membranes of the nose and lungs and thus triggers an inhalation reflex. Although in recent times aromatic salts have reawakened the interest of athletes as stimulants before games or as a way to “stimulate” me when my performance is weak, it seems that in reality we know or very little is known about these agents.
Although aromatic salts have no recorded negative effects, their addictive use to stimulate sports practice could be dangerous and open the door to substance abuse in the future. With regard to sports concussions, the real danger is that resorting to aromatic salts in this situation is no substitute for a careful and thorough neurological evaluation. While there are numerous case reports of the toxicity of ammonia agents when ingested in large doses or inhaled in high concentrations for long periods, in fact, there are no reports of adverse health problems related to the use of aromatic salts in sports practice. More recently, athletes have started using aromatic salts in the belief that their use will keep them more alert.
Aromatic salts can mask a more serious injury or hide worsening symptoms, complicating proper neurological evaluations. Coaches, parents and athletic trainers are critical to ending the inappropriate use of aromatic salts by young athletes. However, there is no evidence that they have that benefit, and some leagues have even banned aromatic salts. If you get fragrant salts in your eyes, rinse them gently with water and contact the poison control center, doctor, or emergency room.
Although they are no longer widely used by doctors, aromatic salts are still effective for this use. In the context of traumatic brain injury, there are still many people and organizations that recommend the use of aromatic salts to try to revive the injured athlete.
