by Smelling salts have been used to keep people awake for centuries. They were once prominent in funeral homes and at blood drives. Athletes inhale them from the sidelines in hopes of improving their performance. Rocky famously takes a whiff of smelling salts to get back in the ring and continue the fight. But how do these smelling salts work?
Smelling salts contain ammonia, a strong and foul-smelling chemical, he said dr Anthony Alessi (opens in new tab)clinical professor of neurology and orthopedics at the University of Connecticut.
The Ammonia gas irritates the mucous membranes in the nose and throughout respiratory system and causes an inhalation reflex, according to a 2006 study British Journal of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab). The inhalation reflex alters breathing patterns, increases oxygen flow and gas exchange, and may thereby increase alertness in some situations, the study authors write.
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While ammonia can be toxic when ingested in large amounts, a touch of these salts is safe. However, it’s not always particularly helpful, Alessi said.
While it used to be common practice to use smelling salts to keep athletes conscious after a concussion, this has fallen out of practice because it can be dangerous, Alessi said. It is a reflex to move away from a noxious smell; If an athlete has a head or neck injury, the abrupt smell could cause them to flinch and worsen their injury.
Athletes still sometimes use a touch of smelling salts to enhance their performance. While exercise makes you feel more alert and focused, there’s no evidence it actually improves muscle strength, according to a 2014 study Exercise Physiology Journal (opens in new tab).
It’s also important to note that if a person faints or their consciousness fluctuates, it’s because the brain doesn’t have everything it needs. It may lack energy or oxygen, so it restarts, Alessi said. This can happen in all sorts of situations, such as people fainting while watching gory movies or people with diabetes Fainting due to low blood sugar. In the past, people have rushed to smelling salts because it feels like they are doing something about the loss of consciousness.
But in reality, fainting is often a protective mechanism that points to a larger problem that may need medical attention. So stopping it with smelling salts isn’t really a solution. The “brain is very resilient,” Allessi said, and it protects and animates itself.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
