HWN Suggests

A Brief History of Smelling Salts

Smelling salts are a centuries-old folk remedy for fainting. Going back to the 13th century at least, ammonia — the active ingredient in smelling salts — has been a key component of the doctor’s medicine bag. Recently, physicians largely moved away from smelling salts in favor of simpler techniques to prevent or reverse fainting. But as the medical field shied away from it, this old substance found new devotees in professional sports. Boxers, football players, and other athletes often turn to the little packets of ammonia, which they believe increase alertness and get them back into the match quickly, even after a big hit. But is this belief justified by science? We asked neurologist Erin Manning…

read full article

Featured

 Is NFL’s smelling salts obsession simply bad optics, or something worse?

But these days, we see smelling salts most in sports, particularly on the football field. As Branch and Furtado noted, there have been several instances of the television cameras capturing NFL players breaking the capsules and holding them under their noses, including when they’re emerging from the blue medical tent after being examined for a concussion.

 What are smelling salts?

Victorian ladies fainted with alarming frequency. They had been characterized as the weaker sex and had become conditioned to fulfil the role. A little shock, such as a glance at a passage in Lady Chatterly's Lover, and they would collapse in a swoon. The cry then went up for the smelling salts!

Articles of Interest

The NFL is making it harder for players to get smelling salts. Here's why

NFL players may soon have a harder time getting a quick jolt of alertness on the field. On Tuesday, the NFL sent a memo to clubs saying they are no longer allowed to provide the substance to players, citing safety concerns. In the memo, which NPR has reviewed, the league pointed to a warning from the FDA released last year informing consumers that smelling salts — often marketed to increase alertness and energy — have not been proven to be safe or effective for that purpose.

Why Do NFL Players Love Smelling Salts? I Tried Some at Work to Find Out

The NFL recently announced it would no longer provide potent smelling salts to its players. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do them at my desk.

Are There Dangers to Smelling Salts? Why You Should Avoid Ammonia Inhalants

Smelling salts were invented as a remedy for fainting and to revive people from unconsciousness. Their origins can be traced back to ancient times, but they became particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were particularly used in the Victorian era for women who had “fallen prey to fainting fits [6].” Today, smelling salts are being used by athletes who want a burst of energy and focus. While these are the wanted effects of smelling salts, there may be some hidden unwanted effects caused by huffing these chemicals.

Need a smack in the face to get you going? Try a smelling salt instead

I’ve been fascinated by smelling salts forever. It’s such an old-timey “medical” device, the kind of thing you’d expect to see in a bare-knuckle boxing match from the early 1900s, or a Jane Austen novel when someone gets the vapors. They date back to the Roman Empire, for goodness sake. Yet there’s Patrick Kane, waving them around his eyes on the bench during games. There’s Murphy, taking a big whiff every period. There’s Erik Gustafsson taking a hit. And Gustav Forsling. Kahun, too.

NFL Bans Teams From Giving Out Smelling Salts Over Concussion-Masking Risk

The league said it was banning teams from distributing the products, including “ammonia capsules, inhalers, ammonia in a cup, and any form of ‘smelling salts’” at the recommendation of the league’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee. The game-day ban applies to all team personnel and includes pregame, halftime, sidelines, and locker rooms.

NFL Players Love Smelling Salts. The NFL’s Cracking Down Anyway.

Concerns that the popular sideline substances have no medical backing and could mask the symptoms of a concussion led the league to get rid of them

NFL's great smelling salts standoff

As ESPN uncovered in a report eight years ago, the origins of this curious habit trace back, rather unexpectedly, to Victorian women at the end of the XIXth century. Once prescribed to treat fainting spells, these pouches now come in single-use capsules no larger than chewing gum. Each sealed white packet comprises a cocktail of 0.3 millilitres of alcohol (35%), ammonia (15%), water, essential oils, and a red dye that, when crushed, turns the wrapper a tell-tale shade of pink tones. The NFL recently announced an outright ban on the use of smelling salts during official games, citing two major concerns: a lack of scientific evidence supporting their safety, and fears that they could mask concussion symptoms.

Scents & Sensibility: Awakening the Fashionable History of Victorian-Era Smelling Salts

And yes, there is a science to it! The fumes of ammonia gas are quite harsh – somewhat akin to the acrid smell of bleach. When held up to the nose, ammonia gas irritates the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and lungs, thereby triggering an inhalation reflex. This alters an individual’s breathing pattern; as the muscles that control breathing work quicker to clear the airways and supply the brain with oxygen, respiratory flow rate and alertness are improved, thereby reversing the faint.

Smelling salts

Although smelling salts have recently undergone a resurgence of interest by athletes as a pre‐game stimulant or as a “pick me up” when performance is flagging, it appears that little is really known or understood about these agents. Over time they have tended to remain a traditional part of the trainer's kit (along with the ubiquitous sponge and cold sprays) rather than in the medical bag. In the setting of sporting head injury, there are still many individuals and organisations that recommend the use of smelling salts to try and revive the injured athlete. Most recent sports medicine textbooks, however, emphatically state that smelling salts are contraindicated as they cause a withdrawal reaction, with the potential to cause or exacerbate spine injury.

The Abrasive Aroma Behind Smelling Salts

Smelling salts can revive someone who fainted, and some athletes have been spotted taking a whiff during games. How does this centuries-old treatment work?

The Lost Art of Smelling Salts

The most common form is in capsules. This is basically an ammonia compound in a small glass capsule inside a sealed thick paper case. They can be squeezed to break which releases the ammonia gas and help to wake the unconscious athlete up. Nowadays there are many forms of smelling salts on the market. Ranging from straight ammonia bottles at the grocery store (I do not recommend this; it's probably not the safest idea) to small bottles of smelling salts designed just for lifters. I prefer old-school

Trying Smelling Salts for the First Time? What to Expect

If you're thinking about trying smelling salts for the first time, you're not alone. Whether you saw them used before a big lift, during a sports event, or just want to experience the mental jolt for yourself, you're probably wondering: What do they feel like? Are they safe? How do I use them correctly?

What are smelling salts and how do they work?

Smelling salts have become a popular way for athletes in both strength and regular sports to energise themselves quickly also among people fighting with fatigue and lack of focus. These inhalants, which contain ammonia, are also used in medicine to revive unconscious individuals.

What are Smelling Salts? Using Smelling Salts Bad for Health?

Smelling salts have been around for centuries — first as a Victorian-era remedy for fainting, and now, as a controversial stimulant in modern sports. From hockey benches to powerlifting platforms, these tiny capsules of ammonia are cracking open a conversation about performance, safety, and ritual.

Resources

The Smelling Salts Company

Forget ordinary smelling salts. Ours are engineered in a Finnish lab for one purpose: to deliver an instant, powerful jolt of energy and focus—every single time, for life. No reactivation, no weakening. The bottle you open today will be just as potent years from now.