In recent times you may have noticed pro hockey players sniffing something that appears to be quite unpleasant about four to six inches away from their noses while sitting on the bench before and during games.
Hockey players are sniffing smelling salts, which are designed to give you a sudden jolt to wake you up and possibly enhance your performance on the ice. They’re made of chemicals and typically contain an ammonia-based gas, which possesses a very strong odor.
Why Do Hockey Players Use Smelling Salts?
Before hockey players and other athletes started making smelling salts popular, they were basically placed under the nose of somebody who was groggy, dazed, or had fainted to bring them around and wake them up quickly. Hockey trainers often use smelling salts to treat players who have received a head injury to help clear their minds and make sure they remain conscious.
However, if smelling salts are used to treat head injuries they may hide a more severe problem such as a concussion or help cover up worsening symptoms. Players themselves, usually sniff them for focus and to give them a burst of energy with some players regularly sniffing them before each shift.
How Do Smelling Salts Work?
It’s widely believed that smelling salts have been used medicinally since way back in the 13th century. Since they’re still around today it shows that they are quite effective. Once a person smells the fumes they will likely jerk their neck and head backwards instinctively as they try to get away from the bad odour. The ammonia in the smelling salts is used as a stimulant and the overpowering smell usually brings most people around quite quickly.
How Long do Smelling Salts Last?
The object of sniffing smelling salts is to give yourself a quick and temporary jolt of mental and physical alertness. In general, this sudden boost or jolt lasts just between 20 and 30 seconds and the overall effects typically wear off after two or three minutes.
What Do Smelling Salts Smell Like?
Smelling salts have a harsh, pungent odour and remind some people of a strong ammonia bleach. The fumes irritate the inside of a person’s nose which results in their lungs to breathe deeply and quickly to help clear their nasal passage.
The odour triggers a reflex in your breathing which helps to send oxygen to the brain and restart your respiratory rhythms. The smell combined with a surge of oxygen helps to revive groggy and unconscious people.
Do Smelling Salts have any Side Effects or Risks?
If properly used, you shouldn’t suffer any adverse effects from smelling salts. While it is uncommon, some people who have used them have complained of side effects though. These included difficulty in breathing, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and coughing.
It’s also possible you could cause damage to your nasal passages if smelling salts are overused as the ammonia fumes could eventually burn the membranes inside of the nostrils. Holding the concoction too close to your nose could also cause the same type of damage.
Smelling salts could cause a reaction if you’re suffering from a pre-existing respiratory condition such Bronchitis, Asthma, Bronchitis, Chronic lung disease and Emphysema. If you suffer from any of these it’s highly recommended that you contact a medical professional before using them. Be sure to keep the smelling salts away from your eyes and skin as ammonia is a corrosive chemical which can burn and irritate anything it comes in contact with.
Do they Actually Do Anything or is it Superstition?
Medical doctors generally agree that there’s no evidence that smelling salts can actually enhance a player’s performance and that’s the reason the NHL and most other professional sports league leagues haven’t banned them as of yet.
If they were considered to be performance-enhancing drugs (PED) they would be banned very quickly. But while they may not improve on-ice performance they do help to clear your head temporarily and make you very alert.
Where Can You Buy Smelling Salts?
Smelling salts are perfectly legal in North America and can be purchased here on Amazon. The price, type, and size of the product will vary and you can also buy them at many pharmacies and even stores such as Walmart.
Can You Make Your Own Smelling Salts?
It’s possible to make your own smelling salts but it’s generally uncommon since they can be easily bought over the counter. Since they contain ammonium carbonate or ammonium chloride you can make them by combining ammonia with dilute hydrochloric acid. However, the purpose is to release ammonia gas, so you could in fact simply sniff ammonia solution to get the same affect.
The most common active compound in smelling salts is ammonium carbonate, which is a crystalline solid. It can be mixed with water and you may also add Epsom salt, eucalyptus oil or lavender oil to your solution.
Final Thoughts
Some medical experts feel that smelling salts are being misused as a stimulant by athletes. Their purpose is to provide mental alertness and a burst of energy prior to or during an important play or game when they feel they may be tiring. Most players have no side effects at all from smelling salts but they may start depending on them too much or become addicted to them. This could possibly lead to nostril damage as well as substance abuse down the road. While smelling salts may be a popular fad at the moment, we may see them banned down the road, as they have been from most boxing events, or they could simply go out of style.
Ian is an experienced ice hockey writer with a passion for the game. He has been covering hockey for over 25 years and has contributed to various publications. He covers all aspects of the sport, from NHL rules to in-depth analysis of the game as well as previews. Ian is also an avid fan who attends numerous games and has played hockey regularly since moving to Canada at the age of 10.
