ammonia

**Ammonia** is an inorganic small molecule, chemically designated NH3, used in ammonia inhalant products as a rapidly acting respiratory stimulant for prevention or treatment of fainting. Inhaled ammonia vapor produces intense local irritation of nasal and upper-airway sensory mucosa, triggering an inhalation and sympathetic arousal reflex rather than acting through a defined molecular drug target. In a completed randomized crossover study in military cadets undergoing approximately 36 hours of total sleep deprivation, ammonia inhalation modestly improved simple reaction time and jump height but did not mitigate the overall performance effects of sleep deprivation. ([journals.plos.org](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0293804))

Brand names

Aromatic Ammonia Spirit

Other names

ammoniaammonia gasanhydrous ammoniaazaneNH3NH-3NH 3