Ammonia is correctly called. Ammonia: use in everyday life, in medicine

Many medical supplies can be used for both medicinal and household purposes, for example, a solution of ammonia is often used to destroy pests or to clean leather furniture upholstery. In addition, this substance can be used to treat garden plants, use it to feed cucumbers, and also when cleaning silver, gold, and plumbing items.

What is ammonia

Aqueous ammonia solution or ammonia(NH4OH, ammonia hydroxide or monohydrate) is a clear, colorless liquid with pungent odor, which is applied as medicine and for household needs. IN large quantities NH4OH is poisonous, but small dose the drug can be used as a stimulant and irritant. The main use of alcohol is medicine. It can be used to revive a person who faints; surgeons use it to treat their hands before surgery. In addition, this drug has found wide application in cosmetology.

Compound

People are often interested in the question in what situations ammonia is used and what ammonia is. The chemical compound hydrogen nitride, or ammonia, is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. Get it when high temperature using a catalyst of nitrogen from air and hydrogen. When water is added, a solution of ammonia is obtained. Ammonium hydroxide or ammonia tincture has a pungent odor and is alkaline strong reaction. The composition of ammonia includes 10% aqueous ammonia solution.

Formula

Many people mistakenly believe that ammonia, ammonia, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide are similar substances, but this is not so. Some of the drugs may have the same smell, although the chemical formula and method of preparation are different. The alcohol in question, unlike ammonia gas, is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. This substance has the formula: NH4OH. It is rare to find another one like this - NH3∙H2O. This notation is used for a 10% solution.

What is the difference between ammonia and ammonia

The main difference between NH4OH and hydrogen nitride is their initial aggregative state. Ammonia is a colorless gas that liquefies at -33 degrees Celsius. Ammonia is a liquid that is often called ammonia solution. The difference between the substances is their area of ​​application. Ammonia is the main product used in chemical industry. This gas is often taken:

  • in the production of alcohol;
  • as a refrigerant to maintain the operation of industrial and domestic systems;
  • for the production of fertilizers, polymers, nitric acid, soda;
  • during construction;
  • for the manufacture of explosives.

Ammonia monohydrate has a narrower use, mainly as a medical antiseptic. In addition, the solution is often used by housewives to remove stains from clothes, to clean gold and silver, as fertilizer for gardening and indoor plants. The main similarity of these products is that they can smell unpleasant due to the high content of ammonia salts.

Properties of ammonia

During the breathing process, ammonia hydroxide vapors enter the body, and the substance actively begins to interact with trigeminal nerve, while reflexively exciting respiratory center. A concentrated solution can cause colliquation (dissolution, softening) of microbial cell proteins. The product is also often used as ambulance to stimulate breathing and remove a person from fainting. In addition, ammonia solution:

  • when applied externally, it improves tissue regeneration, dilates blood vessels, stimulates the outflow of metabolites;
  • has an antiseptic effect;
  • has an irritating effect on skin exteroceptors;
  • block the flow of pain impulses from pathological foci;
  • provokes local release of kinins, prostaglandins;
  • affects heart activity and tone vascular walls;
  • reduces hyperalgesia, muscle tension, spasms, providing a distracting effect;
  • when the drug is inhaled, there is an increase in blood pressure;
  • suppresses foci of excitation;
  • promotes rapid release of sputum;
  • influencing the vomiting center, increases excitability;
  • oral administration in small doses stimulates the secretion of glands.

Application

Ammonia solution is often used as medicine and for household needs. In medicine, the drug is used to relieve fainting and stimulate breathing. For insect bites, apply lotions with the product; for neuralgia, rub the sore spot. Alcohol is used externally to disinfect doctors' hands before surgery. The instructions for use of the drug indicate that the dose of the substance should be selected individually, based on the indications.

Use in everyday life

Ammonia water is useful in removing stains from upholstered furniture, clothes. To clean your favorite item, textile shoes or upholstery, you need to combine a couple of teaspoons of the product with a glass of water and pour the resulting solution onto the stain for a few minutes. Then rinse cool water. The smell will quickly dissipate and the stains will disappear instantly.

Ammonia monohydrate also works well when removing cockroaches. To do this, add a little product to a bucket of water when washing the floor, furniture and walls (about 1 tsp per liter of water). The pungent smell will drive away uninvited guests, especially if the procedure is done once a week. To prevent your outdoor recreation from being spoiled by mosquito and midge bites, you need to take an ammonia solution with you and spray it around. After this treatment, insects will no longer bother you.

An ammonia solution is also suitable for cleaning silver, gold items, and plumbing items. To get rid of unpleasant black plaque, you need to take water, tooth powder, ammonia monohydrate in a ratio of 5:2:1. Next, the product should be wiped soft cloth or gauze soaked in solution. After this, rinse with water and wipe dry. Jewelry with precious stones and pearls should not be cleaned this way.

For indoor flowers

The use of ammonia solution for plants is based on great content it contains nitrogen and lacks ballast substances. The drug in diluted form is an ideal fertilizer for home flowers. To prepare the simplest fertilizer with NH4OH, you need to dissolve one tablespoon of the substance in three liters of water. The resulting solution must be watered at the roots of the plants. If home flowers are affected by aphids, you need to take them out to the balcony and spray them with a solution of fifteen milliliters of alcohol, three liters of water and two drops of shampoo.

In the garden

Ammonia solution is an indispensable assistant on summer cottage. The drug is often used to replenish nitrogen deficiency and as a preventive measure for diseases of trees, plants, shrubs, and berries. To feed you need 4 liters of water and 50 ml of solution. Plants should be watered with this composition from the moment of planting until the end of June. The product also perfectly repels mosquitoes, aphids, and midges. The farm uses only a technical solution of 25% alcohol.

Ammonia is an excellent fertilizer for plants. Shrubs will respond to the solution with a good harvest: plum, cherry, blackberry, raspberry. The substance must be used to increase growth during the flowering period. Cabbage, zucchini, onions, pumpkin, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants consume the most nitrogen. There are cultures that moderate amount nitrogen is needed: cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, garlic, corn, gooseberry and currant bushes.

Application in medicine

Ammonia solution is often used to revive a person and in case of fainting. In addition, the use of ammonia in medicine is possible for:

  • poisoning (food, alcohol, toxic);
  • neuralgia;
  • insect bites;
  • headache, toothache;
  • hangover;
  • myositis;
  • joint pain;
  • otitis;
  • nail fungus.

Ammonia monohydrate has also found wide application in cosmetology. If you use the substance together with glycerin, it will excellent remedy for dry skin of feet, elbows, hands. A lotion based on these ingredients helps to quickly restore softness and get rid of cracks. The product is also excellent for treating hair; it can be used as a rinse after using shampoo. To do this, you need to dissolve a teaspoon of alcohol in a glass. warm water.

Instructions for use

To revive a person who has fainted, you need to pour a little ammonia solution onto a cotton swab and bring it to your nose at a distance of 5 cm. Close inhalation of the product is prohibited, because this can cause a burn to the nasal mucosa. If you are bitten by insects, you need to apply lotions. To use the drug to induce vomiting, you should take ammonia in ampoules, pour 10 drops of the product into 100 ml of warm water and give it to the patient to drink orally. At wet cough the doctor can prescribe inhalations, but only through a special device.

Rules of application

Ammonia solution is a toxic substance, therefore, if used incorrectly, a reflexive cessation of breathing and a stomach burn may occur (when taking the undiluted drug). As a rule, the drug is used inhalation, topically and orally. IN surgical practice they wash their hands. With prolonged exposure to the drug on the body, necrobiotic and inflammatory changes in tissues may occur.

Before using the substance, you should carefully read the instructions or consult a specialist. At accidental damage containers with the drug, you should quickly open the window and ventilate the room. In case of contact with mucous membranes and eyes, rinse the affected areas with plenty of running water and seek medical help.

Ammonia for acne

Ammonia solution is an excellent remedy for oily skin face that is prone to acne and blackheads. It can be used for washing. In this case, you need to dilute half a teaspoon of the substance with a glass of warm water. In addition, problem areas can be wiped with ammonia hydroxide solution with a concentration of 1-2% using a cotton swab.

Precautionary measures

When using ammonia hydroxide in medicine or for the home, you must be careful and use individual means protection. In addition, you must follow the rules:

  • if possible, applying the substance to plants should be done with a mask and rubber gloves;
  • alcohol must not be mixed with other active substances;
  • People suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia;
  • If the undiluted solution gets inside, you must immediately drink a lot of water and call vomiting reflex and seek help from a doctor;
  • The drug should be stored in closed places;
  • Avoid contact of ammonia hydroxide with facial skin;
  • The composition should be diluted in the air or in a well-ventilated area.

Price

Many people are often interested in how much ammonia costs in a pharmacy? Usually, average cost the drug ranges from 13 to 60 rubles. It is bottled in 40 ml bottles. Ammonia can be found commercially under the name 10 percent ammonia solution. The substance can be sold wholesale and retail. Large deliveries are carried out in tons. It is recommended to store the product in a cool place. On the shelves of pharmacies in Moscow you can find the solution at the following prices:

Video

Ammonia, also called ammonia hydrate, can revive fainting, loss of orientation, drunkenness. It is used not only in medicine, but also in farming, cosmetology, personal plot. Improper use of ammonia can lead to dangerous consequences. Not everyone dares to drink ammonia, but even excessive inhalation of the vapors is enough to cause poisoning. When working with ammonia, precautions must be taken, regardless of the area in which the ammonia solution will be used.

Use in medicine

The properties of the product are varied. It has a disinfectant effect, stimulates respiratory activity, and acts as a local irritant. In medicine it is used for the following purposes:

Indications for useMethods of use
Headaches and toothaches For 1 part camphor alcohol take 10 parts of 10% ammonia. When liquids combine, flakes form. The bottle must be shaken until the flakes dissolve. If a tooth hurts, moisten a cotton swab and apply it to the sore spot. Do the same for headaches.
Joint pain To treat joints - dilute 1 tbsp. l. ammonia in 3 tbsp. l. water. Knead the dough using the resulting solution and apply the cake to the affected joint, wrap it with a warm scarf. The procedure will be useful for arthritis, contractures, etc.
Radiculitis Take 500 ml of ammonia solution for two handfuls of thuja fruits. Leave for 28 days, strain and add 4 bottles of iodine. Lubricate your back overnight and wrap it in a woolen scarf. An ointment based on honey, ammonia, medical bile, iodine and glycerin works similarly. All components are taken in equal proportions and mixed. The ointment is rubbed into sore joints and back once a day.
Warts and papillomas A cotton swab is moistened in ammonia and applied to the tumor for a few seconds. It is important that the solution does not come into contact with nearby skin. Before the procedure, it is recommended to lubricate healthy tissues with a rich cream. Excessive passion ammonia can cause burns.
Spurs on the heels It is necessary to lubricate the affected foot with a rich cream or vegetable oil, moisten a cotton cloth with ammonia heated to body temperature, apply it to the heel, wrap it in polyethylene, and put a warm sock on top. The compress is applied at night. The procedure is repeated 5-10 times. During the treatment, it is possible to get rid of cracks, unpleasant odor of sweat, hyperhidrosis, and fungal diseases of the feet.
Cough In this case, drops of ammonia and anise will help. For 10 ml medical alcohol take 25 ml of anise oil and 15 ml of ammonia solution. The drug is taken orally, 10-15 drops, diluting them in water. It is also useful to breathe over an ammonia-anise solution. If you add a few drops to a piece of sugar, the product can be given to children. The drug helps with tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia.
Nail fungus Ammonia solution successfully treats onychomycosis and dermatomycosis. To do this, dilute 1 tbsp in a glass of water. l. ammonia alcohol, moisten a cotton pad with the solution and wrap the finger, cover with a film or bandage, and leave overnight.
Body hair To remove unwanted hair, you need to mix 5 ml of ammonia solution with 35 ml of 98% alcohol, add 5 ml castor oil and 1.5 ml of iodine, stir until smooth. Apply twice daily to hairy areas. After 3 days the hair will begin to fall off.
Stimulation of vomiting To cleanse the stomach in case of alcohol poisoning or other types of intoxication, vomiting is artificially induced. If this cannot be achieved mechanically, then take a solution of ammonia prepared from 50 drops of the drug per 100 ml of water.

Ammonia helps you sober up even if it is not taken orally. It is enough to bring a cotton wool soaked in the solution to a drunk person and allow him to inhale. The pungent smell instantly brings you to your senses.

Use of ammonia hydrate in everyday life

Using ammonia to clean metal utensils at home, jewelry, outerwear. The solution disinfects, whitens, and adds shine to glossy surfaces. Housewives will find the following recipes useful:

Instructions for use

Against rust on nickel-plated dishes - stains are greased, left for two days, after which they are treated with a soft cloth moistened with an ammonia solution.

For stains on clothes - traces of grass are removed with warm soapy water with the addition of ammonia. When greasy spots appear on outer clothing, wipe them with a solution of 25 g of ammonia and 5 g of salt. You can clean suede clothes with a solution of a glass of water and 1 tsp. ammonia. For fleecy suede, cleaning with fine salt is suitable, while the lining is cleaned with a solution of 1 part ammonia hydrate and 10 parts water.

To make the mirror shine, use a mixture of one glass of water, 1 tbsp. l. ammonia and 20 g of tooth powder. This mixture is applied to the mirror and then removed with a soft cloth. If the surface is infested with flies, then wipe it with 5% ammonia.

To remove perfume stains on linen, mix hydrogen peroxide and ammonia in equal proportions, treat the fabric, and then wash. The product is suitable for white things; it can also bleach tulle, towels, and bathrobes.

For stains on jackets and sheepskin coats, take 1 tsp per glass of warm water. peroxide and ammonia, treat dirty areas. For leather jacket take 500 ml of water, 3 tbsp. l. soda and 1 tbsp. l. ammonia solution.

To clean cupronickel cutlery, just wash the dishes with a mixture of chalk and ammonia, then rinse with water. The product removes blackness and adds shine.

Processing jewelry – ammonia can be used to clean gold. For this purpose, they are moistened with an ammonia solution. cotton swab and go over the decoration with it. To clean a gold chain, you need to prepare a solution of water, ammonia and baby laundry detergent. Take 1 tsp per glass of water. remaining ingredients.

You can also clean silver with an ammonia solution. To do this, take 1 part ammonia to 10 parts water. Jewelry is dipped into the resulting liquid for half an hour. This way you can clean rings, chains, earrings and even silverware.

For cleaning precious stones– if metals easily tolerate the effects of ammonia, then many jewelry stones tarnish when in contact with an ammonia solution. The exception is diamonds. They are placed in a solution of 1 part ammonia and 6 parts water, after 5 minutes the decoration is rinsed.

For stains on windows - you need to take 200 ml of water and glycerin and 5-10 drops of ammonia. After the main window cleaning, wipe the surface until shiny with a soft cloth.

For crystal, the products are first washed with soapy water, soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of 1 part ammonia and 3 parts water, and wiped dry.

For the oven - you need to preheat the oven to 60 degrees, put a container of boiling water down, and a glass of ammonia on the top shelf. Close the door and leave the oven for 8 hours at open windows. After the required time has passed, add ammonia to detergent and wipe all surfaces, including the grates on the gas stove.

For the microwave - take 2 tbsp for half a liter. l. ammonia. Place the mixture in the microwave and start the oven for 5 minutes at medium power. The room is well ventilated. After cleaning, the oven is wiped down inside.

For ceilings, you can wash the suspended ceiling with a mixture of 9 parts water and 1 part ammonia. The product is suitable for treating glossy surfaces.

For stains on the carpet - take 1 tbsp per 1 liter of water. l. ammonia and 2 tbsp. l. washing powder. The ingredients are mixed until a thick foam is used to treat the carpet, while making sure that the base remains dry. After treating the fleecy surface, wipe it dry.
  • The product will be useful if there are animals in the house. Diluted ammonia eliminates unpleasant odors cat urine. It is also used against ants and cockroaches. To remove insects, a solution of 1 liter of water and 1 tbsp is suitable. l. ammonia, which is used to wash the paths. Cockroaches usually disappear after 3-4 treatments.
  • Ammonia can also be used as a fertilizer for indoor flowers . It is prepared according to the instructions, at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 3 liters of water. Feeding is carried out during active growth. A solution of 1 tsp. ammonia per 1 liter of water is fed garden flowers, cabbage, tomatoes.

Some medical supplies used not only in medicinal purposes, but also in economic situations. To such universal means Its use in everyday life is much wider than in medicine. What properties does it have? this remedy and in what situations can it be used?

Description

Ammonia is ammonia. Its use in liquid solution known since ancient times. He looks like plain water, but has a pungent and specific odor. IN large quantities ammonia is poisonous, but in small doses it can be used as an irritant and stimulant.

It is necessary to distinguish between ammonia and ammonia). Use in everyday life and in medicine is associated with the second remedy.

As a pharmaceutical

  • When inhaled, ammonia acts on the receptors respiratory tract, awakening the respiratory center. From the receptors, excitation is transmitted along the fibers nervous system. It reflexively affects work of cardio-vascular system. Therefore, ammonia is often used for fainting and alcohol poisoning. It should be used with caution. Frequent inhalation of ammonia in large concentrations can cause spasm and respiratory arrest.
  • Using this substance internally in small quantities causes vomiting.
  • Also, ammonia is known for its distracting properties for neuralgia. In practice it works like this. The drug is applied to the skin. Being absorbed, through the skin-visceral reflexes it irritates the tissues, taking on the wave inflammatory processes. In the meantime, the sore muscle is being restored. Thus, ammonia suppresses the focus of excitation, eliminates pain and vascular spasm.
  • Due to its irritating properties, when applied to the skin, it promotes vasodilation, release active substances and improves tissue nutrition and regeneration.
  • Like any other alcohol, ammonia has an antiseptic effect. It is used for insect bites, felons and boils. However, its long-term use for these purposes, due to its irritating properties, can cause local pain, swelling and hyperemia.
  • Sometimes ammonia in combination with other elements is used as an expectorant. By influencing the epithelium of the respiratory tract, it enhances the functioning of the glands. This promotes rapid release of mucus.

At home

Whatever medical properties Regardless of ammonia, its use in everyday life is much more relevant and wider. Most often it is useful in removing stains from clothes and upholstered furniture, silver and even plumbing items. However, his unique properties have not yet been fully studied by experienced housewives, and practical experiments have shown that the solution can also be used in the fight against harmful insects (for example, cockroaches, ants).

Exists great amount household problems that ammonia can solve. Its use in everyday life is not limited.

Cleaning clothes, shoes, furniture

To remove a difficult stain from a favorite item, textile shoes or furniture upholstery, you need to combine a couple of teaspoons of ammonia with a glass of water and pour this solution over the stain for a while. Then rinse (rinse) in cold water. The smell of the product will soon disappear, and not a trace will remain of the stain.

From insects

When removing cockroaches, you should a small amount of add ammonia to the water for washing floors, walls and furniture (1 tsp per liter of water). A sharp and unpleasant smell will drive away uninvited house guests forever if this procedure is carried out regularly, once a week.

To prevent your outdoor recreation from being spoiled by annoying mosquitoes and other insects, you should take ammonia solution with you (in pure form) and sprinkle it over the rest area. After this treatment, not a single midge will bother you anymore.

and dishes

The use of ammonia solution in cleaning crystal and windows has been known for a long time. To do this, add 4-5 drops to a liter of water and wipe the glass surfaces with this solution. Even old and yellowed stains will not resist such a cleanser.

From foreign odors

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, it is ammonia that successfully combats extraneous and unpleasant “aromas” of paint or tobacco. The use of odor control in everyday life is very simple. Place saucers in all rooms, dripping a certain amount of product onto them. Soon unpleasant odors will begin to disappear.

What is dry ammonia?

There is also technical ammonia, or, in scientific terms, In addition to the name, the properties that dry ammonia has are also different. Its use is in demand in technology and chemistry. For example, when soldering or tinning (applying molten tin to hardware for corrosion protection purposes). Also, ammonia (powder) is used as a hardener for varnishes and adhesives.

  • As antiseptic Surgeons treat their hands with ammonia solution (0.5%) before surgery.
  • The human body is in a complex process chemical compounds can produce ammonia itself. The reason for this is the deamination (breakdown) of amino acids. This process is regulated by the body itself by excreting ammonia through urine. At the same time, it acquires a characteristic smell. As a rule, the deamination process is preceded by fasting or dehydration.
  • Some indoor and garden plants (lilies, clematis, geraniums, cucumbers) are very fond of feeding with ammonia. A wonderful fertilizer is prepared at the rate of 50 grams of ammonia per four liters of water.
  • Previously, technical ammonia was used as a diuretic. However, the toxicity of the powder and the rapid development of medicine supplanted it and replaced it with other, safe and effective drugs.

Both ammonia and ammonia are widely used in different areas human activity. You often hear that ammonia is a solution of ammonia in water. But in reality, not everything is so simple, as any chemist will tell you. So, how does ammonia differ from ammonia, and we'll talk below.

A little bit of history

Ammonia was first obtained by the English chemist Joseph Priestley (by the way, at the same time as a priest - a strange combination, isn’t it?) in 1774. He called the gas he discovered “alkaline air,” chemical composition which I could not determine. This was done 11 years later, in 1785, by the French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet, also known as the inventor of “ bertholet salt» – a composition that has found wide application in pyrotechnics and medicine. Why did the gas receive this name?

There are two versions on this matter, one of which is associated with the name of the ancient Egyptian god Amun, and the second with the similar-sounding oasis of Ammon in North Africa. According to the first, people who worshiped Amon during the ritual sniffed ammonia (chemical formula NH 4 Cl), which released ammonia when heated. According to the second version, in the oasis of Ammon, located at the crossroads of busy caravan routes, as a result of constant presence there large number pack animals accumulated a huge amount of their waste products. And urea, quickly decomposing in hot climates, releases ammonia. Which of the two versions is correct is unknown.

The difference between ammonia and ammonia is primarily that under normal conditions they are in different states of aggregation. Ammonia is a gas that liquefies at temperatures around -33 Celsius. And ammonia is a liquid that has the same unpleasant odor as ammonia. Interesting fact: to transport ammonia from Tolyatti to Odessa, a one-of-a-kind ammonia pipeline with a length of about 2.1 thousand kilometers was laid.

Application

Ammonia is one of the essential products chemical industry. It has found application in the following industries:

  • as a refrigerant in refrigeration equipment (mainly in industrial installations);
  • production of ammonia;
  • production of explosives;
  • fertilizer production;
  • construction (as part of antifreeze additives in solutions);
  • production of polymers, nitric acid, soda;
  • some other industries.

The use of ammonia is more limited. The lion's share is used in medicine mainly as an antiseptic or a means of inducing fainting. He found application in everyday life. Housewives know that ammonia perfectly removes stains from clothes. of different origins.

Comparison

It is generally accepted that ammonia is a solution of ammonia in water, but... But in fact, the process of converting ammonia into ammonia has not one step, but two. The first step is the formation of ammonium hydrate from ammonia. And the second is the dissolution of the resulting hydrate in water to form a composition called “ammonia.”

The first step is expressed by the following formula: NH 3 + H 2 O ⇄ NH 3 · H 2 0 ⇄ NH 4 + + OH - . And only in the future does the formation of ammonia directly occur. Although, in essence, such a division is chicanery. Refrigeration technicians at enterprises that use ammonia without bothering themselves chemical formulas, simply lower the hose where the ammonia comes from into a bucket of water, and get the required amount of ammonia, which you then use for your needs (mainly in everyday life). The maximum saturation of the solution is determined by ear: when the characteristic clicks and crackles begin, that’s it, the gas can be turned off, the ammonia is ready!

Table

And in conclusion, let’s summarize what is the difference between ammonia and ammonia.

Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) - water solution ammonia. It has a pungent odor and a strong alkaline reaction.

Ammonia is produced from air nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperature in the presence of a catalyst. Ammonia water is widely used in different areas human life. Ammonium hydroxide is a material for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Despite their widespread use, ammonia and ammonia are dangerous to human health.

Ammonium hydroxide: mechanism of action

Ammonia vapor reflexively excites the central nervous system, especially the centers of the medulla oblongata. In high concentrations they can provoke a reflex cessation of breathing. When administered orally, the drug excites the gastric mucosa and causes vomiting.


Ammonia: use in medicine

In medicine, the above remedy is used for fainting conditions, to stimulate vomiting, and also externally - for insect bites, neuralgia, myositis, for treating the hands of a surgeon using the Spasokukotsky-Kochergin method (diluted). Improper use of ammonia solution can cause the development of burns of the esophagus and stomach. Aqueous ammonia can be used as an expectorant. Its expectorant effect is caused by irritating effect on the bronchial mucous membranes. To stimulate breathing and bring the patient out of fainting cotton swab, moistened with ammonium hydroxide, is carefully brought to the patient’s nose (duration from 0.5 to 1 second). To induce vomiting, doctors sometimes prescribe the use of ammonia orally (only in dilution - 5-10 drops per 100 ml of water). For insect bites, ammonium hydroxide is recommended to be used in the form of lotions.

Cosmetic problems

Aqueous ammonia is used in folk medicine to remove warts and papillomas. To do this, wrap a small amount of cotton wool around a match or toothpick, dip it in ammonia and apply it to the location of the growths for a few seconds. Make sure that the solution does not come into contact with the skin around the tumor, as it may cause a burn. Ammonium hydroxide is also used to remove unwanted body hair. For hair removal ethnoscience recommends preparing a mixture of the following composition: 5 ml of ammonia water, 35 ml of 98% ethanol, 5 ml of castor oil and 1.5 ml alcohol solution iodine - all this should be thoroughly mixed to obtain a homogeneous mass. The resulting product should be applied to problem areas with hair twice a day. In just two or three days you will get the desired result.

Contraindications for use

The above should not be used pharmaceutical in case of loss of consciousness in the absence or difficulty of reflex conduction from the nasal receptors to the brain. IN in this case the miracle of “revival” with ammonia will not happen. It will help in this situation parenteral administration other drugs. Ammonia water is contraindicated for use in the presence of weeping eczema and dermatitis, since this drug will provoke even greater irritation of the skin and can cause a burn.


Signs of ammonia vapor poisoning

The main signs of ammonia vapor release include cough, shortness of breath, a feeling of heaviness in the chest, and spasm of the larynx. An excited state, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting, and swelling of the respiratory system often occur. As a result direct contact may arise burn injury eye, which requires immediate qualified help. If ammonia solutions get inside, to the above signs of intoxication, you should add pain in the esophagus, intestines, stomach, diarrhea with blood, decreased blood pressure. This condition is life-threatening and requires immediate qualified help!

What to do in case of ammonia vapor poisoning?

First aid for ammonia intoxication: ensure maximum influx fresh air indoors (open the window); perform repeated gastric lavage; give the victim a spoon to drink vegetable oil, some egg whites, a glass of milk; If possible, do a cleansing enema. If undiluted ammonia water comes into contact with skin the victim will also need qualified assistance. In this case, the main therapeutic assistance is abundant rinsing of the affected areas with water for 10-15 minutes. The use of any ointments within 24 hours is contraindicated. Further therapeutic regimen the same as with thermal burns. If splashes of ammonia water get into your eyes, you should immediately rinse your eyes with running water, then apply olive or Vaseline oil, sulfacyl sodium, novocaine with adrenaline. For laryngeal spasms, local heat, inhalations, atropine are prescribed, and, if necessary, tracheotomy. If necessary, artificial respiration should be performed.

Ammonia - a universal cleaner

Ammonia water is often used to clean products made from precious metals(silver, gold). For this purpose, solutions of ammonia in water in a ratio of 1:4 are used. After cleaning, wipe the jewelry with a soft cloth. Do not forget that an aqueous solution of ammonia can also be used when washing. To improve foaming, add 2-3 teaspoons of ammonium hydroxide to a bucket of water. In such water, laundry is bleached perfectly. To remove coffee and chocolate stains, you can use an ammonia solution diluted with water in a ratio of 1:25.

To remove stains from silk fabrics, it is good to use a solution of the following composition: 1 teaspoon of glycerin, a few drops of ammonia water and 1 teaspoon of water. Before removing the stain, be sure to check the fabric to see if it is fading. It is best to clean shiny areas on the cuffs and collars of jackets, jackets and coats with a sponge soaked in ammonia water (15-20 ml of ammonium hydroxide per liter of water). If your interior contains antique objects made from wood species such as walnut or oak, and their appearance already leaves much to be desired, they can be cleaned with a 12% ammonia solution. The listed tree species contain tannin, which, when exposed to ammonia water, acquires a beautiful brown-gray hue.

The role of ammonium hydroxide in biological systems

This substance is an important source of nitrogen for living systems. Nitrogen - chemical element, necessary for the biosynthesis of amino acids. Ammonium hydroxide is used in industry to produce nitrogenous fertilizers necessary for normal height and development of agricultural crops.

In human and animal tissues, a significant amount of amino acids is formed due to metabolism. High concentrations ammonia in tissues is toxic to the body. The liver converts ammonium hydroxide into a product less toxic to the body - urea. Diseases that result in liver dysfunction (hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, cholecystitis) can lead to an increase in the concentration of the above substance in the blood (hyperammonemia). Ammonium hydroxide is involved in the regulation acid-base balance in organism.