A method is described for treatment of a human in need of repeated applications, over a period of time, of smelling salts to provide nasal inhalation of ammonia gas. The method comprises administration to the human as a nasal spray of a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising triethanolammonium 4-hydroxybenzoate dissolved in an aqueous solution within a time interval preceding each application of smelling salts during which the nasal spray remains effective to alleviate or prevent pain to the nasal mucosa caused by the subsequent application of smelling salts.
