Have Sleep Apnea? Blow on a Conch Shell

A small study out of India suggests that blowing into a conch shell—a practice rooted in Indian tradition—may provide relief for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, the most common sleep-tied breathing disorder. OSA is a condition where throat muscles block the airway during sleep, causing loud snoring, poor sleep quality, and increased risk for serious health issues like heart disease, per Smithsonian. The standard treatment for OSA is a CPAP machine, but many patients struggle with its discomfort, while others call it a "death knell" for married couples.

For their research published in the ERJ Open Research journal, pulmonologist Krishna Sharma and colleagues at the Eternal Heart Care Center decided to study whether "shankh" blowing, a practice used in yoga and religious rituals, might make a difference. Researchers assigned 30 adults with moderate OSA to either near-daily conch-blowing or deep breathing exercises for six months, per a release. Both groups practiced for at least 15 minutes a day, five days a week. Those who used the conch shell saw a 34% drop in daytime tiredness, slept better, and had four to five fewer sleep interruptions per hour compared to the deep breathing group. The conch group also showed higher blood oxygen levels during their dozing.

Sleep therapist Kat Lederle says the potential benefit could come from strengthening muscles in the face and throat—similar to effects seen with other breathing exercises or wind instruments. However, experts caution that the study's small sample size and unclear mechanisms mean these findings should be treated as preliminary. "It's too soon to say for certain that conch blowing can help," Dr. Erika Kennington of Asthma + Lung UK tells Euronews Health.