Posted on 08/12/2025 2:58:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Proof-of-concept trial shows significant effect on obstructive sleep apnea symptoms
Key Takeaways:
*Blowing a conch shell improved moderate obstructive sleep apnea symptoms in a small randomized trial.
*Sleep quality and apnea-hypopnea index also improved with conch blowing.
*A larger, more diverse trial is needed to confirm the benefits observed.
The forceful breathing involved in the traditional Hindu practice of blowing a conch shell, or shankh, improved moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms, a small randomized trial showed.
Regular practice of the yogic breathing exercise over 6 months cut daytime sleepiness by 34% compared with baseline, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS; change -5.0 points, 95% CI -8.06 to -1.93), and there was a significant change in mean difference of ESS score (-4.69 points, 95% CI -8.39 to -1.007) compared with a sham control that involved deep breathing exercises.
Sleep quality and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) also improved more with conch blowing, reported Krishna K. Sharma, MD, of the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India, and colleagues in ERJ Open Researchopens in a new tab or window.
"For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative," Sharma said in a press release. "Shankh blowing is a simple low-cost breathing technique that could help improve sleep and reduce symptoms without the need for machines or medication."
This study came about after several patients in Sharma's clinical practice reported reduced OSA symptoms after regular yogic practice with the conch. In line with prior findings supporting an effect on OSA after playing wind instrumentsopens in a new tab or window, he suggested that there could be a potential mechanism due to the way the conch requires deep inhalation followed by a forceful, sustained exhalation through tightly pursed lips.
"This action creates strong vibrations and airflow resistance, which likely strengthens the muscles of the upper airway, including the throat and soft palate -- areas that often collapse during sleep in people with OSA," Sharma said. "The shankh's unique spiralling structure may also contribute to specific acoustic and mechanical effects that further stimulate and tone these muscles."
Sophia Schiza, MD, PhD, of the University of Crete in Greece, who is head of the European Respiratory Society group on sleep-disordered breathing, noted in the press release that novel treatments beyond gold-standard CPAP are needed for OSA.
"This is an intriguing study that shows the ancient practice of shankh blowing could potentially offer an OSA treatment for selected patients by targeting muscles training," said Schiza, who was not involved in the research. "A larger study will help provide more evidence for this intervention, which could be of benefit as a treatment option or in combination with other treatments in selected OSA patients."
Sharma noted that his group is planning a multicenter trial to validate the findings in a more diverse population over a longer period.
"We also want to study how this practice affects airway muscle tone, oxygen levels, and sleep in greater detail," he said. "We're particularly interested in comparing shankh blowing with standard treatments like CPAP, and in examining its potential help in more severe forms of OSA."
This study included 38 participants ages 19 to 65 who presented at a single center with self-reported snoring and daytime sleepiness with a recent diagnosis of moderate OSA. They were randomly assigned open-label to one of the two groups: the conch group received an instrument and were trained over the course of two once-weekly sessions to blow it, which they were instructed to do for 15 minutes 5 days a week. The sham group was trained to practice a deep breathing exercise of slow, deep inhalation through the nose followed by relaxed exhalation for 15 minutes 5 days a week.
Patients with severe OSA symptoms necessitating CPAP were excluded, as were those opting for treatment with a mandibular advancement device or surgery, and those with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater and certain other conditions, such as known or suspected significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic diseases.
Of the 30 participants who completed the follow-up to 6 months, average age was 49.9 years, average BMI was 28.9, 66.5% were men, and 33.5% were current smokers.
Sleep quality improved by 3.1 points more on the 21-point Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with the intervention versus sham, while the AHI dropped by 5.62 events per hour more at 6 months. "Since REM-related respiratory events often correlate with greater cardiovascular and neurocognitive risks, the observed 21.8% reduction in REM AHI may translate to important clinical benefits beyond symptom relief," Sharma and team noted.
Notably, the intervention group also had more weight loss during the trial, with a BMI reduction of 0.33 compared with an increase of 0.53 for the control group over the same period. Neck circumference also decreased significantly by 1.0 cm compared with an increase of 0.15 cm in the control group, "implying that blowing shankh might induce upper airway remodeling," the authors wrote.
Study limitations included the use of a per-protocol analytical approach that might overestimate the treatment effect and limit generalizability, the relatively small sample size, and the single-center design, which might also limit the generalizability of the findings.
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Dumbest thing Ive ever heard. Anyone who is a loud snorer will sleep better with a CPAP and wake feeling more rested. The S9 Autoset With H5i humidifier is one I use and I now sleep like a baby.
Some people can't sleep with CPAP.
Some people have operations. There are a number of treatments.
It isnt claiming to be a replacement for a CPAP, although it could be for non-serious cases. It is a relief technique to make it less necessary.
I don’t need CPAP but it looks wack to me.
Reminds me of Don Chilton and Steve Turre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G74otQz-Uao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJbdWn7ltDg
I have terrible sleep apnea and am a lifelong trumpet player.
Next...
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Blowing a conch shell
Not sure if this is an engine repair issue, or something that Monica Lewinsky would do?
:)
Do you play with the plunger? That’s the key.
My neighbor snored so loud I could hear it through the walls.
Now he blows a conch shell...
You might need to buy it dinner first. Just sayin’
This model is actually a VPAP. Variable pressure. It drops pressure on exhale so the user isnt pushing aganst it.
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