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Proof-of-concept trial shows significant effect on obstructive sleep apnea symptomsKey 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...

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) -- A sixth-generation Key West resident, who first blew a conch shell as a child, has won the island's 48th annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest in Florida. Thirty-six-year-old Clinton Curry followed his two-toned toot Saturday with a portion of composer Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" on a single shell, earning applause from several hundred spectators. Blowing the fluted, pink-lined conch shell has been a Key West tradition since the early 1800s, when seafaring settlers used it as a signaling device.