Could Blowing a Conch Shell Help Sleep Apnea?

Blue spaces are calming and beautiful. Nothing is more relaxing than walking on the beach and picking up a large spiral conch shell and blowing into it.

But did you know it could also be medicinal? Conch blowing, or shankh blowing is an ancient yoga ritual that involves deeply breathing into the shell and exhaling, reported The Guardian. Now, this practice could help alleviate the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea OSA), a disorder that affects an estimated 1 billion people around the world.

Treating Sleep Apnea

OSA occurs when people have episodes where they stop and then start breathing again while they sleep. The symptoms include loud snoring and making gasping sounds.

The current treatment for OSA is a continuous CPAP machine, which is difficult to sleep with because it is cumbersome and noisy.

“For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative,” Dr Krishna K Sharma from India’s Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, told New Atlas. That’s why he sought an alternative form of treatment and turned to blowing into conch shells.

Conducting a Randomized Controlled Trial

The study, which was published in the journal ERJ Open Research, and conducted at the research institute assessed whether blowing through a conch shell can be effective in improving the symptoms of sleep apnea.

The research, according to New Atlas, involved 30 participants aged 19-65, who suffer from moderate OSA. Sixteen patients blew through the shells for 15 minutes a day, five days a week for six months. The rest of the participants were trained to do deep breathing exercises instead.

The group that practiced conch-shell blowing had a 34 percent reduction in sleepiness during the day, fewer nighttime breathing episodes, and improved blood oxygen levels at night. The researchers believe that the way the shell is blown into is responsible for the findings.

“The way the shankh is blown is quite distinctive,” Sharma told New Atlas. “It involves a 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. The shankh’s unique spiraling structure may also contribute to specific acoustic and mechanical effects that further stimulate and tone these muscles.”

While more research with larger amounts of participants is needed, this first trial is very promising. The next phase will be a larger trial involving several hospitals that will help to validate and expand the findings.

While 15 minutes of conch blowing may be loud and annoying, it is likely easier to deal with than eight hours of snoring or being attached to a machine.