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People who practiced blowing through a conch shell regularly for six months experienced a reduction in their symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a small randomized controlled trial published in ERJ Open Research.
OSA is a common sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during the night due to a blocked airway. It leads to loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness. It also increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Blowing the conch shell, or shankh blowing, has been part of Indian culture for thousands of years. The new research showed that people with moderate OSA who practiced shankh blowing slept better, felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night. The researchers say conch blowing is a simple, low-cost intervention that could help reduce symptoms without the need for medication or machines.
The study was led by Dr. Krishna K Sharma from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India. He said, “The standard treatment for OSA is a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, which keeps the patient’s airway open by blowing air through a facemask throughout the night. While effective, many patients find it uncomfortable and struggle to use it consistently.
“In my clinical practice, several patients reported feeling more rested and experiencing fewer symptoms after regularly practicing shankh blowing—a traditional yogic breathing exercise involving exhaling through a conch shell. These observations led us to design a scientific study to rigorously test whether this simple, ancient practice could serve as a meaningful therapy for people with OSA.”
The study included 30 people with moderate OSA, aged between 19 and 65, who were assessed at the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute between May 2022 and January 2024. They were tested with polysomnography, meaning they are monitore