Latest news with #KingNeptune
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Could MOANA hold the key to curing snoring? Magical skill ‘treats common disorder linked to heart disease'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PEOPLE could wave goodbye to loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness with a trick used by Disney's MOANA, say scientists. At the same time, they will be reducing their risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea include very loud snoring Credit: Getty 3 Blowing through a conch shell, like Moana, offers a new treatment for OSA Credit: Disney From King Neptune commanding the waves to Disney's Moana summoning her ancestors, we've all witnessed the power blowing a conch shell can have. But it's not just reserved for magical fantasy stories - it's a real-world tradition, and new research has found it could also provide health benefits. Blowing a conch shell is an ancient practice with roots in various cultures around the world, including Hinduism and Hawaii. Experts have now found blowing through a conch shell regularly for six months could reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). OSA is a common sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during the night due to a blocked airway. As well as leading to loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness, it can raise the risk of cardiovascular conditions. A new study published in EHJ Open Research, found people with moderate OSA who did shankh blowing - as it's also referred to - felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night. The researchers say it's a simple, low-cost intervention that could help reduce symptoms of the condition without the need for medication or machines. Dr Krishna K Sharma from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India, who led the study, 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. BREATHE EASY Cheap blood test 'can predict your risk of terrifying condition that can kill you in your sleep' 'In my clinical practice, several patients reported feeling more rested and experiencing fewer symptoms after regularly practising 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 monitored throughout a night's sleep and asked questions about the quality of their rest and how sleepy they felt during the day. Participants were randomly assigned to either be trained to practise blowing through a conch shell (16 patients) or to practise a deep breathing exercise (14 patients). They were also encouraged to practise at home for a minimum of 15 minutes, five days per week, and after six months, reassessed. Compared to the people who practised deep breathing, the people who practised shankh blowing were 34 per cent less sleepy during the daytime, they reported sleeping better and overnight test revealed they had four to five fewer apnoeas (where breathing stops during sleep) per hour on average. 3 Researchers said blowing through a conch shell could help OSA as it strengthens the muscles of the upper airway Credit: EHJ Open Research They also had higher levels of oxygen in their blood during the night. Dr Sharma explained: 'The way the shankh is blown is quite distinctive. 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 spiralling structure may also contribute to specific acoustic and mechanical effects that further stimulate and tone these muscles. 'For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative." The researchers are now planning a larger trial involving several hospitals. They also hope to study how this practice affects airway muscle tone, oxygen levels and sleep in greater detail. Professor Sophia Schiza, Head of the ERS group on sleep disordered breathing, based at the University of Crete, Greece, who was not involved in the research said: 'Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common disease around the world. We know that OSA patients have poor quality of sleep, and higher risks of high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease. A proportion of patients experience sleepiness during the day. "While CPAP and other treatments are available based on careful diagnosis of disease severity, there is still need for new treatments. "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. "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."
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Could MOANA hold the key to curing snoring? Magical skill ‘treats common disorder linked to heart disease'
PEOPLE could wave goodbye to loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness with a trick used by Disney's MOANA, say scientists. At the same time, they will be reducing their risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. From King Neptune commanding the waves to Disney 's Moana summoning her ancestors, we've all witnessed the power blowing a conch shell can have. But it's not just reserved for magical fantasy stories - it's a real-world tradition, and new research has found it could also provide health benefits. Blowing a conch shell is an ancient practice with roots in various cultures around the world, including Hinduism and Hawaii. Experts have now found blowing through a conch shell regularly for six months could reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). OSA is a common sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during the night due to a blocked airway. As well as leading to loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness, it can raise the risk of cardiovascular conditions. A new study published in EHJ Open Research, found people with moderate OSA who did shankh blowing - as it's also referred to - felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night. The researchers say it's a simple, low-cost intervention that could help reduce symptoms of the condition without the need for medication or machines. Dr Krishna K Sharma from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India, who led the study, 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. BREATHE EASY Cheap blood test 'can predict your risk of terrifying condition that can kill you in your sleep' 'In my clinical practice, several patients reported feeling more rested and experiencing fewer symptoms after regularly practising 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 monitored throughout a night's sleep and asked questions about the quality of their rest and how sleepy they felt during the day. Participants were randomly assigned to either be trained to practise blowing through a conch shell (16 patients) or to practise a deep breathing exercise (14 patients). They were also encouraged to practise at home for a minimum of 15 minutes, five days per week, and after six months, reassessed. Compared to the people who practised deep breathing, the people who practised shankh blowing were 34 per cent less sleepy during the daytime, they reported sleeping better and overnight test revealed they had four to five fewer apnoeas (where breathing stops during sleep) per hour on average. 3 They also had higher levels of oxygen in their blood during the night. Dr Sharma explained: 'The way the shankh is blown is quite distinctive. 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 spiralling structure may also contribute to specific acoustic and mechanical effects that further stimulate and tone these muscles. 'For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative." The researchers are now planning a larger trial involving several hospitals. They also hope to study how this practice affects airway muscle tone, oxygen levels and sleep in greater detail. Professor Sophia Schiza, Head of the ERS group on sleep disordered breathing, based at the University of Crete, Greece, who was not involved in the research said: 'Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common disease around the world. We know that OSA patients have poor quality of sleep, and higher risks of high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease. A proportion of patients experience sleepiness during the day. "While CPAP and other treatments are available based on careful diagnosis of disease severity, there is still need for new treatments. "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. "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." What is sleep apnoea? THIS Morning anchor Josie Gibson suffers with sleep apnoea - but what is it? Sleep apnoea is - as you might expect - a sleep condition, but it can cause serious health implications. It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and re-start when you're asleep. There are lots different symptoms linked to sleep apnoea but some of the most obvious are loud snoring and abrupt awakenings followed by gasping and choking. Night time sweating, morning headaches, high blood pressure and a decreased libido are also huge tell-tale signs. Symptoms of sleep apnoea mainly happen while you sleep. They include: breathing stopping and starting making gasping, snorting or choking noises waking up a lot loud snoring During the day, you may also:
Toronto Star
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Thousands watch Chincoteague wild ponies complete 100th annual swim in Virginia
CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) — Thousands gathered in Virginia to watch the Chincoteague wild ponies make their annual swim across the Assateague Channel in the 100th anniversary of the popular tradition. Foal No. 36 was the champion of the short channel swim on Wednesday and crowned 'King Neptune,' the title given each year to the first to complete the swim, according to the Chincoteague Fire Department.
Winnipeg Free Press
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thousands watch Chincoteague wild ponies complete 100th annual swim in Virginia
CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) — Thousands gathered in Virginia to watch the Chincoteague wild ponies make their annual swim across the Assateague Channel in the 100th anniversary of the popular tradition. Foal No. 36 was the champion of the short channel swim on Wednesday and crowned 'King Neptune,' the title given each year to the first to complete the swim, according to the Chincoteague Fire Department. The horses were made famous in the 1947 classic children's novel 'Misty of Chincoteague' by author Marguerite Henry. 'Saltwater Cowboys' on horseback round up the ponies, who then swim the channel and come ashore on the east side of Chincoteague Island. The event hosted by the Chincoteague Fire Department includes an auction of some of the foals to help control the size of the herd and maintain a healthy pony population on Assateague Island, where the ponies live most of the year. The auction is also the biggest annual fundraiser for the fire department, which manages the wild pony herd. The tradition began in 1925 as a way to raise money for Chincoteague's volunteer fire company. Interest in the pony swim grew, and visitors began coming from across the country for the annual event. 'Misty of Chincoteague' made the event famous around the world.
New York Post
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Coney Island Mermaid Parade makes a splash once again
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade made quite a splash once again. The 43rd annual event — the nation's largest art parade — welcomed revelers close from the Big Apple to around the world, many donning over-the-top aquatically-themed costumes for the tropical festivities. 'It's a great expression of people's creativity,' gushed Noella Owen, 53, of Brooklyn, who attended with her two children, aged 11 and 12. Advertisement The trio, who show up annually, hand made their marine-centric ensembles. 'My kids are dressed as krill and they wanted me to be a blue whale because of their fat jokes,' Owen said. 6 Many came to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade donning aquatically-themed costumes. Michael Nagle Advertisement The joyfully unconventional parade kicked off at 1 p.m. and the crowd quickly swelled to 30,000, which included marchers, spectators and those on the boardwalk, according to police. Caroline Northrop, 44, a public school teacher from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., also expressed her love for the unique 'celebration of creativity.' '[It] shows so many people are still creative even with AI everywhere, it's so refreshing,' said Northrop, who donned a 'woodland enchantress' outfit decorated with fake mice. 6 The joyful event dates back to 1983. Michael Nagle Advertisement 6 Victor Gonzales spent a month creating his outfit. Khristina Narizhnaya Victor Gonzales, 39, a civil engineer who lives in Queens, dressed as a lion fish, and said it took him one month to painstakingly create the costume. 'Because I have to sew, I have to do this structure. I have to design the makeup as well. Today, [it took to get dressed] probably about two and a half hours … I have to glue on the paper things,' he explained. Each year, a new King Neptune and Queen Mermaid are crowned — Ukrainian-American singer and Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz and Bed-Stuy based pornstar Queenie Sateen were awarded the day's honors. Advertisement 6 Eugene Hütz and Queenie Sateen were crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid. Michael Nagle 6 There were 30,000 at the festivities, according to police estimates. Michael Nagle Hütz, who has been living in New York since 1997, was not only finally able to attend this year, but take on the venerable title. 'Every year I hear about it and … some kind of a big splashy burlesque action … and I'm always on tour,' he said. 'And all these years go by like that, let's finally see it already, you know? And then this year, miraculously, we're touring in the later part of the summer, not earlier part of the summer. And I get a call, so it's like, you know, 10 out of 10.' 6 Paula Carlson dressed as a 'more modern mermaid.' Samantha Olander Paula Carlson, 47, of Bay Ridge, a retired emergency manager, dressed as a 'more modern mermaid' in homage to Hütz. 'I wanted to pay tribute, because it is Eugene [Hütz as King Neptune] and he's Ukrainian, to the Rusalka, which is the Ukrainian myth of the mermaid, and she brings water to all of the crops.'
