Blowing away sleep apnoea

LEARNING to play a wind instrument could help the five million Britons blighted by the condition sleep apnoea.

Research shows that blowing into instruments that use two reeds, such as the oboe, firms up muscles in the airways.

In sleep apnoea, soft tissue in the throat restricts intake of air, causing snoring. This disrupts breathing and wakes sufferers every few minutes, putting them at risk of high blood pressure.

Scientists at the Academic Centre for Dentistry in Amsterdam used data from studies involving patients who took up wind instruments. The results, in the Journal Of Clinical Sleep Medicine, showed they snored less and woke less often.