Certain tongue and pharyngeal exercises may reduce symptoms of mild obstructive sleep apnea, according to a new study by the American Thoracic Society.

The study is the first to suggest that these exercises could help people suffering from mild sleep apnea.

It was previously thought that a breathing device called the continuous positive airway pressure machine was the best way to treat sleep apnea, but researchers from the American Thoracic Society were encouraged by a recent study that showed playing the Australian Aboriginal musical instrument, the didgeridoo, helped decrease snoring and sleep apnea.

Dr. Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho and his colleagues at the ATS recruited a group of 31 recently-diagnosed patients with sleep apnea. They were assigned to two groups - an exercise group and a control group.

The exercises included blowing up a balloon, pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and sucking in the cheeks.

The exercise group underwent daily tongue and pharyngeal exercises and the 15 participants in the control group were given a "sham" treatment involving deep breathing and a nasal saline solution, according to an ATS press release.

After three months, the exercise group showed significant improvement, while the control group showed no progress at all. Overall, the exercise group showed a 40-percent decrease in sleep apnea severity, and eight out of the 16 were classified as having mild apnea, while two patients reported having no apnea, Lorenzi-Filho said.

The study was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.