Valsalva maneuver

noun

Val·​sal·​va maneuver val-ˈsal-və- 

: a forceful attempt at expiration when the airway is closed at some point

especially : a conscious attempt made while holding the nostrils closed and keeping the mouth shut (as for the purpose of adjusting middle ear pressure)

called also Valsalva

Examples of Valsalva maneuver in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In technical terms, a grunt is a Valsalva maneuver (attempting to exhale against a closed airway), which increases pressure in the chest cavity. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2023

Try a version of the Valsalva maneuver. —Brian Sumers, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2022

Adalja also recommended the Valsalva maneuver — holding your nose and blowing out — as well as using saline spray to ensure your passages are as clear of mucus as possible before flying. —James Bikales, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Dec. 2022

The Valsalva maneuver might increase eye pressure in a way that can rupture superficial retinal blood vessels, the researchers suggest. —Julie Stewart, Men's Health, 26 July 2022

For example, another case report recently described torsade de pointes induced by the Valsalva maneuver in the setting of QTc interval prolongation (5). —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2013

Word History

Etymology

after Antonio Maria Valsalva †1723 Italian anatomist, who described it

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Valsalva maneuver

noun

Val·​sal·​va maneuver

variants also Valsalva's maneuver

val-ˈsal-və(z)- 

: a forceful attempt at expiration when the airway is closed at some point

especially : a conscious effort made while holding the nostrils closed and keeping the mouth shut especially for the purpose of testing the patency of the eustachian tubes, adjusting middle ear pressure, or aborting supraventricular tachycardia

called also Valsalva