Valsalva maneuver

American  

[val-sal-vuh] / vælˈsæl və /

noun

1. a forced expiratory effort against a closed glottis that decreases intrathoracic pressure, hampering venous return to the heart, and that can be used to inflate the Eustachian tubes and adjust pressure in the middle ear.

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Etymology

Origin of Valsalva maneuver

Named after Antonio M. Valsalva (1666–1723), Italian anatomist who devised the maneuver

Example Sentences

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.

From Washington Post

What few trumpeters know is that while tootling they approximate the effects of "a formidable Valsalva maneuver," i.e., a hard nose-blow with nostrils and mouth blocked.

From Time Magazine Archive