Valsalva maneuver

A Valsalva maneuver is any attempted exhalation against a closed glottis or against a closed mouth and nose. It is also known as Valsalva's test and Valsalva's method, after Antonio Maria Valsalva, a famous Italian anatomist. Valsalva's initial intention for the maneuver was as a method of expressing pus from the middle ear.

Related Topics:
Glottis - Antonio Maria Valsalva - Anatomist - Pus - Middle ear

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A Valsalva maneuver performed against a closed glottis results in a drastic increase in pressure in the thoracic cavity, the airtight section of the torso that houses the lungs and heart. In normal exhalation, the diaphragm contracts, pushing up and into the thoracic cavity. This increases pressure in the cavity and forces the air out of the lungs. However, when the air cannot escape, as when the glottis is closed in a Valsalva maneuver, pressure simply continues to build inside the thoracic cavity until the diaphragm relaxes or the air is allowed to escape. This reduces the amount of blood flow into the thoracic cavity, especially in the veins leading to the right atrium of the heart.

Related Topics:
Glottis - Thoracic cavity

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