Valsalva maneuver Hear it!

Valsalva maneuver definition

Val·salva maneuver (val sal′və)

any forced expiratory effort against a closed or blocked air passage, as blowing hard with nose and mouth closed during an ascent or descent in an aircraft to equalize pressure in the ears

Etymology: after Antonio Valsalva (1666-1723), It anatomist

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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