A Valsalva maneuver is an effort to exhale without letting air
escape through the nose or mouth. People often use a Valsalva maneuver during
some common activities, such as straining to have a bowel movement or blowing a
stuffy nose.
A Valsalva maneuver is not normally harmful but it may cause
irregular heart rhythms in some people who have certain types of heart
disease.
A person may be asked to do a Valsalva maneuver during certain
medical tests or exams. During the test, a person is asked to try to breathe
using the stomach muscles and diaphragm but not let any air out through the
nose or mouth.
