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A Valsalva manoeuvre is an effort to exhale without letting air escape through the nose or mouth. People often use a Valsalva manoeuvre during some common activities, such as straining to have a bowel movement or blowing a stuffy nose.
A Valsalva manoeuvre 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 manoeuvre during certain medical tests or examinations. During the test, a person is asked to try to breathe out using the stomach muscles and diaphragm but not let any air out through the nose or mouth.
Current as of: June 17, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & John M. Miller MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
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