What Are Valsalva Maneuvers, and Are They Safe? - Healthline

The Valsalva maneuver is a breathing technique that can be used to help diagnose a problem with the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It can also be used to ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeWhatAreValsalvaManeuvers,andAreTheySafe?MedicallyreviewedbyJ.KeithFisher,MD—WrittenbyJamesRoland—UpdatedonJuly10,2019How-toPhasesUsesWarningsTakeawayDefinitionTheValsalvamaneuverisabreathingtechniquethatcanbeusedtohelpdiagnoseaproblemwiththeautonomicnervoussystem(ANS).Itcanalsobeusedtohelprestoreanormalheartrateifyourheartstartsbeatingtoofast.Namedafter17thcenturyItalianphysicianAntonioMariaValsalva,thetechniquerequiresyoutotryexhalingwhenyourairwaysareblocked.AversionoftheValsalvamaneuvercanalsobeusedtohelpbalancetheairpressureinyourears.Inadditiontoclosingyourmouthandpinchingyournose,youbeardownasifhavingabowelmovement.Themaneuvercausesseveralrapidchangesinyourheartrateandbloodpressure.Youshouldfirsttrythistechniqueunderadoctor’ssupervisiontomakesureyou’redoingitcorrectly,andforasafe,buteffectiveamountoftime.How-toperformthemaneuverToperformtheValsalvamaneuver,followthesestepsinorder:Pinchyournoseclosed.Closeyourmouth.Trytoexhale,asifinflatingaballoon.Beardown,asifhavingabowelmovement.Dothisforabout10to15seconds.TheValsalvamaneuvercanbedonesittingorlyingdown.Askyourdoctorwhichapproachisrightforyou.WhatarethefourphasesoftheValsalvamaneuver?TheValsalvamaneuvercanbedividedintofourphases.PhaseoneBlowingairagainstclosedairwaysasyoubeardowncausesthepressureinyourchesttoincrease.That’sbecausethepressureinyouraortainsideyourchestbrieflyincreases,andbloodisforcedoutofyourhearttoyourlimbsandtherestofyourbody.Thisfirstphasecausesatemporaryspikeinyourbloodpressure.PhasetwoThesecondphasecausesasteadydropinbloodpressureasalimitedamountofbloodintheveinsreturnstotheheart.Thisloweramountofbloodreturningtotheheartresultsinlessbloodpumpedfromtheheartandafallinbloodpressure.YourANSsensesthispressuredropandrespondsbyincreasingyourheartrateandoutput,andcontractingyourarteries.AllofthisleadstothereturnofbloodpressuretoanormalrangeifyourANSishealthy.PhasethreeAttheendofthemaneuver,yourelaxandyourbloodpressurefallsforafewmoments.Thisisthethirdphase.PhasefourSoon,bloodstartsrushingbacktotheheart.Afterafewheartbeats,bloodflowshouldbebacktonormalandyourbloodpressurewillrisebecauseyourbloodvesselsarestillconstricted.Thebloodpressureincreaseideallycausestheheartratetocomebacktonormal.That’sphasefour.What’stheValsalvamaneuverusedfor?Thissimpleprocedureisusedforanumberofdifferentreasons.TwoimportantpurposesarerelatedtohowtheValsalvamaneuveraffectsyourbloodpressureandheartrate.RestoringheartrhythmTheshiftsinbloodpressureandheartrateasyoumovethroughthefourphasesofthemaneuvercanoftenrestoreanormalheartrhythmwhenyourheartisexperiencingtachycardia.Tachycardiaisanabnormallyfastheartrate.IfoneValsalvamaneuverdoesn’tdothetrick,yourdoctormayrecommendyoutryitasecondtime.DiagnosinganANSdisorderInadditiontotreatinganabnormalheartrate,theValsalvamaneuvercanalsobeusedtohelpdiagnoseanANSdisorder.ThepatternofyourheartrateandbloodpressurechangesthroughthevariousphasesoftheValsalvamaneuvercanhelpyourdoctoridentifyproblemswithyoursympatheticandparasympatheticnervefunctions.Ifyouhaveaconditioncalledposturalorthostatictachycardiasyndrome(POTS),you’llexperiencesignificantincreasesinyourbloodpressureduringphasestwoandfour.POTSisaconditioninwhichyourbloodpressuredropsdramaticallywhenyoustandafteryou’vebeensittingorlyingdown.Itcanbeaveryserioushealthproblem,leadingtofainting,falls,andothercomplications.TreatingcloggedearsTheValsalvamaneuvercanalsohelpwithrelativelyharmlessproblems,suchasairtemporarilyblockingtheEustachiantubeinyourinnerear.Youmayhaveexperiencedthisfeelingduringtakeofforlandingonanairplane.TheValsalvamaneuvercanoftenbeusedtohelpyourears“pop”openbyforcingairthroughyoursinusesandEustachiantube.WarningsTheValsalvamaneuvershouldn’tbeusedtotreatalltypesofcardiovascularproblems.Don’ttrythistechniqueifyouhavehighbloodpressureandareathighriskforastrokeorheartattack.Talktoyourdoctorbeforetryingthistechniqueifyouhaveaheartrhythmproblem,alsoknownasanarrhythmia.Ifyoutrythemaneuverseveraltimestoslowaracingheart,butgetnorelieffromyourtachycardia,gotoanemergencyroom.Youshouldalsogotoanemergencyroomifyouhaveanunusuallyrapidheartbeatandyouhavechestpain,shortnessofbreath,oryoufeelfaint.TryingtheValsalvamaneuvertoclearyourearsshouldalsobedonewithcaution.Ifyoutryexhalingtoohard,youcouldruptureaneardrum.TakeawayTheValsalvamaneuvercanbeahelpfultreatmentanddiagnostictool,butitshouldalwaysbedonefirstwithinstructionsfromadoctor.Ifyou’reabletodoitsafely,itcanbeaquickandeasywaytogetyourheartbeatingatasafeandnormalrate.Ifyourdoctorhasneversuggestedit,goaheadandask.Itmayturnouttobeagreathelptoyourheartandyourqualityoflife.LastmedicallyreviewedonJuly10,20193sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.SrivastavS,etal.(2019).Valsalvamaneuver.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537248/Valsalvamaneuver.(n.d.).fairview.org/patient-education/116685ENValsalvamaneuver.(n.d.).ww2.mc.vanderbilt.edu/adc/38918FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyJ.KeithFisher,MD—WrittenbyJamesRoland—UpdatedonJuly10,2019ReadthisnextEverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutPoppingYourEarsMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNAIfyourearsfeel"full,"youmayfindithelpfultopopthem.Inmostcases,poppingyourearsisaseasyasgettingyourmouthmusclesmoving…READMOREWhyDoesMyEarFeelClogged?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNAAcloggedearmaynotcausepain,butmuffledsoundsandstrainingtohearcanbearealnuisance.We'lltellyouthepossiblecauses.READMORECardiacCatheterizationMedicallyreviewedbyDr.PayalKohli,M.D.,FACCCardiaccatheterizationisaprocedureusedtoevaluateheartfunctionanddiagnoseheartconditions.Learnabouttheprocedureanditsuses.READMOREOlympicDrugScandal:SkaterPositiveforOtherHeartMedicationsinAdditiontoBannedSubstanceRussianfigureskaterKamilaValievatestedpositivefortrimetazidine,aheartmedicationthat'sbannedintheUnitedStatesandprohibitedunderthe…READMOREHowListeningtoHerSymptomsSavedSusanLuccifromaHeartAttackThesoapoperaiconrevealshowtakinghersymptomsseriouslylikelysavedherfromaheartattack.Nowshe’sencouragingwomeneverywhereto…READMOREFoodstoEatandLimitAfteraHeartAttackMedicallyreviewedbyAlissaPalladino,MS,RDN,LD,CPTAfteraheartattack,yourdoctormaystartyouonatreatmentplantopreventafutureheartattackorothercomplication.READMOREEverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutthePacemakerMedicallyreviewedbyDr.PayalKohli,M.D.,FACCApacemakerisimplantedundertheskintohelpmanageanirregularheartbeat.Discoverwhoneedsapacemaker,whathappensaftersurgery,andmore.READMORE