1. Expiratory effort when the mouth is closed and the nostrils are pinched shut, which forces air into the eustachian tubes and increases pressure on the inside of the eardrum. 2. Expiratory effort against a closed glottis, which increases pressure within the thoracic cavity and thereby impedes venous return of blood to the heart.
ETYMOLOGY:
After Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666–1723), Italian anatomist.
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