Variations of the maneuver can be used either in medical examination as a test of cardiac function and autonomic nervous control of the heart, or to clear the ears and sinuses (that is, to equalize pressure between them) when ambient pressure changes, as in scuba diving, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or air travel.

[citation needed] The technique is named after Antonio Maria Valsalva,[2][3] a 17th-century physician and anatomist from Bologna whose principal scientific interest was the human ear.

[9] It is safer, if time permits, to attempt to open the Eustachian tubes by swallowing a few times, or yawning, or by using the Valsalva technique of breathing a minimal amount of air gently into nostrils held closed by the fingers as soon as mild pressure is felt before it increases to the point that its release would be painful.

The effectiveness of the "yawning" method can be improved with practice; some people can achieve release or opening by moving their jaw forward or forward and down, rather than straight down as in a classical yawn,[6] and some can do so without moving their jaw at all by activating the tensor tympani muscle, which is heard by the individual as a deep, rumbling sound.

The Valsalva maneuver is commonly believed to be the optimal breathing pattern for producing maximal force.

It is frequently used in powerlifting to stabilize the trunk during exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and bench press, and in both lifts of Olympic weightlifting.

When the glottis is opened and the ITP returns to normal, cardiac output is restored, but the peripheral vessels are constricted.

[15] For example, the Valsalva maneuver (phase II) increases the intensity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy murmurs, namely those of dynamic subvalvular left ventricular outflow obstruction.

[3] At the same time, the Valsalva maneuver (phase II) decreases the intensity of most other murmurs, including those resulting from aortic stenosis and atrial septal defect.

Thus, neuropathies or radicular pain may be felt or exacerbated, which may indicate nerve impingement by an intervertebral disc or other part of the anatomy.

[23] A variant of the Valsalva maneuver is used to aid diagnosis of oral–antral communication, i.e., the existence of a connection between the oral cavity and the maxillary sinus.

[27][28][3] It presents as preretinal hemorrhage (bleeding in front of the retina) in people with a history of transient increase in the intrathoracic pressure and may be associated with heavy lifting, forceful coughing, straining on the toilet, or vomiting.

Astronaut Drew Feustel describes it as "a spongy device called a Valsalva that is typically used to block the nose in case a pressure readjustment is needed".