The test of patency of the Eustachian tube (Valsalva maneuver) is performed to assess the condition of the middle ear, which is part of the Eustachian tube. It connects the tympanic cavity to the throat and equalizes the pressure in the tympanic cavity.
ClearnessEustachian tubeis assessed by the so-calledValsalva attempts . In thisstudy , you blow air from your lungs into your nose with your mouth closed and your nostrils pinched. The murmur of air passing through the Eustachian tube is heard so-called listener - the device is made of a rubber hose, the caps of which are placed in the ear canal of the examined person and the doctor. During the examination, the doctor listens to the murmurs of the air passing through the patient's Eustachian tube. The course of the Valsalva maneuver can be divided into 4 phases. In each of them, there are characteristic changes in pressure, heart rate and other hemodynamic variables reflecting changes in the cardiovascular system, which the doctor compares with the so-called the Valsalva index. Thanks to this, he can assess the condition of the Eustachian tube. Its obstruction may result from allergic swelling of the mucosa lining the proboscis, chronic sinusitis or a hypertrophied pharyngeal tonsil (the so-called third tonsil) closing its mouth. However, the reasons may be different, e.g. premenstrual edema, nasal polyps, nasal septum curvature, the presence of a foreign body, smoking.