The Valsalva maneuver is defined as "attempted exhalation against a closed airway", "The effort to breathe out forcibly while the mouth and nose are firmly closed or the vocal cords pressed together", or, colloquially, straining as if you were trying to poop. It can "pop" the eustachian tubes open, stimulate the vagus nerve, and briefly spike blood pressure, occasionally leading to people dying from a burst aneurysm on the toilet.
Some breathing practices involve pushing air out against resistance, such as ujjayi breath in yoga. This can be done by partly closing the glottis while exhaling, or by firmly exhaling through the mouth with lips slightly open, as if one were whistling. It can also happen while forcefully exhaling through a congested nose.
This seems like it should raise eustachian and thoracic pressure in the same way as the "full" Valsalva maneuver, though to a lesser extent. Are the effects of these other breathing practices similar to the Valsalva maneuver, or are there any unique effects of the Valsalva maneuver that only occur with a fully closed airway?
As a second question, would you expect any unique effects exhaling against resistance? It seems different in that the practitioner is still breathing, and that they can continue the practice indefinitely, as opposed to a breath-holding Valsalva.
