COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Peak flow meter
Peak flow meters measure how fast people can blow air out of their lungs. Peak flow meters work like this: you blow into the meter, and it gives you a reading (a ?score?). This reading shows how well your lungs are working.
Doctors often ask people with chronic lung disease to take peak flow readings every day, and by recording their readings. Sometimes people use an asthma diary card to record their readings. Taking your peak flow regularly can help you recognize changes in your airflow, and can help you catch exacerbations before they get out of control.
You can buy a peak flow meter at your drugstore; they cost between $20.00 - $70.00.
A peak flow meter measures the rate of airflow, or how fast air is able to pass through the airways. The narrower your airways, the slower the rate will be. Peak flow monitoring is one useful tool to measure airway obstruction (blockage).
How to use a peak flow meter
Move indicator to the base (to zero)
Stand or sit up tall
Take a deep breath
Put mouthpiece in your mouth
Blow as hard and quickly as possible into the mouthpeice
Make a mental note of your reading (your ?score?)
Repeat 2 more times
Record the highest of your three readings
Ask you doctor, certified asthma educator, or pharmacist to show you how to use your peak flow meter. Ask them how to understand what your peak flow readings mean. Find out how you should change your treatment and medication depending on what the peak flow meter readings are.
Use the same peak flow meter consistently; peak flow meters might take different readings, and using more than one device can confuse the results.
How to clean your peak flow meter
Dirt trapped in your peak flow meter can make the readings inaccurate- that's why it's important clean it regularly. Follow the manufactuer's instructions to clean your peak flow meter. In general, you should wash your peak flow meter in warm soapy water. Rinse it gently in clear water, then let it air dry. If you have a virus (cold, flu, etc), wash your peak flow meter after every use. Make sure your peak flow meter is completely dry before using it.
Hope this helps,
Enjoy your afternoon,
Love Holly
Peak flow meters measure how fast people can blow air out of their lungs. Peak flow meters work like this: you blow into the meter, and it gives you a reading (a ?score?). This reading shows how well your lungs are working.
Doctors often ask people with chronic lung disease to take peak flow readings every day, and by recording their readings. Sometimes people use an asthma diary card to record their readings. Taking your peak flow regularly can help you recognize changes in your airflow, and can help you catch exacerbations before they get out of control.
You can buy a peak flow meter at your drugstore; they cost between $20.00 - $70.00.
A peak flow meter measures the rate of airflow, or how fast air is able to pass through the airways. The narrower your airways, the slower the rate will be. Peak flow monitoring is one useful tool to measure airway obstruction (blockage).
How to use a peak flow meter
Move indicator to the base (to zero)
Stand or sit up tall
Take a deep breath
Put mouthpiece in your mouth
Blow as hard and quickly as possible into the mouthpeice
Make a mental note of your reading (your ?score?)
Repeat 2 more times
Record the highest of your three readings
Ask you doctor, certified asthma educator, or pharmacist to show you how to use your peak flow meter. Ask them how to understand what your peak flow readings mean. Find out how you should change your treatment and medication depending on what the peak flow meter readings are.
Use the same peak flow meter consistently; peak flow meters might take different readings, and using more than one device can confuse the results.
How to clean your peak flow meter
Dirt trapped in your peak flow meter can make the readings inaccurate- that's why it's important clean it regularly. Follow the manufactuer's instructions to clean your peak flow meter. In general, you should wash your peak flow meter in warm soapy water. Rinse it gently in clear water, then let it air dry. If you have a virus (cold, flu, etc), wash your peak flow meter after every use. Make sure your peak flow meter is completely dry before using it.
Hope this helps,
Enjoy your afternoon,
Love Holly
There has been, in the past, some difference in opinion as to its value in COPD. However, asthma and COPD are both obstructive disorders. And they both cause an obstruction to expired airflow. With asthma, the obstruction is due to airway spasm and inflammation. With COPD, the obstruction is from air sacs which have lost their elasticity and collapsed....but there is also very often inflammation and some degree of bronchial tube constriction also.
People with emphysema need to forcefully blow the air out in order to empty the lungs.
The peak flow reading serves as an indicator of lung function and measures the highest flow of air out of the lungs during a forceful exhalation.
In COPD, the peak flow meter can serve these purposes:
(1) Find out how well medicine is working. Checking the peak flow reading can give you some definite information to give your doctor as feedback. You may be able to say, (I am feeling less SOB (short of breath) since the medicine was increased, and my peak flow is staying up around 280).
(2) Warn of breathing problems before a crisis. Usually we have certain airflow levels that are our normals. (Even though ours are very low in comparison with people who have no lung disease, they are still OUR own normals) When we have exacerbations brewing, trouble is not always obvious until the problem is severe. But when we check peak flows, we may notice a pattern of decreasing peak flow readings, even though there is not yet any congestion or fever. There may be an infection brewing, or it may be that there is some inflammation. If we can see those patterns happening, and call it to our doctors attention, he / she can take some steps to prevent a full blown exacerbation. The peak flow gives you some very objective data to give the doctor when you call.
(3) Find out times and patterns of breathing problems:
If used frequently enough to determine patterns, one can often discover that certain things are triggering episodes of more intense SOB. This type of knowledge can help you to manage your disease, especially environmental factors. (I knew I felt bad around perfumes, but after doing some peak flow readings, I discovered that my peak flow reading went down from 30-50 points after I was exposed to perfumes...not good when we are already so limited)
WHAT ARE PEAK FLOW NORMAL RANGES?
There appear to be no charts of normal peak flow ranges. Normal people with no lung disease, the peak flows are much higher than what we can do.
A young non-smoking teen may blow 800 consistently and a young adult in their 20s, moderate smoker, may blow 600. (Starting to show some effects already).
But the peak flow meter is not really designed to diagnose the degree of lung problem we have. It is designed to show up alterations from what is your own normal. That is why you don't find those charts giving us NORMS.
We must discover what is our own normal range by using the peak flow 2 or 3 times a day for awhile. Your normal will soon be obvious to you.
Thank you so very much for this informative response...
Very Helpful.
Enjoy your evening,
Holly
I know you loved us so much you just couldn't stay away.
I think most of us know - peak flow is monitored by respiratory doctors and nurses for COPD and Asthma Sass.
Said professional doctors and nurses sometimes have time to communicate the ins and out of peak flow and sometimes they do not.
Hi Trenzy I see your back too :O) other group not suiting you?
Actually we welcome everyone here who posts in a polite and friendly manner but not anyone who wishes to inflame.
"I think most of us know - peak flow is monitored by respiratory doctors and nurses for COPD and Asthma . "
This is the case in UK as monitored by professional Doctors and Nurses.
I do have an asthma consonant to my COPD.
I thought it would be good for those who were given one by their doctor to know how to use it properly.
I know when I first got mine I needed some help with it.
Enjoy your day,
Holly