And there's a little gauge here that reads the numbers and you move it all the way down to 0. You just screw into one end so you can keep it clean. That means you can use the lowest amount of medicine possible to feel the best possible. If you've got accurate numbers and you keep them day after day, you can use that to adjust your medicines. Alan Greene and I want to explain to you how powerful it can be to have real numbers telling you how well you're breathing. And you may think you know how tight your airways are, but often people don't. There are so many other things going on in your life - if you're tired, if you're feeling happy, if you're feeling down. How do you use it? What good is it really? Well it turns out that it's often hard to tell how strong your breathing is at any given moment. You may have heard of a peak flow meter if you have asthma and wonder is it really worth it. And it will help you know exactly what to do to best control your asthma with the minimal amount of medications. That number will either fall in the green zone, or the yellow zone, or the red zone. Then you can compare it that your asthma action plan. Whatever the highest number is, that's how well you're breathing right now. Pull it back to the beginning and do it a total of 3 times. Then what you do is write down that number. Then just seal your mouth around the mouthpiece and blow hard, as hard as you can once. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Management of asthma in adolescents and adults. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website. Asthma Management Guidelines: Focused Updates 2020. Pfenninger and Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier 2020:chap 51.Ĭhassay CM. Take your peak flow:īoulet LP, Godbout K. Once you know your personal best, make taking your peak flow a habit. Ask your provider when you should check for a new personal best. This plan should tell you when to call the provider for help and when to use medicines if your peak flow drops to a certain level. The highest peak flow number you had during the 2 to 3 weeks is your personal best.Īsk your provider to help you fill out an asthma action plan. Write down the number you get for each peak flow reading. These times for taking your peak flow are only for finding your personal best. Any other time your provider tells you to.Each time after you take your quick-relief medicine to relieve symptoms.To find your personal best, take your peak flow as close to the following times of day as you can: Your asthma should be under control during this time. To find your personal best peak flow number, take your peak flow each day for 2 to 3 weeks. Start using peak flow meters before age 5 to get your child used to them. Many children under age 5 cannot use a peak flow meter very well. The highest of the 3 numbers is your peak flow number. Move the marker back to the bottom and repeat all these steps 2 more times.But, if you coughed or did not do the steps right, do not write down the number. So blowing for a longer time will not affect your result. Your first burst of air is the most important. Blow out as hard and fast as you can in a single blow.Do not put your tongue against or inside the hole. Hold your breath while you place the mouthpiece in your mouth, between your teeth.Move the marker to the bottom of the numbered scale.If your airways are narrowed and blocked due to asthma, your peak flow values drop. Measuring your peak flow can tell you and your health care provider how well you blow air out of your lungs. Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsers How to Measure Peak Flow
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |