If you're an asthmatic, chances are you have a peak flow meter somewhere in your possession.  Or, if you don't, you might want to consider requesting one from your asthma doctor.  A peak flow meter is one of the best tools ever invented for helping us asthmatics monitor our asthma at home.

The problem with peak flow meters is most asthmatics don't use them, or when they do they use them improperly.  When I see these asthmatics in the ER, it's my job to educate them. 

So, what is a peak flow meter?  Why were you given one?  How should it be used?  Why do asthma experts think they are so important?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends in their asthma guidelines that every asthmatic work with his or her doctor to create an asthma action plan.  This is a plan that helps you decide when to use your rescue medicine (like Albuterol), when to call your doctor, and when to have someone take you to the emergency room.

To help you decide what to do, the asthma guidelines recommend you either monitor your asthma symptoms, use your peak flow meter, or both.  What you do depends on you, your asthma and your doctor.  I wrote about asthma action plans here, and monitoring asthma signs and symptoms here, so in this post we'll tackle the importance of peak flow monitoring.

When I was a kid with hardluck asthma, my peak flow meter came in handy quite a few times.  I say this because I was short of breath so often that I basically became tolerant to it.  So, I  had to use my peak flow meter as a tool to help me decide what to do.

As an adult my peak flow meter became less useful.  It seems that whether my asthma is acting up or not, my peak flow values neither increase nor decrease.  This is something unique to me.  Still, I monitor my peak flows daily because you never know when it will come in handy.

The asthma guidelines recommend the following asthmatics use peak flow meters:  

• Moderate asthmatics:  They are at increased risk over mild asthmatics
• Severe asthmatics:  They are at highest risk exacerbations
• History:  Patients who have a history of severe exacerbations
• Dyspnea intolerant:  They poorly perceive airflow obstruction and worsening asthma
• Children:  They have a harder time communicating how they feel, and this provides a good tool for parents to monitor their child's asthma.
• Personal preference:  Some asthmatics prefer this method
• Doctor preference:  Doctors can use this as a monitoring tool

A peak flow meter is a handy, easy-to-use, hand-held device that you blow into as hard as you can.  It basically measures your peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), or how much air you can blow out with maximum exhalation.

Because measurement of PEFR is dependent on your effort and technique, it's important you work with your doctor, nurse or respiratory therapist to make sure you are using it properly.  To review proper peak flow technique, click here.