Peak Flow Meter

What is a Peak Flow Meter?
Peak Flow Meter is a device used to measure the efficiency of your lungs. The working principle of a peak flow meter is similar to other flow meters. The patient blows air into a tube like instrument which gives a specific reading and the doctor or nurse can take these measurements. The peak flow meter is used to measure just how much air capacity your lungs are able to take both in and out. This device enables the doctors to identify if your lungs are functioning normally or not.

Importance of Peak Flow Meter
There are many types of equipment which doctors and medical profession use to help them diagnosis the disease of the patient. All of us know that these devices help the doctors to measure the degree of damage to our organs and thus enable to prescribe the correct treatment to the patients.

The most delicate parts of the human body are the internal organs. Because of their hidden nature of these organs, it is hard for doctors to know what is wrong with them, especially our lungs. Without our lungs functioning properly we cannot survive a normal human being can’t survive without breathing for more than 3 minutes. That is why it is always important to keep your lungs healthy. Today’s industrialized world there is nothing much we can do in regards to the air pollution caused by industries and the growing number of cars but we can try to minimize the damage by not smoking or avoid spending too much time in a smoke filled environment. Because our lungs can sometimes be so delicate it is clear why doctors are prescribing a peak flow meter to some patients especially those who are potential asthma suffers.

Uses of Peak Flow Meters

Peak Flow Meter for Asthma Treatment
Asthma can be a hard thing to live with as it does affect a major part of you life. That is why it is important to take the advice of your family doctor if they recommend that you get an asthma peak flow meter. You have to be realistic about how much of an impact having an asthma attack can have on your day and life in general.

A peak flow reading always depends on your age, sex and gender. Some age groups have better peak flow reading, but it all depends on lifestyle. However it is clear that you do not choose to have asthma and that is why when you do have it you have to take all necessary precaution to ensure your own personal comfort.

Using an asthma peak flow meter to control your asthma is essential. It is your responsibility that you understand how the asthma peak flow meter works. This will be the way that you ensure that you are getting the right treatment from the word go.

Asthma Peak Flow Meter Helping You Get Diagnosed
In order for your doctor to really know whether or not you have asthma they rely on the asthma peak flow meter to show them how your lungs are getting on. They will take the required measurements from your personal asthma peak flow meter readings and evaluate them against what is the normally accepted peak flow reading. In this way they are able to find out if your lungs are at their optimum or if you indeed you have asthma.

The way this works is that no matter how strong or physically able you might seem if your airways are tight or thin you will have a low peak flow reading. It seems that the norm of readings is that you will typically have higher readings in the morning that in the evening.

With people who have untreated asthma this difference will vary considerably and this is the way your doctor can easily understand the nature of what is going on in your lungs. However do not assume that the diagnosis will be immediate. Your doctor or nurse will need to get more peak flow readings and this is usually done over a period of a week or maybe two.

This would mean that you will use the asthma peak flow meter as directed by your doctor on the times that they tell you to. This way they are able to determine through the asthma peak flow meter if indeed you have asthma and from then onwards they can recommend the required treatment. Your progress or peak readings are then put on a peak flow meter chart, which is an invaluable source of information for your nurse or doctor.

Peak Flow Meter to Create a Personal Workout Program
It is not only doctors that are interested in finding out just how efficient your lungs are. That is why so many gyms are using the peak flow meter in order to ensure that you get a good workout, as lung capacity will influence the type of workout you are able to do at a given time.

It is proven that lung capacity can be improved this being done through doing exercise that really engages your lungs to perform at their maximum. Without sufficient oxygen during a workout you might find that you are prone to feeling more dizzy and nauseated. That is why your gym always tries to create for you an exercise program that will slowly and gradually increase your lung capacity.

Most gyms are also upgrading from the usual almost once use peak flow meter to the assess peak flow meter which has a much better design and durability. Perhaps it has been for hygiene reasons that most gyms opted for the cheaper peak flow meter but now they are seeing that in the long run it is not as cheap.