Peak-flow is a method of monitoring an asthma patient. It involves using a small plastic meter. Mine looks like the one on the far left. One of the respiratory therapists gave me this meter last fall, and though I haven't been good about keeping a record of my PF, I could likely have seen this latest asthma exacerbation had I been doing so.
The PF rate is based on a person's age, height, sex, and race. My personal target is 430 lpm. I run substantially lower. Based on the PF readings, one can manage asthma before it becomes a more serious problem , and address that problem quickly. There is a color coded marker on my gauge that tells me at a glance if I'm in the red, green or yellow zone.
The green zone is the 'all clear' area. It indicates reasonably good control of asthma.
The yellow zone signals 'caution'. Airways are narrowing and a bit of extra treatment might be needed. Symptoms can improve or worsen depending on what you do now.
The red zone indicates a medical alert- severe airway narrowing may be occurring. It's time to notify the doctor or seek help.
It's important to know the readings, but even more important to have a plan of what to do when the time comes.
To chart a PF , a special grid is used. I use a very simple one that shows my ups and downs twice a day. I also write in the actual reading from my meter.
The meter itself is simple to use. Take a really deep breath and then give a burst of air emptying the lungs. The procedure is done 3 times, and the best reading is used to mark on the grid. You cant breathe out too much, but you can breathe out too little.
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