Peak flow meter readings? Please help!

[babymadde]

Hi ladies I’m after some advice regarding peak flow meter readings. I have suspected for quite some time I might suffer from asthma, for several years I’ve had an almost permanent dry cough that is much worse with exercise and laughing - every time I have a belly laugh I’m spluttering afterwards however has only become glaringly obvious to me during the pandemic. Every illness I get seems to affect me chest more than it should. I have rang my gp who has made an appointment for me to attend in a few days time however my friend today gave me a spare peak flow meter she had to try myself. I took 3 readings which were 300, 350, 250 so from my understanding I take the best of the 3 which is 350 as my result. I’m a 35 year old woman, moderately active and fit, don’t smoke, 160cm.

Can someone tell me with these stats do my readings fall into the normal category?

I am not online seeking a professional diagnosis as I have previously stated I will be attending an appointment at my gp surgery later in the week, it’s really just curiosity at this stage.

For your age and height is should be around 420 ish. So it lower than should be.

Just to make sure your stood up when doing your peak flow.

Yes I was stood up as I was doing it. I took two puffs of a blue reliever inhaler I had been given by the gp from a previous chest infection (still in date!) and after 20 mins or so I was able to get the peak flow meter to 470. The inhaler made me feel a bit shaky though!

That’s the Salbutamol shakes. Don’t worry about it,

How did you get on @babymadde ?
I have similar readings to yourself, similar age etc, my appointment for a check isn’t until September

It can be a lot to do with technique, have you been shown how to do it correctly? I only do it about once a year at my asthma review and always forget how to do it to get the best result. But if you are doing it right, that does seem a bit low to me. Hopefully the doctor will be able to help at the appointment.

Thank you, not been shown how to do it, but from reading on here I take a deep chest breath in and then blow out short and sharp into the meter (whilst standing)?
I had asthma as a child and it seems to have returned, was given a blue pump about 18 months ago with no guidance but commented to nurse that it had been worse lately and she made the appointment and ordered me the peak flow meter.

@Forpoxsake maybe your reading is lower (though as someone who thinks 200 is dammed good) because you use a chest breath? Under normal circumstances everyone should breathe from their abdomen. The "chestbreath" should only be used as a top up.

Watch a baby breath. Their tummy goes up and down. In a lot of adults it's their shoulders that go up.And down.

It really varies in everyone.

Mine is 600 and I need steroids at about 500.

But that's my normal. A good idea is to track readings to find your normal over a month or something.