Just a quick clarification needed please
If I were to take a peak flow reading, but in the process the phlegm 'rattled' would this affect the reading? Would it make it falsely higher or lower?
I'm thinking I should discount the value, but at the moment I can't take a reading without it happening, and I'm keen to monitor is as I'm currently only achieving around 55-60%
Um - wouldn't it stand to reason that if you are too phlemy to get a clear reading, then you are having pretty bad symptoms? I'd count the value and see it as a signal to bite the bullet and call the GP, or at least the nurse.
Hope you feel better soon!
I guess you're right Beth, as I put in my other post, I will get an emergency appointment tomorrow afternoon especially as I only managed 300 earlier and my best is 570!!
I get the same thing when I go through phases of having lots of phlegm in the back of my throat, which stops me from taking a good peak flow. Every time I blow I make a choking kind of sound. When I'm like this I also have trouble breathing from it, which is different from my normal asthma symptoms - I will have little fits of gasping and choking where I can't breathe in without making a horrendous sound, and can't swallow without coughing and choking. Like Beth, I would see this as a general issue affecting breathing and especially if I couldn't actually do a single peak flow without doing it would think that meant I needed to do something.
Thank you for your reply spookymilo. I haven't experienced the choking and gasping you mention, it sounds awful for you, I just find it rattles on the exhale which irritates and causes me to cough, then my chest tightens so when I repeat the blow my values get lower and the rattle gets worse.
Yes, I get what you are describing if I'm ill and it has gone to my chest. The current stuff is more in my throat and is hayfever related.
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