Getting to Grips with Lung Disease an... - Lung Conditions C...

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Getting to Grips with Lung Disease and Daft Spirometry

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11 years ago•20 Replies

Well yep over past few weeks i have noticed my PEF go from 400 to 550 and thats good as normal PEF is 600 also FEV as also increased from 350 to 370 .. wile have been using my Spirometry Meter and doing my excersises regularly.

Dose any one know what a good as normal PEF and Low FEV mean

Even tho my lung volumes appears on surface to be inproving i am happy about .. my lung infection rate is not.

So question is why are PEF and FEV nummbers so diffrent ..

I seen my lung doc and he was concernd about why hypertonic sailine is not stopping my lung infection rate and is starting me on some maintenance antibiotics and underlaying cause

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Antibiotics

20 Replies

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11 years ago

Well Daz, if you've got peak flows of 550, don't expect great results from your compensation or welfare claims

Have never used a home spirometery device but my last result from a peak flow metre was a measly 200. Are we talking about the same measurement rate here ?

Hypertonic saline just helps to clear sputum and doesn't work directly on infection. It helps prevent it by clearing sputum but there's no bacterial action as in antibiotics.

• in reply to11 years ago

Hi Argana yer defo agree the trouble i have had with DWP IIDB as been at best a joke

But i only got pip on my standing problems and episodic hyperventalation

The contradiction in pip report was lets say a could of had a party if a was up for it

Thats what i cant understand my numbers dont look to bad but i have know stammer and easy tier breathless

11 years ago

found this up to yet Daz ile look for more, when ive got in proper ,cheers,xx priory.com/med/spiromet.htm

• in reply to11 years ago

Hi twiceshy3 what can a say o yer cheers

Yer was intresting link cheers thanks x

sassy5911 years ago

Is something actually going well for you at last Daz?! Wow, don't knock it and hope your doctor can be on the ball with the lung infection rate. Good luck to you mate and keep on fighting. Take care. xxxxxx

• in reply tosassy5911 years ago

Hi sassy59 cheers on the hole a cant complain as weights are cleary having effect so like my lung doc recommended i must be using new bits of my lung a never used b4 threw bad breathing stuff like that.

Am just glad a did not start smoking till mid 20s or think i would been well done for

Well so to speak .. its all these chest infection's if i was not of sound mind ad be sure the trying to do for me

But yer lung doc was ok this time MUST of HAD good week as he was not mean

But he said he was concernd why i keep geting these infections at rate a do

Told me is guna give me some good shhhher but have to get that real germ yogurt for me gizards

sassy59• in reply to11 years ago

Good luck to you Daz and hope things do improve. Take care and wishing you well. xxx

• in reply tosassy5911 years ago

Hi , sassy cheers yer i had just read my reply GOD even i was shocked usaly i edit but must of forgot

Thanks cheers

jenss11 years ago

Hi Daz. good to hear that you are now exercising regularly and are getting improvements - well done and keep it up! Your numbers mean that you can blow out at (almost) the normal rate for a short time, but your total volume of air exhaled is low. But by the sounds of it you are doing good with your exercise and are improving both. Take carexxx

• in reply tojenss11 years ago

Hi jenss cheers nummbers was peeping my head a tad

Still dont know how that reflects whats going on tho

Like a dont belive all this Spirometry is a true relection of whats going on

Do you think you can have good volume yet alavolie are bushed and would that effect how much air you take in blow out

Its all very complex but intresting at same time Anyway thanks for reply cheers

sassy59• in reply tojenss11 years ago

Hope you are doing ok jenss and that the family are keeping well too. Take care xxxx

jenss11 years ago

Hi Daz, I agree spirometer results are difficult to interpret for us non-doctors: spirometry can measure various aspects of lung function: ventilatory, gas diffusion, respiratory pressures. So yes it is possible to have normal ventilatory functions (so all the volume measures and air flow measures per time unit are normal), but have significant gas diffusion issues caused by for example scarring of lung tissues that affects gas exchange. I am not trained in this, but what you are describing with normal peak air flow for a short time (so a rate of L/min of air constant for a few milliseconds, or for 1 second then it becomes FEV1) but only blowing out a comparatively low overall amount of air (FVC) seems typical of a restrictive lung disorder. My understanding is that in COPD it is typically observed that FEV1 is reduced, but expelled amount of air is fairly normal (FVC). Anyway, don't know if that helps. I think keep up the exercise and keep improving and also try to get rid of this infection with the antibiotics. Then you may want to try building up your immune system with Vit C, D, maybe some probiotics (yoghurt helps but you'll probably have to eat a lot of it) etc. By the way, do you feel like you may have sinus problems? I used to have sinus issues and felt like I got chest infections from that- so since I have got the sinus issue under control I have not had a chest infection (touch wood), but I have also tried to build up my immune system with the above suggestions so both may have helped. I would try a few things to try to break the infection-antibiotics-infection cycle. Good luck and take carexxxx

• in reply tojenss11 years ago

Hi Jenss cheers yer i understand now if only doc's was as clear when talking to us

Yer sinues yer i thought it was to do with noses .. but looking threw few heart traces given my heart problems ad say your right

Mine is more a speed woble a tried capturing it on monitor but time a remmberd how to do it .. It had resolved its self

But yer i think its combination of things heart lung infections

Thanks for taking time to reply very comprehensive

Wile we are on a role might be able to help with this

If i have 2cm consoladation in my inferior lingula is that do you think what they call the cardiac notch and is it posable is cause of all my infection's and asbestos related

• in reply to11 years ago

Hi jenss yer forgot the lung doc said i have both restrictive and obstructive lung diease

Offcut• in reply to11 years ago

copd.about.com/od/copdbasic...

I used to blow 650 peak but I do 350 at best now but I have RLD and that is all I have I am empty. As you know all they have said to me is sorry live with it!

I think they only thing with the measurements are to see if they are higher or lower and adjust your activity to suit it.

Be Well

• in reply tojenss11 years ago

Very helpful -thanks !

jackdup11 years ago

PEF and FEV1 numbers vary depending on your age and height. I have the exact same meter as you and as you say it measures PEF and FEV1 but not FVC or other amounts. For my age and height normal PEF is 560 and normal FEV1 is 3.60. My PEF varies and have days when it is in the 300s and days when it is over 600, however my FEV1 is only about 60-67% of what it should be and that varies as well from day to day. There are charts on the internet that you can check what yours should be based on your age and height but yours certainly seems not too bad from my limited knowledge.

• in reply tojackdup11 years ago

Hi jackDup cheers yer have seen nummbers age stuff

Yer machine is good esp when put on computer

Cheers thanks for reply

ronpeterson11 years ago

I have been keeping track of my exercise and lung functions for almost a year now at regeneratinglungs.com and am convinced that I am experiencing some lung regeneration; remember they can't bury us if we are moving.

ron peterson

ronpeterson11 years ago

i have been keeping track of my progress for over a year now at regeneratinglungs.com and am certain that some regeneration of my lungs is taking place-check it out